Can foreigners claim earthquake insurance compensation in Turkey? Learn about compulsory earthquake insurance, private property insurance, earthquake damage claims, rejected or underpaid claims and compensation rights of foreign property owners in Turkey.

Yes. Foreign property owners in Turkey can generally claim insurance compensation for earthquake damage where the property and loss fall within a valid insurance policy.

Foreign nationality does not itself prevent an insured property owner from claiming earthquake compensation.

The most important questions are instead:

• Was the property insured on the date of the earthquake?
• Is the building covered by compulsory earthquake insurance?
• Is there additional private property insurance?
• What type of damage occurred?
• What is the insured amount?
• Has the damage been correctly assessed?
• Has the insurer rejected or underpaid the claim?

Turkey’s compulsory earthquake insurance system covers specified buildings and independent units and protects against direct material damage caused by earthquakes and certain earthquake-related events.

Can a Foreign Property Owner Have Compulsory Earthquake Insurance in Turkey?

Yes.

The compulsory earthquake insurance framework is primarily connected to the insured property and ownership rather than Turkish nationality.

The official claim system expressly recognizes a Foreigner Identity Number as one of the identifiers that may be used by policyholders for online earthquake claim transactions.

Accordingly, a foreigner who legally owns insured property in Turkey can potentially receive compensation in accordance with the applicable policy and insurance rules.

What Does Compulsory Earthquake Insurance Cover?

Compulsory earthquake insurance covers direct material damage to the insured building caused by:

• Earthquake;
• Fire resulting from an earthquake;
• Explosion resulting from an earthquake;
• Tsunami resulting from an earthquake;
• Landslide resulting from an earthquake.

Coverage applies within the limits stated in the policy.

The building can be either partially or completely damaged.

Which Parts of the Building Are Covered?

Coverage includes qualifying damage to structural and complementary parts such as:

• Foundations;
• Main walls;
• Common walls separating independent units;
• Retaining walls;
• Garden walls;
• Floors and ceilings;
• Stairs;
• Elevators;
• Corridors;
• Roofs;
• Chimneys.

Therefore, compensation is not limited only to a building that completely collapses. Partial structural damage may also fall within coverage.

Does Compulsory Earthquake Insurance Cover Furniture?

No.

One of the most important distinctions for foreign property owners is between the building and the contents of the property.

Compulsory earthquake insurance does not cover movable property such as:

• Furniture;
• Electronics;
• Appliances;
• Personal belongings;
• Other movable contents.

These losses may instead need to be examined under an additional private home or property insurance policy.

Does It Cover Loss of Rental Income?

No, compulsory earthquake insurance does not cover loss of rental income.

This can be particularly important for foreign investors who purchased Turkish property as a rental investment.

The compulsory scheme also excludes matters such as:

• Loss of profit;
• Business interruption;
• Alternative accommodation expenses;
• Alternative workplace expenses;
• Certain indirect financial losses.

Additional private insurance should therefore be reviewed.

What If the Foreign Owner Has Private Property Insurance?

This may substantially increase the available protection.

A foreign property owner may have:

1. Compulsory earthquake insurance; and
2. Additional private home, commercial property or other insurance.

The 2026 compulsory earthquake insurance tariff expressly contemplates additional voluntary earthquake insurance where the rebuilding value exceeds the compulsory insurance amount.

Therefore, foreign owners should not stop their investigation after checking only the compulsory policy.

Example

Assume a foreign investor owns an apartment in Turkey.

After an earthquake:

Structural damage: TRY 1,500,000
Furniture damage: TRY 300,000
Temporary accommodation: TRY 100,000
Lost rental income: TRY 200,000

These losses should not automatically be submitted as one undifferentiated claim.

Structural building damage may fall within compulsory earthquake coverage subject to the policy limits and conditions.

Furniture, accommodation and lost rent are outside the compulsory coverage and should be examined under any additional private policy.

Which Buildings Are Generally Subject to Compulsory Earthquake Insurance?

The statutory system includes qualifying:

• Independent units under the condominium-property framework;
• Residential buildings constructed on registered privately owned land;
• Independent units used as shops, offices or similar purposes within such buildings;
• Certain housing constructed or financed by the state following natural disasters.

The exact status of the property should nevertheless be verified.

Are Fully Commercial Buildings Covered?

Not necessarily under compulsory earthquake insurance.

Buildings used entirely for commercial or industrial purposes are among those identified outside the compulsory scheme.

