Learn how to claim compensation from the at-fault driver’s insurance company after a traffic accident in Turkey in 2026, including vehicle damage, diminished value, permanent disability and foreigners’ rights.

After a traffic accident in Turkey, many victims assume that they must first recover their losses directly from the driver who caused the collision. In many cases, however, the compulsory motor liability insurance of the responsible vehicle is one of the principal sources of compensation.

This means that, subject to the applicable legal requirements, an accident victim may be able to claim directly against the other driver’s compulsory traffic insurance company.

The claim may involve vehicle damage, vehicle diminished value, permanent disability, death-related compensation or other losses falling within compulsory motor liability insurance coverage.

Foreign nationality does not, by itself, prevent a person from pursuing such a claim. Foreign tourists, residents, employees, students, business travellers, passengers, pedestrians and other foreign nationals injured in Turkey may potentially seek compensation from the insurer of the responsible vehicle.

For accidents occurring in 2026, claimants should pay particular attention to the increased compulsory traffic insurance limits and important procedural reforms introduced by Turkey’s Insurance and Private Pension Regulation and Supervision Agency, SEDDK.

What Is Compulsory Traffic Insurance in Turkey?

Compulsory motor liability insurance is designed to cover specified legal liabilities arising from the operation of a motor vehicle.

Under the current General Conditions, the insurer is responsible, within applicable limits, for qualifying compensation claims arising where operation of the insured vehicle causes death, bodily injury or property damage to third parties.

This means the policy is fundamentally a third-party liability insurance system.

It should not be confused with comprehensive motor insurance.

Compulsory traffic insurance protects against specified liability toward third parties, while comprehensive motor insurance primarily concerns damage to the insured vehicle within the scope of the individual policy.

Can You Claim Directly from the Other Driver’s Insurance Company?

Potentially, yes.

If another vehicle causes a traffic accident and its driver or operator is legally responsible for the resulting loss, the injured third party may potentially pursue compensation within the compulsory traffic insurance framework.

The claim is therefore not necessarily limited to a personal demand against the driver.

The insurance company becomes particularly important because the compulsory policy is intended to respond to covered third-party liability arising from operation of the insured vehicle.

However, the insurer is responsible only within the scope of the insurance coverage and applicable policy limits.

What Can You Claim from the Other Driver’s Insurance?

The available compensation depends on the accident and type of damage.

Potential claims can include:

• vehicle repair damage;
• vehicle diminished value;
• qualifying bodily injury compensation;
• permanent disability compensation;
• death and loss-of-support compensation; and
• other losses falling within the applicable compulsory insurance coverage.

Not every loss caused by a traffic accident is automatically covered by compulsory traffic insurance.

The distinction between the insurer’s contractual/statutory coverage and the broader civil liability of the responsible driver, operator or owner can be crucial.

Can You Claim Vehicle Repair Costs?

Potentially, yes.

Where another driver is responsible for damaging your vehicle, qualifying repair costs may be recoverable under the responsible vehicle’s compulsory traffic insurance.

Relevant evidence may include:

Accident Report

Photographs

Repair Invoices

Expert Report

Parts Information

Vehicle Registration

Insurance Records

The extent of damage and fault allocation must be established.

What Is the 2026 Property Damage Insurance Limit?

SEDDK’s official compulsory traffic insurance limits for 1 January through 31 December 2026 provide property damage coverage of:

TRY 400,000 per vehicle

and

TRY 800,000 per accident.

These limits appear across the vehicle groups in the official 2026 table.

The TRY 400,000 figure is a maximum per-vehicle insurance limit, not an automatic compensation payment.

If the actual recoverable loss is TRY 120,000, the existence of a TRY 400,000 limit does not mean that TRY 400,000 becomes payable.

Can You Claim Vehicle Diminished Value?

Potentially, yes.

A vehicle can be properly repaired and still be worth less on the second-hand market because it now has an accident and repair history.

This remaining economic loss is commonly referred to as vehicle diminished value.

Diminished value should be distinguished from repair costs.

For example, an insurer might pay for replacement and repair of damaged components, but the vehicle may still sell for substantially less than an equivalent accident-free vehicle.

That additional loss may potentially form part of the compensation claim.

What Changed for Diminished Value Claims in 2026?

Turkey introduced an important procedural change on 12 June 2026.

