How Is Compensation Calculated in Turkey?
In Turkey, the money you can claim after an accident is not a round number a judge picks — it is calculated actuarially. The court projects the income you lose because of your injury over your working life and remaining years, then scales it by your disability rate and reduces it by any share of fault that was your own.
The short answer: how the figure is built
Pecuniary (financial) compensation for a permanent injury in Turkey is, in essence, a single sum that replaces the earnings you will lose. It is built in four moves:
- How long you would have earned — your remaining life expectancy is read from the TRH-2010 National Mortality Table by your age and sex.
- What you would have earned — your real net income for the working years, and the net minimum wage for the years after retirement age.
- How badly you were hurt — the total is multiplied by your disability rate (the percentage of working capacity you lost).
- Whose fault it was — the total is reduced by your own share of fault, if any.
You can put your own numbers into this method in a couple of minutes with our free compensation calculators before you speak to a lawyer.
Which accident does your claim come from?
What you can claim: pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages
Turkish law separates two kinds of damage, and they are decided in completely different ways.
Pecuniary (maddi) damages are your measurable financial loss: lost earnings, loss of earning capacity, medical and care costs, and similar. This is the part that is calculated with the actuarial method described below, and the part our calculators estimate.
Non-pecuniary (manevi) damages compensate pain, suffering and loss of quality of life. There is no formula for them — the judge sets the amount at their discretion, weighing the severity of the injury, the fault involved and the parties' circumstances. For that reason, moral damages are never included in any calculator figure. For the wider picture of what each head of damage covers, see our guide to pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages.
The method the courts use: TRH-2010, active and passive periods
The binding calculation in a Turkish case is produced by a court-appointed actuarial expert (aktüer bilirkişiBilirkişiCourt-appointed expertAn independent expert appointed by the court to report on a technical question the judge is not expected to decide alone.Glossary →), and the courts now expect a specific method.
Your remaining lifetime is split into two periods:
- Active period — from the date of the accident to retirement age (taken as 60 by convention). For these years your real net income is used.
- Passive period — from 60 to the end of your statistical life. For these years the net minimum wage is used, because a person is assumed able to earn at least that much.
Each future year's income is then brought to a present-day sum using a progressive annuity: income is assumed to rise about 10% a year and is discounted by about 10%, so the two effects cancel and each year counts as roughly one year's income. (The old fixed 1.8% technical-interest discount is no longer accepted by the Court of Cassation.) Older life tables such as PMF-1931 have likewise been replaced by TRH-2010.
What raises or lowers the amount
Four inputs move the figure more than anything else:
- Income. A documented salary produces a much higher award than the minimum wage. If you cannot prove your earnings, the net minimum wage is used as the floor — so payslips, contracts and tax records matter.
- Disability rate. This comes from a forensic medical report (often the Council of Forensic Medicine, ATK). A 40% rate yields roughly twice a 20% rate.
- Your own fault. If you were partly to blame — for example, not wearing a seatbelt — your share is deducted. 25% contributory fault removes 25% of the award.
- Age. A younger claimant has more working years ahead, so the projected loss — and the award — is larger.
The judge decides how much I get, so the amount is basically guesswork.
Pecuniary (financial) compensation is calculated actuarially, not picked. Your remaining life is read from the TRH-2010 National Mortality Table, split into an active period up to retirement age (taken as 60 by convention) on your real net income and a passive period after it on the net minimum wage, then multiplied by your disability rate and reduced by your own fault. Only moral damages are left to the judge's discretion.
Pain and suffering is part of the calculated figure.
It is not. Non-pecuniary (manevi) damages compensate pain, suffering and loss of quality of life, have no formula, and are set separately by the judge weighing the severity of the injury, the fault involved and the parties' circumstances. They sit on top of the calculated financial loss, never inside it.
If I cannot prove my income, there is nothing to calculate.
There is a floor. Where earnings cannot be documented, the net minimum wage is used instead, and the years after retirement age are always calculated on the net minimum wage anyway. But a documented salary produces a much higher award than the minimum wage, which is why payslips, contracts and tax records matter so much.
Being partly to blame means I get nothing.
Your share of fault is deducted proportionally, not used to cancel the claim. If you carry 25% of the fault, 25% comes off the award. Fault is fixed by an expert report rather than agreed between the parties, and the same is true of the disability rate.