Foreign companies owning:

• Factories;
• Warehouses;
• Industrial facilities;
• Standalone commercial buildings;

should therefore carefully examine their private commercial property and earthquake insurance.

What Should a Foreigner Do Immediately After an Earthquake?

The first priority should be personal safety and compliance with official safety instructions.

Once it is safe to address the insurance claim, the property owner should:

1. Preserve the policy.
2. Photograph and video the damage.
3. Report the claim.
4. Preserve title information.
5. Keep repair estimates.
6. Avoid unnecessary alteration of damaged areas before assessment.
7. Preserve correspondence with the insurer.
8. Identify any additional private insurance.

The objective is to create a complete evidentiary record of the damage.

What Information Is Needed for a Claim?

Official compulsory earthquake claim guidance identifies information such as:

• Damage notification;
• Policy information;
• Current title deed information;
• Address of the damaged property;
• Contact information of the insured person.

The insurer should also be informed about additional insurance policies containing earthquake coverage for the same building.

Can a Foreign Owner File the Claim From Abroad?

Potentially, yes.

A foreign owner does not necessarily lose insurance rights merely because they were outside Turkey when the earthquake occurred.

The important issues are ownership, policy coverage, timely notification, documentation and compliance with the claim procedure.

Where the owner cannot personally manage the process in Turkey, representation may be considered.

Does the Owner Have to Be in Turkey During the Earthquake?

No general rule makes physical presence at the property a condition for building insurance compensation.

A foreign investor may own an apartment in Turkey while residing abroad.

The claim concerns insured damage to the property.

What If the Property Is Rented to a Tenant?

The ownership and insurance position should be distinguished from the tenant’s personal property.

Official compulsory earthquake insurance guidance states that a tenant cannot take out the policy in their own name as the beneficiary. A tenant may arrange the insurance as policyholder on behalf of the owner, but compensation is paid to the person identified as the entitled owner in the title records.

The tenant’s furniture and personal belongings require separate insurance analysis.

How Is the Damage Assessed?

An assessment generally determines the nature and extent of earthquake-related building damage.

Foreign owners should preserve independent evidence where they disagree with the assessment.

Useful evidence can include:

• Photographs;
• Videos;
• Engineering reports;
• Repair quotations;
• Structural assessments;
• Pre-earthquake property records;
• Expert reports.

This can become particularly important where the dispute concerns whether damage was caused by the earthquake or was pre-existing.

What If the Insurer Says the Damage Was Pre-Existing?

This is a common factual issue.

Compulsory earthquake insurance excludes damage that develops over time because of the building’s own defects rather than as a result of the earthquake.

Therefore, causation becomes critical.

The foreign owner may need evidence showing:

Condition before earthquake → earthquake event → new damage immediately afterward

Historical photographs, previous inspections and engineering evidence can become important.

What If the Building Was Already Cracked?

Pre-existing defects do not necessarily mean that every later loss is automatically outside coverage.

The important issue is which damage was caused by the insured earthquake event.

An expert may need to distinguish:

• Old structural defects;
• Earthquake aggravation;
• Newly created earthquake damage.

What If Unauthorized Alterations Were Made to the Building?

This can create a serious coverage problem.

The Catastrophe Insurances Law provides that where damage is determined to have resulted from alterations contrary to the approved project that negatively affected the load-bearing system, the owner or usufruct holder may lose the right to insurance compensation.

This issue should therefore be investigated carefully before accepting a rejection.

What If Another Apartment in the Building Has No Insurance?

That does not automatically prevent an insured owner from claiming.

Official guidance states that the absence of compulsory earthquake insurance for other residences in the same building does not prevent an insured residence’s damage from being evaluated under its own policy limits.

How Long Should Payment Take?

Under the Catastrophe Insurances Law, compensation for an insured building damaged by an earthquake is to be paid no later than thirty days after the necessary information, documents and damage assessment have been completed.

This does not necessarily mean thirty days from the earthquake itself.

The completion of the required documentation and damage assessment is important.

What If the Claim Is Delayed?

First determine why.

Possible issues include:

• Missing documentation;
• Continuing expert assessment;
• Coverage dispute;
• Ownership issue;
• Damage-causation dispute;
• Additional information request.

Keep a written chronology of every communication and document submitted.

What If the Compensation Is Too Low?

A foreign property owner does not necessarily have to accept an assessment merely because an amount has been calculated.