SEDDK amended the Compulsory Motor Liability Insurance General Conditions as part of broader reforms to traffic insurance claims.

Under the updated framework, the previously separate approach to diminished-value applications was changed, with diminished-value assessment more closely integrated into the motor damage claim process.

Claimants should therefore avoid relying on older internet articles describing pre-2026 procedures.

Can You Claim Permanent Disability Compensation?

Potentially, yes.

If another driver causes an accident that results in permanent physical impairment, the injured person may potentially seek compensation under the responsible vehicle’s compulsory traffic insurance.

Permanent disability claims can involve factors such as:

Age

Income

Permanent Impairment

Fault

Medical Causation

Economic Activity

Applicable Actuarial Rules

The compensation amount is not determined merely by looking at the medical disability percentage.

An individualized calculation is required.

What Is the 2026 Permanent Disability Insurance Limit?

For the vehicle groups listed by SEDDK, the 2026 compulsory traffic insurance limit for permanent disability and death is TRY 3,600,000 per person.

Aggregate per-accident limits vary according to vehicle category. For passenger-transport vehicles, the aggregate limit is TRY 18,000,000 per accident.

The TRY 3.6 million amount is a coverage ceiling.

It does not mean that every person who suffers permanent impairment automatically receives TRY 3.6 million.

Can the Family Claim If the Accident Victim Dies?

Potentially, yes.

Where another driver causes a fatal accident, qualifying persons may potentially pursue loss-of-support compensation.

Possible claimants can include:

Spouse

Children

Parents

and, depending on the circumstances,

Other Persons Who Can Establish a Legally Relevant Support Relationship

The claim is based on the economic support lost because of the victim’s death.

The calculation may involve the deceased person’s age, income, expected economic life, support beneficiaries, fault and applicable actuarial factors.

Can a Passenger Claim Against the Driver’s Insurance Company?

Potentially, yes.

A passenger injured in a traffic accident may have significant compensation rights.

The passenger might have been travelling in:

• a private car;
• taxi;
• airport transfer;
• tour vehicle;
• bus;
• company vehicle; or
• another motor vehicle.

The passenger does not need to have been driving.

Where several vehicles contributed to the accident, the respective liability of different drivers and insurers may need to be investigated.

Can a Pedestrian Claim Against the Vehicle’s Insurer?

Potentially.

A pedestrian struck by a motor vehicle may pursue compensation where the legal requirements are satisfied.

The claim can become particularly important where the pedestrian suffers permanent disability.

Relevant evidence may include:

CCTV Footage

Police Records

Witness Statements

Traffic Signals

Pedestrian Crossing Information

Vehicle Speed

Medical Documentation

Foreign tourists injured while walking in Turkey are not excluded merely because they do not reside in the country.

Can a Cyclist or Motorcyclist Claim?

Potentially, yes.

A cyclist or motorcyclist injured because of another driver’s fault may pursue qualifying compensation against the responsible vehicle’s compulsory insurer.

Motorcycle accidents in particular frequently involve serious bodily injuries and permanent disability.

Fault allocation can become highly contested, so accident-scene evidence should be preserved carefully.

Can Foreigners Claim Against a Turkish Insurance Company?

Potentially, yes.

A claimant does not generally need to be a Turkish citizen to seek compensation for a covered accident in Turkey.

Potential foreign claimants include:

Tourists

Expatriates

Foreign Employees

International Students

Foreign Investors

Business Travellers

Foreign Passengers

Foreign Pedestrians

The main legal questions concern liability, insurance coverage, causation and damage rather than nationality alone.

Can a Foreign Tourist Make a Claim After Returning Home?

Potentially, yes.

A foreign tourist does not necessarily need to remain in Turkey throughout the entire insurance claim.

Before leaving the country, however, the claimant should preserve important evidence.

This can include:

• accident report;
• police documentation;
• photographs;
• insurance details;
• medical records;
• hospital reports;
• repair documentation;
• witness information; and
• CCTV or dashcam information.

An appropriately authorized Turkish lawyer may potentially handle subsequent claim, arbitration or litigation procedures.

Can Foreign Medical Records Be Used?

Potentially.

A foreign tourist injured in Turkey may return home and continue treatment there.

Medical documentation from the claimant’s home country can become particularly important where the injury later develops into permanent disability.

