With autumn under way, drivers in Türkiye are starting to think about winter tyres. The rules are often misunderstood, particularly by newcomers from countries where winter tyres are compulsory for every car. Here is how the requirement works.
Who is covered
The mandatory winter tyre rule applies to commercial vehicles carrying passengers or goods on intercity roads. That includes buses, minibuses, trucks, tractor units, tankers, pickups and light commercial vans. Private cars are not legally required to use winter tyres, although safety experts quoted in Turkish media recommend them once temperatures regularly fall below about 7°C.
For heavy vehicles such as trucks, tankers and buses, winter tyres are required on all axles, while for pickups, minibuses and cars used commercially they must be fitted on all wheels, according to İstiklal's summary of the ministry communiqué. Any tyre swapped in during a journey must also be a winter tyre. Studded tyres are accepted as an alternative, but chains must still be carried. Winter tyres can be recognized by an "M+S" marking or a snowflake symbol.
The dates
Last season the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure lengthened the mandatory period. Instead of the previous December 1 to April 1 window, the requirement ran from November 15 to April 15, roughly five months. A January 2026 report in Cumhuriyet described November 15 to April 15 as the current period, so commercial operators should plan on that window again for the 2026-2027 season unless the ministry announces otherwise.
Provincial governorships set the rules for use within their own provincial borders, taking local temperatures into account, and can extend the period by up to a month before or after the national dates. Drivers in colder regions should therefore check announcements from their local governorship.
The penalty
Reports from late 2025 and early 2026 put the administrative fine for commercial vehicles without the required tyres at 5,856 lira. Fines in Türkiye are usually adjusted each year, so check the current amount. Enforcement is carried out by police, gendarmerie, ministry teams, Ministry of Trade officials and municipal inspectors.
Costs to expect
Cumhuriyet reported that fitting and removal cost around 1,000 lira for rims of 16 inches or smaller and 1,200 to 1,500 lira for larger rims, with new winter tyres starting from roughly 2,000 lira each for small sizes. Prices vary widely by brand and city, so it pays to compare quotes before the November rush.
Sources
- Zorunlu Kış Lastiği Uygulaması 15 Kasım'da Başlıyor (İstiklal)
- Kış lastiği zorunlu mu? 2026 (Cumhuriyet)
- Ticari aracı olanlar dikkat! Kış lastiği uygulaması bu yıl erken başlıyor (NTV)
Photo: Mustafa Akça / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
