30.06.2026 14:30
A Korean tourist in Istanbul recorded the opportunistic behavior of a taxi driver moment by moment. After agreeing on 350 TL for a 10-minute ride, the driver asked, "Is the money in euros or dollars?" and then raised the price to 750 TL, leaving the tourist in disbelief. When the driver noticed the camera, his first reaction was, "Turn off the camera."
Another example has been added to the excessive fare demands of some taxi drivers targeting tourists in Istanbul. A Korean vlogger visiting Türkiye shared the grievance she experienced in a taxi with her followers. The footage once again revealed the extent of the megacity's taxi problem.
"TURN OFF THE CAMERA"
The dialogue captured on the recording camera during the journey revealed step by step how profiteering works. The taxi driver, noticing the tourist was filming, attempted to intervene by saying in English, "Turn off the camera."
"IS YOUR MONEY EUROS, DOLLARS, OR LIRAS?"
Stating that the trip would take 10 minutes, the taxi driver immediately followed up with a question that revealed his intentions: "Is your money euros, dollars, or liras?" Despite the tourist answering "Liras," the driver suddenly raised the fare for the short distance, saying, "Maybe this will be 750 liras." When the tourist asked, "Did you turn on the taximeter?" the driver's panic, fixated on the camera again, drew attention.
"GETTING SCAMMED RIGHT AFTER ARRIVING IN TÜRKİYE?"
Sharing the shock she experienced after getting out of the vehicle with her followers, the Korean tourist protested the situation. The young woman stated that she had asked about the fare before getting into the taxi and received an answer of 350 liras, and said: "When I got into the taxi, he said 350 liras. Once I got in, out of nowhere, he asked for 750-800 liras. When I got out, he demanded I pay 750 liras. I only traveled for 10 minutes. Wow, getting scammed by a taxi right after arriving in Türkiye?"
Following the footage, which spread rapidly on social media and drew widespread backlash, it is expected that teams from the Istanbul Police Department Traffic Supervision Branch will launch an investigation into the taxi plate and its driver in question.