Traffic, work and medical accidents: how the basis differs
The calculation engine is the same, but the legal route and who pays differ by accident type.
- Traffic accidents are governed by the Highway Traffic Code (Law 2918) and the Code of Obligations (TBKTBKTurkish Code of Obligations No. 6098The statute behind almost every private agreement in Türkiye — contracts, liability for harm, lease, employment, agency and unjust enrichment.Glossary → 6098). Compulsory traffic insurance (ZMSS) pays up to the policy limit, and the at-fault driver or operator covers the rest. Estimate one with the traffic accident compensation calculator.
- Work accidents fall under the Occupational Health and Safety Law (6331), the Social Security Law (5510) and TBK 6098. The employer is liable in proportion to its fault, and the present value of any SGK disability pension is deducted from the award. Try the work accident compensation calculator.
- Medical and other injuries rest on TBK 6098 (tort and bodily-integrity rules) — the framework for malpractice, assault and general bodily harm. See the disability compensation calculator.
Why a calculator is an estimate, not the final figure
An online tool applies the right method to the numbers you enter, which makes it a genuinely useful way to set expectations and plan. It is not, however, the figure the court will award.
The binding amount depends on the forensic disability rate, the official apportionment of fault, the income evidence accepted by the court and the dates in your file — all of which are settled through the court-appointed expert report. Treat a calculator result as a well-grounded ballpark, then have a lawyer pressure-test it against your documents.
How foreigners injured in Turkey make a claim
You do not have to be in Turkey, or speak Turkish, to claim. Most foreign clients grant a Turkish power of attorney, which lets a lawyer file, negotiate and appear on their behalf while they recover at home.
What protects the value of a claim is evidence gathered early: the accident or incident report, hospital and forensic records establishing the disability rate, and proof of income. Time limits are real — traffic claims, for instance, are generally subject to a two-year limit from when you learn of the harm and the responsible party (longer where a criminal limitation period applies). If you are unsure where your claim stands, tell us what happened and we will review it.
The tort and bodily-integrity rules behind medical malpractice, assault and general injury claims, and the backdrop to traffic and work claims.
Governs traffic accident claims, alongside compulsory traffic insurance (ZMSS) up to the policy limit.
Part of the basis for work accident claims, where the employer answers in proportion to its fault.
Governs the SGK side of a work accident; the present value of an SGK disability pension is deducted from the award.
What to gather before you speak to a lawyer
What protects the value of a claim is evidence gathered early. These are the things worth collecting before your first conversation.
Frequently asked questions
How much compensation will I get for an accident in Turkey?
It depends on your income, your disability rate, your age and any fault of your own. As a rule, pecuniary compensation equals your projected lost earnings multiplied by your disability rate and reduced by your share of fault. Our calculators give a fast estimate; the binding figure comes from a court-appointed expert report.
Is compensation calculated on my real income or the minimum wage?
On your real net income for your working years, provided you can prove it with payslips, a contract or tax records. If your earnings cannot be documented, the net minimum wage is used as the floor. Years after retirement age are always calculated on the net minimum wage.
Does my own fault reduce the compensation?
Yes. If you were partly responsible for the accident or your injury, your share of fault is deducted from the award. For example, 30% contributory fault removes roughly 30% of the figure. Fault is fixed by an expert report, not by the parties.
Is moral (non-pecuniary) compensation included in the calculation?
No. Moral damages compensate pain and suffering and are set separately by the judge at their discretion, with no formula. Any calculator figure covers only pecuniary (financial) loss, so moral damages are claimed and awarded on top of it.
How long do I have to claim compensation in Turkey?
It varies by claim type. Traffic claims are generally subject to a two-year limit from when you learn of the harm and the responsible party, and a ten-year long-stop, with a longer period where a criminal limitation applies. Because the deadlines differ and exceptions exist, confirm your own limit with a lawyer early.
Do I have to be in Turkey to bring a claim?
No. Most foreign clients instruct us remotely and grant a Turkish power of attorney, which lets us act for them — filing, negotiating and appearing — without them travelling. Evidence can usually be gathered and submitted on your behalf.
How accurate is an online compensation calculator?
A good calculator uses the same method as the courts (the TRH-2010 table, active and passive periods), so it is a reliable estimate for planning. It cannot replace the court-appointed actuarial report, which fixes the binding amount from the official disability rate, fault apportionment and accepted income evidence.
