Provider review
Is AY YILDIZ the best German SIM for calling Turkey in 2026?
Updated May 14, 2026 · By Jules de Bruin · Telefónica/O2-hosted MVNO for the Turkish diaspora — deep dive on tariffs, rates and trade-offs.
Updated May 2026. AY YILDIZ is the dedicated Turkish-diaspora MVNO in Germany, fully owned by Telefónica Germany (O2) and riding its 5G network up to 50 Mbit/s. The flagship Ay Allnet ladder runs Ay Allnet S at €12.99/mo (8 GB), Ay Allnet M at €17.99/mo (15 GB) and Ay Allnet L at €22.99/mo (30 GB) — every contract bundles unlimited Turkish landline minutes from Germany and discounted Turkish-mobile rates. Distribution covers ayyildiz.de, Turkish supermarkets and money-transfer kiosks. Customer service is bilingual (German & Turkish).
Which AY YILDIZ plan is best in 2026?
Best overall · Sweet spot for streamers · Lightest entry tariff · Heavy-data option
AY YILDIZ sells three flagship Allnet tariffs — S, M and L — plus a separate AyStar prepaid ladder. For most Turkish-German households the Ay Allnet M at €17.99/month is the sweet spot: 15 GB of LTE/5G data, unlimited Turkey landline minutes, and EU roaming included. Ay Allnet S (€12.99) suits messengers-only users; Ay Allnet L (€22.99) is for heavy streamers and tethering.
The mid-tier contract is the Turkish-German default. 15 GB LTE/5G data at €17.99/month, unlimited domestic minutes and SMS, unlimited calls to Turkish landlines, plus EU roaming. 24-month contract with monthly cancellation after the first term. Bilingual support and a kiosk distribution network put it ahead of Lebara DE on lived experience.
The entry contract delivers 8 GB at €12.99/month. Same Turkey landline unlimited and EU roaming as the M tier — only data is leaner. Right for users who WhatsApp/voice-call rather than stream video. Cheapest path onto AY YILDIZ's rate card if you want the brand's Turkey calling benefits without committing to a higher monthly fee.
The largest Allnet tariff: 30 GB at €22.99/month. Same Turkey-landline unlimited bundle, expanded for users who tether, stream YouTube/Netflix on mobile, or share data with a household device. Useful as a primary home connection where DSL isn't practical — though dedicated O2 unlimited plans become cheaper above ~50 GB/month.
If you want no commitment, the AyStar prepaid ladder runs at €3.99, €4.99, €9.99, €14.99 and €19.99 per 4 weeks. Top-up at supermarket and kiosk vouchers. Turkish-mobile rates apply at a discount, but landline-to-Turkey is metered rather than unlimited — double-check on a current AyStar tariff page before relying on heavy call volumes.
Source: ayyildiz.de tariff pages, verified May 2026
How is AY YILDIZ's network (O2 host)?
Telefónica/O2 host · 5G up to 50 Mbit/s · Strong urban · Weaker rural than Telekom
AY YILDIZ rides the Telefónica Germany (O2) network — it is the wholly-owned diaspora brand of O2 itself, not a third-party MVNO. That gives it 5G access up to 50 Mbit/s on Allnet contracts and the same coverage map O2-branded customers see. Connect's 2025 mobile network test still ranks Telekom first, Vodafone second and O2 third on rural and motorway coverage, but the city-level gap has closed significantly.
In practice, AY YILDIZ works well in Berlin, Köln, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Frankfurt and Munich — the cities where most of Germany's 2.8 million Turkish-origin residents actually live. Outside the urban belt, signal in Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Bavarian rural districts is weaker than on Telekom-hosted MVNOs such as congstar or fraenk. If you commute by ICE or live in a small Dorf, run an O2 coverage check before signing.
| Metric | AY YILDIZ (on O2) | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Host network | Telefónica Germany (O2) | Telekom · Vodafone · O2 |
| 5G access | Yes, capped 50 Mbit/s on Allnet | Same wholesale as O2 Basic / blau |
| LTE population coverage | ~99% (O2 footprint) | Telekom ~99.5% / Vodafone ~99% |
| Connect 2025 ranking | 3rd (via O2 host) | Telekom #1 thirteen years running |
| EU roaming | Included, EU regulated fair-use | EU27 + Iceland/Liechtenstein/Norway |
Source: ayyildiz.de tariff pages, BNetzA spectrum allocations, connect Mobilfunknetztest 2025
How much does AY YILDIZ cost compared to Lebara DE and Lyca?
