Is an insurance company ignoring your claim in Turkey? Learn how long insurers have to respond and pay, when you can apply to Insurance Arbitration, when compensation becomes due, and when interest and legal action may begin in 2026.

An insurance company that remains silent after receiving a properly submitted claim cannot necessarily keep the policyholder waiting indefinitely. Under Turkish insurance law, several different periods must be distinguished: the period relevant to applying to the Insurance Arbitration Commission, the period governing when insurance compensation becomes due under the Turkish Commercial Code, and the limitation period within which the claimant must ultimately protect the claim. These deadlines serve different purposes and should not be confused. Under the Insurance Arbitration Commission’s current procedure, a claimant who has first submitted a written application to the insurer may generally proceed to the Commission if no written response is received within 15 business days, while the Commission specifies 15 days for compulsory traffic insurance claims. Separately, Article 1427 of the Turkish Commercial Code provides that insurance compensation generally becomes due after the insured event, submission of the relevant documents and completion of the insurer’s investigation and, in any event, generally 45 days following notification of the insured event; for life insurance, the statutory period is 15 days, subject to delays not attributable to the insurer.

How Long Should You Wait for an Insurance Company to Respond?

For a policyholder considering Insurance Arbitration, the practical answer may be considerably shorter than expected. The Insurance Arbitration Commission currently states that after a written claim has been submitted to the insurance company, an applicant can proceed to the Commission if the insurer sends an unsatisfactory final response or fails to provide a written response within 15 business days. For compulsory traffic insurance, the Commission specifies a 15-day period. Therefore, repeatedly waiting for the insurer for several months is not necessarily required before considering insurance arbitration. If the statutory procedural conditions have been satisfied, silence itself may allow the claimant to move forward.

Does the 15-Business-Day Rule Mean the Insurer Must Pay Within 15 Business Days?

Not necessarily. This distinction is extremely important. The 15-business-day period described by the Insurance Arbitration Commission concerns when a claimant may proceed to the Commission after making the required preliminary application to the insurer. The maturity of the insurance compensation itself is governed separately, including by Article 1427 of the Turkish Commercial Code. Therefore, “when can I start arbitration?” and “when did the insurer’s compensation debt become due?” are different legal questions.

What Does Article 1427 of the Turkish Commercial Code Say?

Article 1427 provides the central general rule concerning maturity of insurance compensation. The insurance compensation becomes due after occurrence of the insured risk, submission of documents relating to the risk and completion of the insurer’s investigation concerning its obligation. The provision further establishes that compensation generally becomes due in any event 45 days after the notification required under Article 1446. For life insurance, the period is 15 days. However, where the investigation is delayed because of circumstances not attributable to the insurer, the period does not run during that delay. (Mevzuat MTurkoglu)

Does This Mean Every Insurance Company Has Exactly 45 Days?

No. The 45-day provision should not be interpreted as automatically giving every insurer a guaranteed 45-day waiting period regardless of circumstances. Article 1427 states that compensation becomes due when the relevant investigation is completed after the insured event and submission of the necessary documents, while also establishing the general outer framework of 45 days following notification. (Mevzuat MTurkoglu) If the insurer completes its investigation much earlier and the payment obligation is established, the maturity analysis may therefore arise earlier. Conversely, a genuine delay not attributable to the insurer can affect calculation of the period.

What If the Insurance Company Keeps Saying “Your File Is Under Review”?

A claim cannot necessarily be kept unresolved merely by repeatedly describing it as “under review.” The insurer may legitimately need time to obtain documents, conduct an expert inspection, investigate causation or evaluate coverage. However, the existence of an investigation does not create an unlimited suspension of the policyholder’s rights. The claimant should determine when the loss was notified, which documents were requested, when those documents were submitted, whether additional requests are genuinely necessary and whether the insurer has provided any substantive explanation for the continuing delay.

What If the Insurer Keeps Asking for Additional Documents?

The claimant should distinguish legitimate requests from unnecessary delay. Insurance companies are entitled to obtain documents reasonably necessary to evaluate coverage and loss. If important documentation is genuinely missing, this can affect the insurer’s ability to complete the investigation and may also affect maturity under Article 1427. But repeated requests for documents already supplied, irrelevant materials or vague requests without explaining what remains missing may justify closer legal scrutiny. A complete written record of every document submitted should therefore be preserved.