The documents should ideally demonstrate continuity between:

The Accident in Turkey

Initial Injuries

Subsequent Treatment

Permanent Medical Consequences

Certified Turkish translations and other formal requirements may apply where foreign documents are submitted in legal proceedings.

Can Foreign Income Be Used in a Disability Claim?

Potentially, depending on the applicable compensation framework and evidence.

A foreign executive, doctor, engineer, consultant or business owner injured in Turkey may have significant income abroad.

Relevant evidence can include:

Foreign Employment Contracts

Salary Statements

Tax Returns

Bank Records

Employer Confirmations

Business Documentation

Foreign income should be documented carefully rather than simply asserted.

Its treatment in the compensation calculation should then be assessed according to the applicable Turkish rules.

What If Both Drivers Were at Fault?

The other driver does not necessarily need to bear 100% responsibility before every compensation claim becomes possible.

Where both drivers contributed to the collision, the recoverable compensation may be affected by the claimant’s fault.

For example, where the other driver bears most responsibility but the claimant also contributed to the accident, the recoverable amount may be reduced according to the legally relevant fault allocation.

Fault is therefore one of the first issues that should be examined.

Can an Incorrect Fault Percentage Be Challenged?

Potentially.

An initial accident report should not always be treated as the final word on a complex collision.

Additional evidence can include:

• CCTV;
• dashcam footage;
• photographs;
• witnesses;
• road markings;
• traffic signals;
• braking evidence;
• vehicle damage patterns; and
• expert analysis.

An incorrect fault percentage can substantially reduce both vehicle damage and bodily injury compensation.

What If the Other Driver’s Insurance Company Rejects the Claim?

A rejection does not necessarily mean the claim is finished.

The first step is to identify the insurer’s stated reason.

Possible disputes can concern:

Fault

Insurance Coverage

Causation

Vehicle Damage

Diminished Value

Permanent Disability

Income

Medical Documentation

Policy Exclusions

The written rejection should be preserved.

Depending on the circumstances, further insurance procedures, arbitration or litigation may be available.

What If the Insurance Company Offers Too Little?

A low offer should be analyzed rather than automatically accepted.

For vehicle damage, the dispute might concern repair cost or diminished value.

For bodily injury, the disagreement may concern:

Disability Percentage

Income

Fault

Actuarial Calculation

Medical Causation

Insurance Limit

A claimant should request the basis of the calculation before signing a final settlement.

Should You Sign a Release After Receiving Payment?

Only after understanding its legal effect.

An insurance company may make a payment and request a settlement or release document.

The claimant should determine:

Which Losses Are Being Settled?

Is the Settlement Final?

Does It Cover Only Vehicle Damage?

Does It Also Affect Bodily Injury Claims?

Are Future Claims Being Waived?

This is especially important where medical treatment is continuing.

Foreign claimants should not sign Turkish-language documents they do not fully understand without obtaining an accurate translation or legal review.

Does the Insurance Company Pay Every Financial Loss?

No.

The compulsory traffic insurance General Conditions contain exclusions and limitations.

For example, the current General Conditions expressly identify certain indirect losses such as loss of income, loss of profit, business interruption and loss of rent among claims outside compulsory traffic insurance coverage in the circumstances specified by the General Conditions.

This distinction is extremely important.

A loss that is outside the compulsory insurer’s coverage may still require analysis under the broader civil liability of the driver, vehicle operator, owner, employer or another responsible person.

Therefore:

Not Covered by Compulsory Insurance does not necessarily mean No Legal Claim Exists.

What If Your Loss Exceeds the Insurance Limit?

The compulsory insurer’s policy limit does not necessarily represent the maximum total liability arising from the accident.

Suppose a luxury vehicle suffers damage exceeding the TRY 400,000 property-damage limit.

Or suppose a young high-income professional suffers catastrophic permanent disability with total economic losses exceeding the TRY 3.6 million per-person compulsory insurance limit.

Additional claims may need to be considered against:

Driver

Vehicle Owner

Vehicle Operator

Employer

Other Responsible Persons

Additional liability insurance may also exist.

What If the Other Driver Has Additional Liability Insurance?

Some vehicle owners maintain additional voluntary motor liability coverage beyond compulsory traffic insurance.

Where total damages exceed compulsory insurance limits, the existence and scope of additional insurance should be investigated.

