Highway Traffic Law No. 2918 (Karayolları Trafik Kanunu)
The Highway Traffic Law No. 2918 governs road traffic in Turkey and — the part that matters after an accident — the civil liability regime and the compulsory motor insurance that backs it: who is liable, how the insurance claim is made, and within what deadlines.
What It Governs
The Highway Traffic Law No. 2918 governs road traffic in Turkey and — the part that matters after an accident — the civil liability regime for traffic accidents and the compulsory motor liability insurance that backs it. For a foreign visitor or resident injured on a Turkish road, this statute determines who is liable, how the insurance claim is made, and within what deadlines.
Key Provisions for Foreign Nationals
The law places strict liability on the vehicle's operator (işleten): the operator and the compulsory insurer answer for the harm the vehicle's operation causes, without the victim needing to prove fault in the ordinary sense. Article 97 contains the procedural rule that decides cases in practice: before suing, the injured party must first apply in writing to the liable insurer, and only after the insurer refuses or fails to respond within the statutory window does the road open to court — or to the Insurance Arbitration Commission, the specialised tribunal that resolves a large share of Turkish insurance disputes faster than litigation. Article 109 sets the limitation periods: as a rule two years from the date the victim learns of the damage and the liable party, extended where the act is also a crime subject to a longer criminal limitation — in serious injury and fatality cases, effectively much longer. Where the responsible vehicle is uninsured or unidentified, the Guarantee Fund (Güvence Hesabı) established under the insurance legislation steps in for bodily harm. Compensation itself — loss of earning capacity, treatment costs, and destitution damages for dependants in fatal cases — is computed under the general rules of the Code of Obligations, which is why two superficially similar accidents can produce very different awards.
Official source: the official text of Law No. 2918 on mevzuat.gov.tr.
This is a concise summary for general information only and is not an official translation. For the binding legal text, consult the official source above. This page is not legal advice.