How Can You Prove When the Claim Was Submitted?

This is critical. The Insurance Arbitration Commission requires evidence demonstrating the prior application to the insurer where the insurer fails to respond. Its current document guidance refers to evidence such as a notarized notice, registered mail or cargo receipt, or a copy showing the insurer’s document-registration date. (Sigorta Tahkim) Email records, electronic claim systems and other traceable communications may also become relevant depending on the circumstances. A claimant should never rely solely on saying, “I called the insurance company three weeks ago.”

Is Calling the Insurance Company Enough?

A telephone call is usually a poor substitute for a properly documented written claim. The Commission specifically requires a prior application and evidence showing the insurer’s response or failure to respond within the relevant period. (Sigorta Tahkim) Important demands should therefore be documented in a manner that establishes both their content and date of receipt.

What Should the Written Insurance Claim Contain?

A strong application should identify the policy, insured event, claim number where available, nature of the damage and compensation sought. It should include the principal supporting documents and explain what the insurer is being asked to do. If the amount is already determinable, stating it clearly can help define the dispute. For example, “Please pay the outstanding TRY 750,000 repair compensation” creates a much clearer record than “Please review my claim.”

What If the Insurer Never Sends a Formal Rejection?

You do not necessarily need to wait forever for a rejection letter. The Commission’s current rules expressly contemplate this situation. If the insurer has not provided a written response within 15 business days after the relevant application—or 15 days in traffic insurance—the claimant may potentially proceed to insurance arbitration, provided the other jurisdictional requirements are satisfied. (Sigorta Tahkim) Silence can therefore have procedural consequences.

What If the Insurer Responds on Day Five and Rejects the Claim?

You generally do not need to wait for the remainder of the 15-business-day period merely because the insurer responded early. The Commission states that an applicant may proceed where the insurer’s final written response fails to satisfy the claim. (Sigorta Tahkim) Therefore, once a final rejection or insufficient final response has been received, the dispute may already be sufficiently established for the next procedural step, subject to the other applicable requirements.

What If the Insurer Pays Only Part of the Claim?

A partial payment can also establish a dispute concerning the remaining amount. Suppose a policyholder demands TRY 2,000,000 and the insurer pays TRY 1,200,000. The claimant should identify why the remaining TRY 800,000 is still payable. The dispute may concern repair costs, depreciation, policy interpretation, market value, underinsurance, deductible calculations or excluded damage. The claimant does not necessarily have to refuse the TRY 1.2 million simply to preserve the remaining claim, although any release or settlement documentation should be reviewed carefully.

Can You Apply to the Insurance Arbitration Commission Because the Insurer Is Silent?

Potentially, yes. The Commission states that the claimant must first apply to the insurance company. If the insurer provides an unsatisfactory final response or does not respond within the applicable 15-business-day period, with the special 15-day rule identified for traffic insurance, the claimant can submit the dispute to the Commission together with documents proving the original application and substantive claim. (Sigorta Tahkim)

What Evidence Is Needed to Prove the Insurer Ignored the Claim?

The claimant should preserve the original application, proof that the insurer received it, policy documents, claim notification, supporting invoices, photographs, expert reports, medical documentation where applicable and every subsequent communication. The Commission specifically requests the original application to the insurer and evidence proving either an adverse final response or expiry of the applicable response period without a written response. (Sigorta Tahkim)

What Happens After You Apply to Insurance Arbitration?

The application initially undergoes examination by Commission rapporteurs. The Commission states that this preliminary examination must generally be completed within 15 days. Applications that cannot be resolved at that stage and satisfy the necessary conditions are referred to insurance arbitrators. (Sigorta Tahkim) The arbitration route can therefore move the dispute from an insurer’s internal claim department to an independent adjudication mechanism.

Can You File a Lawsuit Instead?

Depending on the type of insurance relationship, the parties and applicable procedural rules, litigation may also be available. Certain monetary commercial disputes can involve mandatory mediation before litigation. The competent court may also vary depending on whether the dispute constitutes a consumer or commercial insurance matter. Therefore, the claimant should compare insurance arbitration and litigation before selecting the procedural route.

