Traffic Accidents in Antalya: Insurance Claims, Evidence and Next Steps
A practical English guide to documenting a traffic accident in Antalya, identifying the relevant insurer, making a written claim and preserving evidence without assuming that compensation is automatic.
A traffic accident in Antalya may involve several separate questions: who was at fault, which losses were caused by the accident, which insurer was on risk on the accident date and whether the supporting evidence is complete. A police or accident report is important, but it does not by itself settle every compensation issue.
The safest first step is to preserve the facts before the vehicle, scene or medical condition changes. Take photographs where it is safe to do so, keep the accident report and record the date, location, vehicle registration numbers, witnesses and any emergency or medical intervention. Do not publish identifying images of other people or documents containing unnecessary personal data.
Identify the correct insurance route
Compulsory motor-vehicle liability insurance generally concerns losses caused to third parties within the applicable policy and statutory limits. It is not the same as comprehensive insurance, and it usually does not compensate the at-fault driver for damage to that driver’s own vehicle. The policy and the accident date should be checked before a claim is addressed to an insurer.
Depending on the facts, the claim may concern vehicle damage, vehicle depreciation, bodily injury or loss of support following a death. Each head of loss should be described separately. A claim should not state a figure as if it were established unless the calculation and its assumptions can be explained.
Make the written application traceable
Article 97 of Highways Traffic Law No. 2918 requires a written application to the relevant insurer before proceedings are brought within the compulsory motor-vehicle liability insurance framework. The application should identify the claimant, the accident, the vehicle and policy if known, the loss claimed, the supporting documents and the requested written response. The delivery method should leave a reliable record of what was sent and when it reached the insurer.
- Accident date, place, vehicle registrations and a short factual account
- Accident report, photographs, video and witness information where available
- Policy or claim-file information and the insurer’s contact details
- Separate headings for property damage, depreciation and bodily injury claims
- Numbered attachments and a record of delivery
- Medical and income documents only where relevant, sent through an official channel
Time limits and the insurer’s response
The insurer’s response period and limitation periods are different concepts. Article 97 refers to a written response within fifteen days for the pre-action application route. Article 109 contains limitation rules for material-damage claims, including a two-year period from learning of the damage and the person liable, and an absolute ten-year period from the accident, subject to the statutory exceptions described in the current text. The dates in the particular file must be checked rather than inferred from a general article.
| Document or record | What it may help establish | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Accident report | Initial account, vehicles and scene | It does not by itself finally determine fault or every loss |
| Photographs and video | Visible damage and scene conditions | Source, date and integrity should be preserved |
| Repair or expert records | Repair work, cost and technical assessment | The causal link to the accident still requires review |
| Medical records | Injury and treatment history | Causation and the applicable medical assessment matter |
| Delivery record | When and what was sent to the insurer | An unrecorded telephone call may not prove the written claim |
If the response is late, partial or negative
Read the response against each loss item. A partial payment may address one part of the claim and does not automatically establish that every other claim has been accepted or rejected. A refusal should be checked for its stated legal and factual basis, while an incomplete-document request should be matched to the document actually needed.
Depending on the parties, the type and value of the dispute and the procedural requirements in force at the time, the next step may involve the Insurance Arbitration Commission or court proceedings. These routes have different documents, costs, deadlines and review mechanisms. The insurer application is not automatically identical to mediation or arbitration.
Antalya-specific practical note
The official Antalya Courthouse announced that its Labour Courts moved to an additional service building in Kepez from 4 August 2026. This is an administrative location update, not a change to the legal rules for traffic-insurance claims. Court location and filing arrangements should be confirmed through the current official courthouse information before any filing or attendance.
Before sending a claim
- The accident date and the insurer on risk have been verified.
- Evidence has been stored in its original form and unnecessary personal data removed from copies.
- Each loss item has a factual explanation and supporting documents.
- The written application and attachments can be shown as delivered.
- The response date, any missing documents and any payment have been recorded.
- The available procedural route has been checked against the current law and the facts.
Official sources
The main statutory reference is Highways Traffic Law No. 2918 — official Turkish text. The Antalya location information is based on the Antalya Courthouse relocation notice. Both sources should be checked again at the time of action because official pages, procedures and legislation can change.
This publication is general legal information. It is not legal advice, a case assessment, a promise of an outcome or an invitation to instruct the office. Deadlines, jurisdiction, evidence and available remedies depend on the facts and the law in force at the relevant time.