Specialist vs generalist · Bundled vs per-minute · Contract vs prepaid
AY YILDIZ is more expensive per gigabyte than Lebara DE or Lyca DE on raw data, but it bundles Turkey calling as a flat allowance rather than as discounted per-minute rates. For a household that already burns 60+ minutes a month calling Turkish landlines, the all-in cost lands below Lebara M plus a Turkey add-on — and you keep bilingual customer service.
| Provider | Tariff | Data | Price/month | Turkey calls | Host network |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AY YILDIZ | Ay Allnet S | 8 GB | €12.99 | Landlines unlimited | O2 / Telefónica |
| AY YILDIZ | Ay Allnet M | 15 GB | €17.99 | Landlines unlimited | O2 / Telefónica |
| AY YILDIZ | Ay Allnet L | 30 GB | €22.99 | Landlines unlimited | O2 / Telefónica |
| Lebara DE | Allnet M | 15 GB | €9.99 | 100 intl. min. (incl. TR) | O2 / Telefónica |
| Lebara DE | Allnet L | 30 GB | €14.99 | 200 intl. min. | O2 / Telefónica |
| Lyca Mobile DE | L Plus | 22 GB | €11.99 | 100 intl. min. | O2 / Telefónica |
| Ortel Mobile | Combi M | 10 GB | €9.99/4w | 300 intl. min. (paid) | O2 / Telefónica |
Source: ayyildiz.de, lebara.de, lycamobile.de, ortelmobile.de, verified May 2026
The headline read is that Lebara and Lyca are roughly €5–8 cheaper per month at matched data, but they cap international minutes at 100–200. AY YILDIZ removes that cap for Turkish landlines only. Households calling parents and in-laws on Turkish landlines for an hour or two each week burn through Lebara's 100-min cap inside 10 days; on AY YILDIZ the same usage stays inside the flat fee.
What's included for calls to Türkiye?
Landlines unlimited · Mobile rates discounted · SMS still metered
Every Ay Allnet contract bundles unlimited calls to Turkish landlines directly from Germany. Calls to Turkish mobile networks (Turkcell, Vodafone TR, Türk Telekom Mobil) are charged at a discounted per-minute rate — typically €0.09–€0.19 per minute depending on the tariff and current promotion. SMS to Turkey are metered separately.
| Destination type | Ay Allnet S/M/L | AyStar Prepaid | Standard O2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkish landlines from DE | Unlimited (flat) | €0.05–0.09/min | €0.25–0.49/min |
| Turkish mobiles from DE | €0.09–0.19/min | €0.09–0.19/min | €0.49–0.99/min |
| SMS to Turkey | €0.19–0.29 each | €0.19–0.29 each | €0.29+ each |
| Roaming in Turkey | Day passes (paid) | Day passes (paid) | Day passes (paid) |
| Calls back to DE while in TR | Roaming rate applies | Roaming rate applies | Roaming rate applies |
Source: ayyildiz.de Tariff & Auslandstarife, verified May 2026. Verify mobile per-minute promo before signing.
For most users this is a fine deal: you call your mother on her landline in Konya, that's flat. You also call your cousin's Turkcell mobile, that runs €0.09/min — an hour costs about €5.40. Stacking 60–120 mobile minutes a month adds roughly €5–20 on top of the headline tariff, still cheaper than a comparable Lebara plan plus a Turkey mobile add-on bundle.
What are the pros and cons of AY YILDIZ?
Bilingual support & kiosk retail · O2 rural gap · Price premium vs Lebara
AY YILDIZ's strengths are concentrated in the Turkish-diaspora use case: bilingual support, kiosk retail, an unlimited Turkey-landline bundle that no major MVNO matches, and direct ownership by Telefónica. The weaknesses track O2's rural gap, a roughly €5–8/month price premium over Lebara DE at matched data, and a 24-month minimum contract on the Ay Allnet ladder.
Pros
- Unlimited Turkey landlines. No other German MVNO ships this as a flat-fee bundle on a mainstream tariff.