Should You Send a Formal Notice Before Taking Legal Action?

A formal written demand can be highly useful even where a separate notice is not legally required for every consequence. It can establish exactly what was requested, when the insurer received the request, which documents were supplied and how much compensation remains outstanding. However, Article 1427 contains an important rule concerning default: once the insurance debt becomes due, the insurer falls into default without requiring a separate notice. (Mevzuat MTurkoglu)

When Does Default Interest Begin?

The answer depends on when the insurance debt legally becomes due. Article 1427 provides that once the debt becomes due, the insurer falls into default without a separate notice, and contractual provisions purporting to eliminate the insurer’s obligation to pay default interest are invalid. (Mevzuat MTurkoglu) Consequently, prolonged insurer silence may affect not only the principal compensation but also the interest ultimately claimed.

Can an Insurer Avoid Interest by Simply Delaying Its Investigation?

Not automatically. The statutory framework would lose much of its effectiveness if an insurer could indefinitely prevent maturity simply by leaving the investigation open. However, Article 1427 also expressly protects the insurer where investigation is delayed for reasons not attributable to it. (Mevzuat MTurkoglu) The factual reason for the delay therefore matters. A claimant who failed to provide essential requested evidence may be in a different position from one who supplied a complete file months earlier.

What Happens If the Investigation Continues for More Than Three Months?

Article 1427 contains another important protection that is sometimes overlooked. If the insurer’s investigation cannot be completed within three months following notification, the insurer must, subject to the statutory mechanism, pay at least 50% of the rapidly ascertainable loss amount as an advance, based on agreement between the parties or, in case of disagreement, a preliminary expert assessment ordered by the court. (Mevzuat MTurkoglu) This provision can be particularly significant in large fire, factory, machinery and commercial-property losses where final adjustment may take considerable time.

Example: Insurer Ignores a Vehicle Repair Claim

A foreign vehicle owner submits a documented TRY 600,000 repair claim to the insurer. The application includes the accident documentation, repair quotation and photographs. The insurer confirms receipt but provides no substantive written response. Once the applicable preliminary period has expired, the claimant should not assume that several more months must pass before considering arbitration. If the jurisdictional requirements are satisfied, the Insurance Arbitration Commission route may already be available.

Example: Insurer Keeps a Fire Claim “Under Review”

A commercial building suffers serious fire damage. The policyholder submits all requested documents and a TRY 10 million claim. Two months later, the insurer continues to state only that the investigation is ongoing. The claimant should distinguish between the Commission’s preliminary response period and Article 1427’s rules governing maturity and prolonged investigation. If the investigation reaches three months without completion, the statutory advance-payment mechanism may also become relevant. (Mevzuat MTurkoglu)

Example: Insurer Requests Missing Documents

A factory submits a machinery claim but fails to provide maintenance records requested by the insurer. Those records are genuinely necessary to determine whether the damage resulted from covered sudden breakdown or excluded gradual deterioration. In that situation, the claimant should not automatically assume that every day of delay is attributable to the insurer. Article 1427 expressly recognizes that delays not attributable to the insurer can affect the running of the maturity period. (Mevzuat MTurkoglu)

Example: Insurer Pays Only a Small Advance

A hotel suffers TRY 15 million of covered property damage. The insurer pays TRY 3 million and continues investigating the remaining claim. The policyholder should determine whether the TRY 3 million was expressly an advance, an undisputed partial payment or purported final settlement. If the insurer continues delaying the remaining compensation, Article 1427’s maturity, default and three-month advance-payment rules should be considered.

What If Your Claim Is for Compulsory Traffic Insurance?

Traffic insurance requires particular attention because the Commission’s current guidance distinguishes it from other insurance branches for the preliminary response period. The Commission specifies 15 days for traffic insurance, compared with 15 business days for other insurance branches in its general application framework. (Sigorta Tahkim) Accident victims should therefore identify the exact type of insurance before calculating when the arbitration route becomes available.

What About Life Insurance?

Article 1427 provides a shorter general maturity period for life insurance: 15 days, rather than the 45-day period applicable under the general rule to other insurance compensation. (Mevzuat MTurkoglu) This should again be distinguished from the Commission’s separate procedural rules governing when an arbitration application can be made.

