Turnstiles and access control systems in North Cyprus

What is an access control system?

An access control system is the combination of hardware and software that determines who can enter an area and when. On the physical side there is a turnstile, door lock or barrier; on the authentication side, a card reader, keypad, fingerprint or face recognition terminal. Common turnstile types:

• Tripod turnstiles: Three-armed, economical and widespread; often used in factories and gyms.
• Swing-wing (speed gate) turnstiles: Glass wings give stylish, fast passage; preferred in office and business-centre lobbies.
• Full-height turnstiles: For outdoor areas and entrances that need high security.
• Accessible gates: Wide passage for wheelchair users and people carrying loads.

When choosing a turnstile, whether the entrance is outdoors or indoors must also be considered. Outdoor turnstiles need a housing and electronics that withstand rain, dust and sun. Indoors, appearance and quiet operation come first.

Where they are used in North Cyprus

Public institutions and business centres in Nicosia (Lefkoşa), university campuses in Famagusta (Gazimağusa) and Lefke, factories in industrial zones, hotel staff entrances in Kyrenia (Girne) and Iskele, and gyms are where access control stands out. Having worked with institutions such as METU Northern Cyprus Campus and the Turkish Armed Forces has given us close knowledge of the requirements of high-security projects.

In gyms and leisure facilities, when access control is combined with membership management, people whose membership has expired are automatically denied entry. In hotels and hospitals, separating staff areas from visitor areas is important for both security and operations.

Questions to ask when designing the system

• How many people pass through, and at what times? Peaks at shift changes determine the number of turnstiles.
• Which authentication method? Cards are practical and widespread; face recognition offers touch-free entry; fingerprints prevent card sharing.
• Is staff attendance tracking needed? Access data can be transferred to timekeeping and HR software.
• Visitor management: Issuing temporary cards or QR codes at reception.
• Emergency scenario: Turnstiles releasing when the fire alarm sounds must be planned.
• Power cuts: Whether the system locks or releases during Kıb-Tek power cuts, and battery backup, must be decided in advance.

The answers to these questions are the basic information that determines the scale of the project and the equipment to be used.

Integration options

• RFID and smart card readers
• Face recognition and fingerprint terminals
• Central management software and access reports
• Room-level authorisation with door locks and electromagnetic locks
• Barrier and plate recognition integration for vehicle access
• Working together with an automatic sensor door at the main entrance

On the software side, creating permission groups makes management easier in large organisations. For example, an employee can be allowed into their own floor only and at certain times, while visitor cards can be automatically deactivated at the end of the day. We define these rules together according to how your organisation works.

Installation process

1. Survey: We inspect the entry points, cable routes and user flow.
2. Quote: We prepare a written quote covering turnstile type, readers and software options.
3. Installation: Turnstiles are fixed, readers and control panels are connected and the software is installed.
4. Handover: User records and permission groups are created, and administrators are trained.

You can find an outline of our workflow on the how it works page.

After installation we monitor how the system is used in its first weeks and fine-tune permission groups and access rules if needed. We give hands-on guidance so that your administrators can add new users, cancel cards and run reports on their own.

Maintenance and warranty

With access control systems, software updates and reader checks matter as well as mechanical maintenance. For the systems we install: 3-year warranty; if periodic maintenance is carried out without interruption, the warranty can be extended to up to 5 years. Because entry problems can halt your operations, we provide support with our 24/7 repair service.

On a maintenance visit, as well as the turnstiles' mechanical parts, the card readers' detection success, software logs and control panel connections are checked. Backing up the user database regularly is one of the steps we recommend so that data isn't lost in the event of a hardware fault.

Why REKA?

• More than 20 years of experience and corporate references
• Combining doors, barriers and turnstiles on a single infrastructure
• We work with all brands and offer brand-independent advice
• Free site survey across North Cyprus

For your organisation, contact us on +90 539 102 13 13 or request a free site survey.

Privacy and data security also need to be considered in access control projects. We decide together with your organisation, at the installation stage, who can view user information and access logs and how permissions are structured.