- Bilingual support. Customer service in German and Turkish via phone and chat — meaningful for older relatives porting in.
- Owned by Telefónica. Direct O2 wholesale access; less intermediation risk than third-party MVNOs.
- 5G included. Up to 50 Mbit/s on all Ay Allnet contracts — same wholesale tier as O2 Basic and blau.
- Kiosk distribution. SIMs available at Turkish supermarkets and money-transfer kiosks for users who prefer in-person sign-up.
- EU roaming included. Standard EU regulated fair-use allowance on Allnet tariffs.
Cons
- O2 rural gap. Coverage outside cities lags Telekom-hosted MVNOs by 5–15 percentage points on connect's rural drive tests.
- Price premium. ~€5–8/month more than Lebara DE / Lyca DE at matched data.
- 24-month commitment. Ay Allnet contracts lock for two years before monthly cancellation kicks in.
- 5G capped at 50 Mbit/s. Native O2 plans uncap speeds; AY YILDIZ does not.
- Turkey roaming not included. Travel to Türkiye still triggers paid day passes — EU rules don't apply.
- Turkish-mobile minutes still metered. The unlimited bundle covers landlines only; mobile calls cost €0.09–0.19/min on top.
How do you sign up for AY YILDIZ?
Five steps · SCHUFA on contract · VideoIdent or PostIdent
Sign-up takes 15–30 minutes for an eSIM, 2–4 working days for a physical SIM by post. You need a valid passport or German Personalausweis, a German Anmeldung address, a SEPA bank account (for contract plans), and a working webcam if you choose VideoIdent. AY YILDIZ runs a SCHUFA check on Ay Allnet contracts; AyStar prepaid skips the credit check.
- Pick contract or prepaid. If you call Turkey landlines weekly and want unlimited — pick Ay Allnet S/M/L. If you want zero commitment or no SCHUFA check — pick the AyStar prepaid ladder.
- Choose your SIM format. Order a physical SIM by post (free delivery in 2–4 working days) or an eSIM QR code for instant activation on iPhone XS+ / Pixel 3+ / recent Samsung Galaxy. (eSIM activates within 15–30 min after VideoIdent)
- Request your port-in code (optional). If you want to keep your existing German number, request a Rufnummernmitnahme code from your current operator. Free since the December 2021 TKG reform.
- Submit your ID and address. Upload your passport/Ausweis and your Anmeldung confirmation. Complete VideoIdent by webcam, or print the form for PostIdent at a Deutsche Post branch. BNetzA mandates ID verification on every German SIM. (VideoIdent open Mon–Sat business hours)
- Activate and test the Turkey rate card. Pop in the SIM or scan the QR, wait for signal, then place a 1-minute test call to a Turkish landline (+90 followed by a Turkish area code). Confirm on the next bill that the call did not deduct from data or balance.
For in-person sign-up, AY YILDIZ-branded SIM kits are sold at Turkish supermarkets, money-transfer kiosks and many T-Punkt-style independent telecom shops in Berlin-Kreuzberg, Köln-Mülheim, Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt, Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg and Munich-Hasenbergl. The retail clerk handles ID verification on the spot for prepaid; contracts still route through the website.
Should you pick AY YILDIZ or Lebara DE / Lyca for Turkey calls?
Decision rule · Volume threshold · Language & retail preference
Pick AY YILDIZ if Turkey is your only non-EU destination, you call Turkish landlines more than ~60 minutes a month, or you value bilingual customer service. Pick Lebara DE or Lyca Mobile DE if you also call other destinations (Maghreb, South Asia, West Africa), if you want the cheapest possible monthly fee, or if you prefer 100-minute caps you rarely hit.
| Use case | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 2+ hrs/wk to Turkish landlines | AY YILDIZ | Flat unlimited beats 100-min cap on Lebara |
| Mixed Turkey + Maghreb + South Asia | Lebara DE | 100 intl. min pool to 40+ destinations |
| Cheapest matched-data plan | Lebara DE / Lyca | €5–8/mo cheaper at 15–22 GB |
| Turkish-language support required | AY YILDIZ | Bilingual TR/DE chat & phone |
| In-person SIM pickup | AY YILDIZ | Kiosk & supermarket distribution |
| No commitment / no SCHUFA | AyStar Prepaid or Lebara prepaid | Both skip credit check |
The threshold is roughly 60–90 Turkey-landline minutes a month. Below that, Lebara's 100-min international pool plus a cheaper base fee wins on total cost. Above that, AY YILDIZ's unlimited Turkey-landline bundle becomes the cheaper option — and you get bilingual service as a bonus.
