Homeowners and drivers in Türkiye whose property was damaged in last week’s floods do not automatically lose their right to an insurance payout if they missed the five-day deadline for reporting the damage, according to a report by the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) published on Thursday.
The guidance comes as insurers process thousands of claims following heavy rain that hit Istanbul, Kocaeli, Yalova, Antalya and Bursa. In Istanbul alone, 3,017 damage files had been opened with insurers as of Wednesday, including 2,041 for homes, workplaces and industrial premises and 976 under kasko, Türkiye’s comprehensive motor insurance, with insured losses in the city estimated at around 4.5 billion lira and claims still coming in.
Late reporting may reduce, not cancel, a payout
Under the general conditions for kasko policies, policyholders are expected to notify the insurer within five working days. AA reported that missing this window does not on its own cancel the right to compensation. However, if the delay made the loss worse, the insurer may reduce the payment, taking into account the reason for the delay and the degree of fault of the policyholder.
The report also stressed that compulsory traffic insurance (zorunlu trafik sigortası), which every vehicle on Turkish roads must carry, does not pay for flood damage to the policyholder’s own car. It only covers damage the driver is legally liable for causing to third parties.
DASK does not cover floods
For property owners, a key point is that DASK, the compulsory earthquake insurance required for registered homes in Türkiye, covers earthquakes and related fire, explosion, tsunami and landslide, but not flooding. Flood damage to a home is only covered by a separate home insurance (konut sigortası) policy that includes flood and water intrusion cover, typically sold as part of a fire policy.
Flood cover can be added as an optional extension while a policy is running, but under the Turkish Commercial Code an amendment cannot be backdated to pay for a flood that has already happened and is known to both parties. New cover generally applies only to risks arising after it takes effect.
Those without kasko or flood cover may have no insurance route to compensation. If a third party’s fault caused the damage, for example a blocked drainage system, they may pursue legal action. Owners are advised to document damage with photographs and video, keep official reports and seek legal advice.
Foreign residents who own property should check whether their policy includes flood cover, especially after recent events such as the Maltepe building collapse in Istanbul brought building safety back into focus. Our guides to health insurance for foreign residents and the costs of buying a home in Türkiye explain other mandatory and optional policies.
Sources
- Sel hasarlarında 5 günlük ihbar süresinin aşılması tazminat hakkını ortadan kaldırmıyor (AA)
- Kaskoda kritik detay! 5 günün aşılması tazminat hakkını kaldırmıyor (Mynet Finans / AA)
- İstanbul’da 3 bin hasar başvurusu. Sel zararı sigorta maliyeti 4,5 milyar TL’ye ulaştı (NTV)
Photo: Wes Warren / Unsplash License, via Unsplash
