Can foreigners open a bank deposit account in Istanbul, Turkey?

Opening a deposit account as a foreigner in a Turkish bank is entirely possible — that's not the hard part. The real challenge is understanding how it works afterward: the local banking system differs from what most people are used to, and without Turkish language skills it's easy to miss important details on interest terms and withdrawals.

Russian Mir cards do not work in Turkey — this still surprises many travelers who arrive expecting to pay with them. It's best to arrange cash or another type of card in advance.

Regarding account/paperwork procedures, travelers share positive experiences on a specialized travel forum (Vinsky forum), where there's a dedicated thread on this topic — worth searching there for details.