Review:

• Policy limit;
• Insured area;
• Building characteristics;
• Damage assessment;
• Repair scope;
• Calculation method;
• Any deductions.

Where the disagreement is technically significant, independent engineering or insurance expertise may be useful.

What If the Insurer Rejects the Claim Completely?

Request the precise reason for rejection.

Possible grounds might concern:

• No valid coverage;
• Property outside policy scope;
• Damage outside coverage;
• Pre-existing damage;
• Misrepresentation;
• Policy limitation;
• Causation.

Each reason requires a different legal response.

A generic rejection should not simply be accepted without examining the policy and factual basis.

Compulsory Insurance and Private Insurance Claims Should Be Separated

Foreign owners frequently have overlapping insurance arrangements.

Prepare a loss table:

Loss	Compulsory Earthquake Insurance	Additional Policy
Structural earthquake damage	Potentially covered	May provide excess/additional coverage
Furniture	Not covered	Potentially covered
Lost rent	Not covered	Depends on policy
Temporary accommodation	Not covered	Depends on policy
Business interruption	Not covered	Depends on policy
Bodily injury	Not covered	Requires separate legal/insurance analysis

This prevents potentially recoverable losses from being overlooked.

Foreign Investors Owning Commercial Property

Commercial investors require particular care.

An office located within a qualifying residential building may fall within the compulsory system, while a building used entirely for commercial or industrial purposes may not.

Private commercial property insurance therefore becomes particularly important for:

• Hotels;
• Factories;
• Warehouses;
• Shopping facilities;
• Industrial properties;
• Standalone offices.

Earthquake Business Interruption Claims

Compulsory earthquake insurance does not compensate business interruption or loss of profit.

However, a commercial policy may contain business interruption protection.

Review:

• Triggering insured event;
• Waiting period;
• Indemnity period;
• Gross profit definition;
• Fixed costs;
• Additional expenses;
• Causation requirements.

For foreign-owned businesses, the business interruption claim can sometimes exceed the physical property claim.

What If the Property Is Mortgaged?

Review both:

• Insurance policy;
• Mortgage and lender documentation.

The existence of financing may affect payment arrangements or rights concerning insurance proceeds.

Do not assume that all compensation will necessarily be paid directly and unconditionally to the foreign owner.

What If the Foreign Owner Recently Purchased the Property?

This issue has become particularly important in 2026.

Official guidance states that for sales registered on or after September 5, 2026, the seller’s compulsory earthquake policy ends on the day the title transfer is registered. The buyer must therefore have a valid policy issued in the buyer’s own name before the title transaction.

Foreign buyers who recently acquired property should immediately verify whose name appears on the applicable policy.

Can Compensation Be Claimed for a Partially Damaged Building?

Yes.

Official compulsory earthquake insurance guidance expressly confirms coverage for both completely and partially damaged insured buildings within applicable policy limits.

Total collapse is not required.

Can Compensation Be Claimed for Death or Personal Injury?

Not under compulsory earthquake insurance.

Bodily injury and death are expressly outside its coverage.

Other insurance policies and potential legal claims should be examined separately.

Can Moral Damages Be Claimed From Compulsory Earthquake Insurance?

No. Non-pecuniary or moral damages are excluded from compulsory earthquake insurance coverage.

This does not determine whether some separate legal claim against another responsible person may exist.

What If Construction Defects Increased the Earthquake Damage?

This can create a much broader dispute.

Potentially relevant parties may include:

• Contractor;
• Developer;
• Technical professionals;
• Other responsible parties.

The insurance claim and potential liability claims should be investigated separately.

Do not allow an insurance settlement to obscure evidence of serious construction defects.

Preserve Evidence Before Major Repairs

Unless urgent safety work is required, document the condition thoroughly before substantial repairs.

Preserve:

• Detailed photographs;
• Videos;
• Engineering reports;
• Contractor quotations;
• Invoices;
• Official damage assessments.

Safety must always take priority, but evidence should be preserved wherever reasonably possible.

What If the Foreign Owner Disagrees With the Expert?

The owner should identify exactly what is disputed.

For example:

• Missing structural damage;
• Incorrect square meter calculation;
• Wrong causation conclusion;
• Incomplete repair scope;
• Incorrect building classification.

A technical objection is stronger when supported by engineering evidence.

Can a Foreign Owner Challenge an Underpaid Claim?

Potentially, yes.

The available route depends on the insurance arrangement, disputed amount, insurer and nature of the claim.