What About Commercial Insurance Claims?

Commercial policyholders should be particularly cautious about passive waiting because losses can be extremely large. A factory, hotel, logistics company or manufacturer may suffer continuing financial harm while property or machinery compensation remains unpaid. The claim should be documented, the insurer’s outstanding information requests identified and the relevant maturity, interest, arbitration and litigation periods calculated early.

Can Business Interruption Loss Increase While the Insurer Delays?

Potentially, although whether additional losses are insured depends on policy coverage and causation. If a covered fire shuts down a business and necessary repairs remain unresolved, the policyholder should separately analyze property damage and business-interruption coverage. The mere fact that the insurer delayed payment does not automatically mean every subsequent commercial loss is recoverable, but the financial consequences should be documented carefully.

What If the Insurer Is Ignoring a Foreign Policyholder?

Foreign nationality does not give the insurer additional time to ignore a claim. Foreign individuals and companies entitled to insurance compensation in Turkey may use the legal remedies available under the applicable insurance relationship. However, foreign claimants should ensure that communications, powers of attorney, translations and evidence are properly prepared so that administrative issues do not provide the insurer with a genuine reason to argue that the claim file was incomplete.

Can You Claim Compensation for the Delay Itself?

The clearest financial consequence is generally the insurer’s potential liability for applicable default interest once the insurance debt becomes due. Whether additional damages resulting from delay can be recovered depends on their legal basis, proof, causation and the circumstances of the individual case. Claimants should therefore distinguish the principal insurance compensation, default interest and any separately alleged additional loss.

Do Not Let Repeated Emails Replace Legal Action

One of the most common mistakes is sending an insurer a new “please update us” email every few weeks without establishing a procedural strategy. After a properly documented claim has been submitted, the claimant should record the relevant dates and determine when arbitration, mediation or litigation becomes available. Repeatedly waiting because the insurer says that the file will be reviewed “soon” can unnecessarily postpone recovery.

Limitation Periods Continue to Matter

Waiting too long can create more serious problems than delayed payment. Insurance-contract claims are subject to statutory limitation periods. The applicable period must be determined according to the nature of the insurance and claim rather than assuming that negotiations indefinitely preserve the right to compensation. A 2026 overview of Turkish insurance litigation notes the general TCC framework under which claims arising from insurance contracts are generally time-barred two years after the date the payment becomes due, while particular insurance claims can be subject to additional or different statutory rules. (Gün Partners)

Does Negotiating with the Insurer Automatically Stop Limitation?

Claimants should not assume so. Informal correspondence, telephone conversations and repeated requests for reconsideration should not be treated as an automatic guarantee that limitation periods have stopped running. The legal effect of particular communications or procedural steps should be examined separately. This is another reason to calculate deadlines early.

Should You Wait for the Expert Report Before Taking Action?

Not indefinitely. An expert report can be important for quantifying the loss, but prolonged expert review should be monitored against the statutory and procedural timetable. If the insurer says that it cannot decide because an expert report remains outstanding, the claimant should establish when the expert was appointed, whether inspection occurred and what is actually preventing completion.

What If the Insurer Claims Your File Is Incomplete?

Ask the insurer to identify exactly what is missing. The claimant should then provide genuinely relevant outstanding documents promptly and preserve proof of delivery. A vague statement that “documents are missing” should not be accepted without determining which documents are required and why. This is especially important because a delay not attributable to the insurer can affect the Article 1427 maturity period. (Mevzuat MTurkoglu)

What Is the Best Timeline for a Policyholder?

The strongest strategy is to start counting from the beginning. Record the date of the insured event, notification date, formal claim date, dates documents were submitted, insurer response date, expert inspection date and every subsequent request. Once the applicable arbitration response period expires, determine whether arbitration should be initiated rather than continuing to wait passively. Separately calculate when the compensation becomes due under Article 1427 and whether default interest has begun to accrue.