How did we rank AY YILDIZ?
Six-dimension scoring · operator-verified data · affiliate-independent
AY YILDIZ was scored on six dimensions: Turkey calling depth, price per gigabyte, host-network coverage, EU roaming, contract flexibility, and service quality / language support. Pricing was pulled from ayyildiz.de in May 2026 and cross-checked against the Telefónica wholesale baseline and against Lebara DE / Lyca DE / Ortel public tariffs.
1. Turkey calling depth
Is the Turkey-landline bundle flat or metered? How are Turkish mobiles priced?
2. Price per GB
All-in monthly fee divided by data allowance, compared to peers.
3. Host network
Which MNO carries the SIM, and how it ranks in connect's annual test.
4. EU roaming
Fair-use allowance when travelling inside the EU/EEA.
5. Contract flexibility
Prepaid vs 24-month contract, cancellation terms, SCHUFA exposure.
6. Service quality
Language support, retail availability, billing transparency.
Affiliate disclosure
SimCompare365 may earn a commission on confirmed sign-ups via ayyildiz.de. Rankings are independent — see disclosure.
Sources: ayyildiz.de tariff & Auslandstarife pages; Telefónica Germany investor disclosures; BNetzA spectrum data; connect Mobilfunknetztest 2025; lebara.de, lycamobile.de and ortelmobile.de tariff pages. All verified May 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is AY YILDIZ on the same network as O2? expand_more
Yes. AY YILDIZ runs on the Telefónica/O2 network and is in fact wholly owned by Telefónica Germany — it's O2's in-house Turkish-diaspora brand. 5G is included up to 50 Mbit/s. Coverage matches O2-branded plans: strong in cities, weaker outside them than Telekom.
Does AY YILDIZ offer customer service in Turkish? expand_more
Yes. Turkish-language customer service is one of the brand's core differentiators — available by phone and live chat. The website is fully bilingual (German and Turkish), and physical paperwork at retail kiosks is typically dual-language.
How does AY YILDIZ compare to Lebara for Turkey calling? expand_more
AY YILDIZ specialises: unlimited Turkey-landline bundle, Turkish-language support, kiosk distribution. Lebara generalises: 100–200 minute international pool covering 40+ destinations including Turkey, German-only support, online-first. If Turkey is your sole non-EU destination and you call landlines >60 min/month, AY YILDIZ wins. If you also call other countries or call <60 min/month, Lebara is cheaper.
Can I get an AY YILDIZ eSIM? expand_more
Yes. AY YILDIZ eSIM is sold on ayyildiz.de. Order online, complete VideoIdent by webcam, then scan the QR code on iPhone XS+, Pixel 3+ or recent Samsung Galaxy. Available on both AyStar prepaid and Ay Allnet contract tariffs.
Does AY YILDIZ roam in Turkey? expand_more
Yes, but at a price. Turkey is outside the EU roaming zone, so the regulated Roam-Like-At-Home rules do not apply. AY YILDIZ sells daily roaming passes for Turkey covering data and calls — check the current Auslandstarife page before travel. For longer stays, a Turkish prepaid SIM bought locally is usually cheaper than a German roaming pass.
Can I cancel AY YILDIZ monthly? expand_more
Only after the first 24 months. Ay Allnet contracts have a 24-month minimum term. After that, the December 2021 TKG reform lets you cancel with one month's notice at any time. AyStar prepaid has no minimum term — stop topping up and the SIM expires after the unused-credit window.
Where can I buy an AY YILDIZ SIM in person? expand_more
AY YILDIZ SIMs are sold at Turkish supermarkets, money-transfer kiosks (Ria, MoneyGram, Western Union partner shops) and independent telecom dealers in Berlin-Kreuzberg/Neukölln, Köln-Mülheim, Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt, Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg and Munich-Hasenbergl. Ordering online from ayyildiz.de is fastest if you want eSIM or a specific contract.