Yes, you can smoke at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW) — on open-air smoking terraces after security, on both the domestic and international airsides. Smoking inside the terminal is not permitted, so every facility is outdoors; there are also designated smoking areas outside the terminal, landside.
Sabiha Gökçen is Istanbul’s second airport, on the Asian side of the city, and one of Europe’s busiest single-terminal hubs — the base for Pegasus Airlines and a major low-cost gateway. All passenger flights use one terminal, split into a domestic airside and an international airside, and each side has its own smoking terraces past security.
Smoking Terraces After Security (Airside)
Sabiha Gökçen’s official passenger guide confirms there is no smoking room inside the terminal — Turkey’s ban on smoking in enclosed spaces rules that out — and that open-air smoking terraces are provided on both the domestic and international airsides. Look for “Terrace” signage in the departure concourse once you are past security.
International Airside
On the international side, travellers most often use the terrace by the Gate Cafe on the main terminal floor: after security, head right, then right again past the restaurants, and follow the concourse toward the cafe near the far end. This terrace has a cafe attached and can get busy at peak times. A second, smaller terrace is reported on the lower level near Gate 306, down among the remote-gate lounges, which is usually quieter.
Domestic Airside
The domestic departures side has its own open-air smoking terrace past security, so passengers on internal Turkish flights do not need to leave the secure area to smoke. As on the international side, it is an uncovered outdoor terrace rather than an enclosed room, so it offers little shelter in rain or cold.
Before Security (Landside)
If you have not yet cleared security, or you are meeting arrivals, smoking is confined to the designated areas outside the terminal building. Step outside the entrances, find a marked spot away from the doors, and you are clear to light up before you check in.
Vaping
Turkey treats e-cigarettes and heated-tobacco devices like ordinary cigarettes. Vaping inside the terminal is not permitted, so use the same open-air smoking terraces on the airside or the designated areas outside the terminal landside for both cigarettes and vapes.
Summary
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Indoor terminal | No | No indoor smoking rooms — enclosed smoking banned by law |
| International airside | Yes | Open-air terrace by Gate Cafe (main floor); smaller terrace near Gate 306 (lower level) |
| Domestic airside | Yes | Open-air smoking terrace past security |
| Outdoor (landside) | Yes | Designated areas outside the terminal entrances |
For Turkey’s airport smoking rules and vaping law, see our Turkey airport guide.