2026 Legal Position in Turkey

The key point in 2026 is that there is no single universal answer such as “always wait 45 days before doing anything.” Different deadlines serve different purposes. For Insurance Arbitration Commission purposes, the current Commission guidance allows an eligible claimant to proceed after an unsatisfactory final response or where no written response has been received within 15 business days, with a 15-day period for traffic insurance. (Sigorta Tahkim) Separately, under Article 1427 TCC, insurance compensation generally becomes due following the insured event, submission of relevant documents and completion of the insurer’s investigation and, in any event, generally 45 days after notification; the corresponding period for life insurance is 15 days, subject to delays not attributable to the insurer. Once the debt becomes due, the insurer falls into default without separate notice. If investigations remain incomplete for three months, Article 1427 also provides an advance-payment mechanism of at least 50% of the rapidly ascertainable loss under the statutory conditions. (Mevzuat MTurkoglu) For policyholders, the practical message is simple: submit the claim in writing, prove when the insurer received it, supply the necessary evidence, calculate the applicable deadline and do not allow an insurer’s indefinite silence to become your waiting strategy.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How long should I wait if my insurance company does not answer my claim?

For Insurance Arbitration Commission purposes, the Commission currently states that you may generally proceed if the insurer does not provide a written response within 15 business days after the required application. For traffic insurance, the stated period is 15 days. (Sigorta Tahkim)

2. Do I have to wait 45 days before applying to Insurance Arbitration?

Not necessarily. The 45-day rule under Article 1427 concerns maturity of insurance compensation, while the Commission’s preliminary insurer-application requirement uses a different timetable. (Mevzuat MTurkoglu)

3. What if the insurer rejects my claim before the waiting period expires?

If the insurer sends a final response that does not satisfy your claim, the Commission states that you can proceed without waiting merely for the remaining response period to expire, subject to the other application requirements. (Sigorta Tahkim)

4. What if the insurer says my file is still being investigated?

Ask what remains outstanding and whether additional documents are genuinely required. An investigation does not automatically permit indefinite delay, although delays not attributable to the insurer can affect the statutory maturity period.

5. When does insurance compensation generally become due?

Under TCC Article 1427, compensation generally becomes due after the necessary investigation is completed following submission of the relevant documents and, in any event, generally 45 days after notification. Life insurance has a 15-day statutory period, subject to the provision concerning delays not attributable to the insurer. (Mevzuat MTurkoglu)

6. Can I claim interest if the insurance company delays payment?

Potentially, yes. Article 1427 provides that once the insurance debt becomes due, the insurer falls into default without requiring a separate notice. (Mevzuat MTurkoglu)

7. What happens if the investigation lasts more than three months?

Article 1427 provides, under its statutory conditions, for payment of at least 50% of the rapidly ascertainable loss as an advance where the investigation cannot be completed within three months. (Mevzuat MTurkoglu)

8. Is calling the insurance company enough before arbitration?

A documented written application is much safer and is required for demonstrating compliance with the Commission’s preliminary application requirement. Proof of receipt should be preserved. (Sigorta Tahkim)

9. Can foreign policyholders take legal action against a Turkish insurer?

Yes. Foreign nationality does not by itself prevent an entitled claimant from pursuing insurance compensation under Turkish law.

10. Should I keep waiting if the insurer repeatedly promises to respond soon?

Not automatically. Once the relevant procedural conditions are satisfied, continuing to wait may provide little advantage and can create risks concerning evidence and limitation periods.

Legal Support When an Insurance Company Delays or Ignores a Claim in Turkey

When an insurer remains silent, the first task is to establish the exact timeline of the claim and determine whether the applicable period for Insurance Arbitration, maturity of compensation, default interest or litigation has already been reached.

Fırat Fesih Kaya Law Office provides legal assistance to Turkish and foreign policyholders concerning delayed insurance claims, unanswered compensation applications, rejected claims, underpayments, insurance expert disputes and Insurance Arbitration Commission proceedings.

Fırat Fesih Kaya can assess the policy and claim file, determine whether the insurer’s response period has expired, calculate the outstanding compensation and interest, and pursue the claim through insurance arbitration or the appropriate judicial procedure.

Phone: +90 312 434 22 22
Mobile Phone: +90 532 769 22 22
Email: info@firatfesihkaya.av.tr
Address: Mevlana Boulevard No: 221, Yildirim Tower, Balgat, Cankaya / Ankara, Turkey