Glossary
DVLA — explained for Turkish readers
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency issues driving licences and registers vehicles in Great Britain. It does not exchange Turkish driving licences.
The DVLA is the Department for Transport agency that issues driving licences, keeps the vehicle register and V5C logbooks, and collects vehicle tax for England, Scotland and Wales; Northern Ireland has the DVA. Almost everything is done online or by post from its Swansea office.
In Türkiye the equivalent work is split: driving licences are now issued by the nüfus müdürlüğü, and vehicle registration by the trafik tescil offices of the Emniyet Genel Müdürlüğü. The DVLA does both.
The point that matters most to Turkish drivers is exchange. Türkiye is not on the list of countries whose licences the DVLA will swap for a British one. A Turkish licence lets a new resident drive in Great Britain for twelve months; after that you need a provisional licence and must pass the theory and practical tests. The DVLA itself does not ask for a translation of the Turkish licence; insurers and employers sometimes do. Details are on Turkish driving licences and the DVLA.