This can be particularly important in accidents involving:

• luxury vehicles;
• catastrophic injuries;
• multiple victims;
• high-income professionals; or
• fatal accidents.

A compensation strategy should identify every potentially available insurance policy.

What If the Other Driver Has No Insurance?

An uninsured responsible vehicle creates a different legal situation.

Turkey’s Guarantee Account may potentially provide protection in specified circumstances, particularly for qualifying bodily injury and death claims involving uninsured vehicles.

Claims directly against the driver, owner or operator may also need to be investigated.

The Guarantee Account should not be assumed to replace compulsory insurance for every category of property or financial loss.

What If the Driver Flees the Accident Scene?

A hit-and-run accident requires urgent evidence preservation.

Try to secure:

CCTV Recordings

Dashcam Footage

Witness Information

Police Records

Vehicle Description

Partial Registration Plate

Photographs

Where the responsible vehicle remains unidentified, special rules concerning the Guarantee Account may become relevant to qualifying bodily injury and death claims.

What If the Responsible Driver Was Driving a Company Vehicle?

Additional liability questions may arise.

The responsible driver may have been operating:

• a delivery van;
• company car;
• truck;
• taxi;
• tour vehicle;
• airport transfer vehicle; or
• other commercial vehicle.

The legal relationship between the driver, employer, vehicle operator, owner and insurer should be examined.

The individual driver may not be the only potentially responsible person.

What If More Than One Vehicle Caused the Accident?

Multi-vehicle accidents require careful liability analysis.

A vehicle that did not physically strike the claimant may still have contributed to the collision.

For example, one driver may make an unlawful maneuver causing two other vehicles to collide.

The liability of each participant should therefore be investigated before deciding which insurer or defendants to pursue.

What Is Important About the 2026 Insurance Limits?

SEDDK’s official 2026 compulsory traffic insurance limits include:

Property Damage: TRY 400,000 per vehicle

Property Damage: TRY 800,000 per accident

Health Expenses: TRY 3,600,000 per person

Permanent Disability and Death: TRY 3,600,000 per person

Aggregate bodily injury and death limits vary according to vehicle type.

These limits should always be distinguished from the actual amount of proven damage.

What Changed in Turkish Traffic Insurance in 2026?

The Turkish traffic insurance system underwent several procedural developments during 2026.

SEDDK published amendments to the Compulsory Motor Liability Insurance General Conditions on 12 June 2026. It subsequently issued Circular No. 2026/13 concerning contact-number information for beneficiaries in compulsory traffic insurance compensation claims.

Further reforms followed in July.

SEDDK introduced Circular No. 2026/21 concerning the Alo 193 Insurance Claim Notification and Complaint Line and Circular No. 2026/22 concerning motor vehicle insurance damage applications through the Common Claim Notification Center.

These developments make it particularly important to use current 2026 claim procedures rather than relying on older guides.

Can You Apply to the Insurance Arbitration Commission?

Potentially, where the applicable procedural requirements are satisfied.

The Insurance Arbitration Commission can provide an important dispute-resolution route for qualifying disputes with insurance companies.

An arbitration case may concern matters such as:

Underpaid Vehicle Damage

Diminished Value

Permanent Disability

Insurance Coverage

Calculation Disputes

Before initiating proceedings, the claimant should ensure that applicable pre-application requirements have been satisfied.

Can You Sue the Other Driver and Insurance Company?

Potentially, depending on the nature of the claim and procedural requirements.

A serious accident may involve several potentially responsible parties.

These can include:

Insurance Company

Driver

Vehicle Operator

Vehicle Owner

Employer

The correct parties should be identified according to the specific loss being claimed.

This is particularly important where some damages fall outside compulsory insurance coverage or exceed the policy limit.

Is There a Time Limit for Making the Claim?

Yes. Traffic accident compensation claims are subject to limitation rules.

However, the applicable period may depend on the nature of the claim, the parties involved and whether the accident also constitutes a criminal offence.

Claimants should therefore avoid relying on a generalized statement that every traffic accident claim has exactly the same deadline.

The limitation period should be evaluated according to the individual accident.

Evidence should also be collected immediately even where the legal limitation period has not yet approached.

What Documents Should You Collect?