Possible mechanisms can include:

• Written objection;
• Additional expert evidence;
• Insurance dispute-resolution mechanisms;
• Litigation where appropriate.

The policy and claim file should be reviewed before choosing the route.

Do Not Sign a Settlement Without Understanding It

Foreign owners may receive:

• Release;
• Settlement;
• Payment acceptance;
• Waiver.

Before signing, determine whether the document closes only one part of the claim or releases broader rights.

This is particularly important where both compulsory and private insurance policies exist.

First 48-Hour Insurance Checklist

After earthquake damage, a foreign property owner should:

1. Prioritize personal and structural safety.
2. Locate the compulsory earthquake policy.
3. Locate all additional private insurance policies.
4. Photograph and video the damage.
5. Report the claim promptly.
6. Preserve title deed information.
7. Record the property’s post-earthquake condition.
8. Obtain official and technical assessments where appropriate.
9. Preserve repair quotations.
10. Notify relevant insurers.
11. Separate building, contents, rental and business-interruption losses.
12. Keep copies of all submitted documents.
13. Record every insurer communication.
14. Do not sign a broad settlement without reviewing its consequences.
15. Challenge unsupported rejection or underpayment where appropriate.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can foreigners receive earthquake insurance compensation in Turkey?

Yes. Foreign nationality does not itself prevent an insured property owner from claiming compensation. The official claim system specifically accommodates a Foreigner Identity Number for policyholders.

2. Does compulsory earthquake insurance cover complete and partial damage?

Yes. Qualifying direct building damage can be covered whether the insured building is completely or partially damaged.

3. Does it cover furniture?

No. Movable property and household contents are outside compulsory earthquake insurance coverage.

4. Does it cover lost rental income?

No. Loss of rental income is excluded from compulsory earthquake insurance. Additional private insurance should be checked.

5. Can a foreign owner claim while living outside Turkey?

Potentially, yes. Physical presence in Turkey during the earthquake is not itself the basis of coverage; ownership, policy status, insured damage and compliance with the claim process are the central issues.

6. What if the insurance payment is too low?

The damage calculation, policy limit, property information and technical assessment should be reviewed. Independent technical evidence may be appropriate.

7. What if the claim is rejected because the insurer says the cracks were old?

Evidence should distinguish pre-existing defects from damage caused or aggravated by the earthquake. Causation may require technical assessment.

8. How quickly must compulsory earthquake compensation be paid?

The governing law provides for payment within thirty days after the required information and documents and the damage assessment have been completed.

9. Can a foreign company claim for earthquake damage to a factory?

Potentially under applicable private commercial insurance. Entirely commercial or industrial buildings are generally outside the compulsory earthquake insurance scheme, making the private policy particularly important.

10. What should a foreign property owner do first after an earthquake?

After ensuring safety, immediately preserve evidence of the damage, identify every applicable insurance policy and notify the relevant insurer or compulsory earthquake insurance system.

Client-Focused Legal Support for Earthquake Insurance Claims in Turkey

Earthquake insurance disputes involving foreign property owners can become complicated where there are disagreements concerning structural damage, policy limits, pre-existing defects, underinsurance, private insurance coverage or the amount of compensation.

Foreign investors should also remember that compulsory earthquake insurance does not cover every economic consequence of an earthquake. Contents, lost rent, alternative accommodation, business interruption and other indirect losses fall outside compulsory coverage and may require examination under separate private policies.

A strong claim strategy generally requires policy analysis, technical damage evidence, correct classification of each loss, review of the insurer’s assessment and preservation of all documentation from the beginning of the claim.

Fırat Fesih Kaya Law Office assists foreign property owners, foreign investors and international companies with earthquake insurance claims, rejected claims, underpaid compensation, property insurance disputes and commercial earthquake losses in Turkey.

Lawyer Fırat Fesih Kaya provides legal assistance in reviewing insurance coverage, challenging disputed damage assessments, evaluating underpaid or rejected claims and pursuing appropriate insurance compensation remedies.

Phone: +90 312 434 22 22
Mobile: +90 532 769 22 22
Email: info@firatfesihkaya.av.tr
Address: Mevlana Boulevard No:221, Yıldırım Tower, Office No:148, 06520 Balgat, Çankaya, Ankara, Turkey

This article is intended for general information and does not constitute legal advice. Insurance entitlement depends on the policy in force on the date of loss, ownership status, cause and extent of damage, policy limits, exclusions and the specific circumstances of each claim.