A strong claim may require:

• accident report;
• police or gendarmerie documentation;
• other driver’s insurance information;
• vehicle registration;
• photographs;
• CCTV or dashcam footage;
• repair records;
• expert reports;
• medical documentation;
• permanent disability reports;
• income records;
• employment documentation;
• witness information; and
• written correspondence with the insurer.

The precise documents depend on whether the claim concerns property damage, bodily injury, death or several categories simultaneously.

What Should Foreign Accident Victims Do?

Foreign victims should preserve Turkish accident documentation before leaving the country.

They should also retain foreign evidence relating to:

Income

Employment

Medical Treatment

Permanent Disability

Family Relationships in Fatal Accident Cases

Where necessary, foreign documents can later be prepared for use in Turkish proceedings through the applicable translation, apostille or legalization procedures.

An appropriately authorized lawyer may potentially manage the claim while the foreign claimant remains abroad.

Frequently Asked Questions About Claims Against the Other Driver’s Insurance

1. Can I claim directly from the at-fault driver’s insurance company in Turkey?

Potentially, yes. Compulsory traffic insurance covers specified legal liabilities toward third parties within applicable policy limits.

2. Can I claim if the other driver was only partly at fault?

Potentially. Compensation may be adjusted according to the legally relevant fault allocation. Partial fault does not automatically eliminate every claim.

3. What is the 2026 vehicle damage insurance limit?

SEDDK lists compulsory traffic insurance property-damage coverage of TRY 400,000 per vehicle and TRY 800,000 per accident for 2026.

4. Can I claim vehicle diminished value from the other driver’s insurance?

Potentially, yes, where the legal requirements are satisfied. Diminished value concerns the remaining reduction in the vehicle’s market value after accident repairs.

5. Can I claim permanent disability compensation?

Potentially. The 2026 compulsory traffic insurance limit for permanent disability and death is TRY 3.6 million per person, but actual compensation requires an individualized calculation.

6. Can a foreign tourist claim against a Turkish driver’s insurance company?

Potentially, yes. Foreign nationality does not itself prevent a third-party compensation claim arising from a covered traffic accident in Turkey.

7. What happens if the insurance company rejects my claim?

The rejection reason should be reviewed. Depending on the circumstances, additional documentation, insurance arbitration or litigation may be available.

8. What if my damage is higher than the insurance limit?

Potential claims against the driver, vehicle owner, operator, employer or other legally responsible persons may need to be investigated. Additional liability insurance may also exist.

9. Can I pursue the insurance claim after leaving Turkey?

Potentially, yes. Foreign claimants may authorize a Turkish lawyer to handle relevant proceedings, subject to the required power-of-attorney and documentation procedures.

10. Should I accept the insurance company’s first settlement offer?

Not automatically. The claimant should review fault, coverage, repair costs, diminished value, disability, income and the legal effect of any release before accepting a final settlement.

Legal Support for Claims Against the Other Driver’s Insurance Company in Turkey

A traffic accident victim should not assume that the only option is to personally pursue the driver who caused the collision. In many cases, the responsible vehicle’s compulsory traffic insurer is an important source of compensation.

However, identifying the insurance company is only the beginning.

The claim must also be evaluated according to fault, insurance coverage, policy limits, actual damage and the liability of other responsible persons. This becomes particularly important where the accident involves permanent disability, a fatality, a luxury vehicle, substantial diminished value or losses exceeding compulsory insurance limits.

Our law office provides professional legal assistance concerning claims against at-fault drivers’ insurance companies, compulsory traffic insurance compensation, vehicle damage, diminished value, permanent disability, fatal accident compensation, Insurance Arbitration Commission proceedings and traffic accident litigation in Turkey.

Fırat Fesih Kaya assists Turkish and foreign accident victims with reviewing liability, identifying the responsible insurer, evaluating insurance offers, examining expert calculations and determining whether additional claims can be pursued against the driver, vehicle operator, owner, employer or other responsible parties.

Foreign tourists and residents who have been injured or suffered property damage in a Turkish traffic accident may contact our law office for a case-specific legal assessment. Managing the insurance claim correctly from the beginning can help prevent low settlements, incorrect fault assessments and the loss of additional compensation rights.

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

For professional legal support concerning a compensation claim against the other driver’s insurance company in Turkey in 2026, you may contact our law office for an individual assessment of fault, insurance coverage, vehicle damage, diminished value, bodily injury, permanent disability and additional compensation remedies.