While the number of people benefiting from the Assurance Account, which pays compensation to the heirs of third parties in case of death of third parties who are damaged in an accident caused by a vehicle without traffic insurance or in accidents caused by people who do not have insurance, and to themselves in case of disability or incapacity for work, increased last year, the amount of compensation paid exceeded 822 million liras.
In 2025, 822 million 728 thousand liras were paid to 1820 file holders from the account established to cover the damages of the victim citizens in cases of injury, disability, death in traffic accidents and physical damage caused by accidents caused by people who did not have insurance. With this figure, there was a 42 percent increase compared to the compensation of 576 million 270 thousand liras paid in 2024.
Commenting on the issue to the AA correspondent, Assurance Account General Manager Özgür Öntürk stated that 636 million 44 thousand of the 822 million liras paid in 2025 were due to disability-related compensation, while a significant portion of the remaining payments, 167 million liras, consisted of compensation for loss of support due to death.
“Since its establishment, 5 BILLION TL PAYMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE FOR 72 THOUSAND 106 FILES”
Öntürk stated that approximately 5 billion liras of compensation has been paid to 72 thousand 106 files since the day the Assurance Account was established, and pointed out that 1 billion liras of this figure consists of material and physical damages paid for bankrupt insurance companies, and 4 billion liras consists of physical damages caused by uninsured, undetected and stolen vehicles.
Reminding that the majority of the amount paid consists of traffic insurance, Öntürk said, “Approximately 3.8 billion lira is related to compensation arising from traffic insurance. The remaining 99 million lira of our payment consists of bus seat personal accident insurance and transportation insurance. The remaining 18 million lira comes from hazardous materials, bottled gas liability and mine workers personal accident insurance.” he said.
“ONE IN 5 VEHICLES DOES NOT HAVE MANDATORY TRAFFIC INSURANCE”
Assurance Account General Manager Özgür Öntürk reminded that, according to the data of the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK), the number of vehicles registered to traffic in Türkiye was 33 million 612 thousand 650 as of the end of December 2025, and pointed out that 7 million 429 thousand 721 of them were uninsured.
Öntürk stated that the number of vehicles registered to traffic in Türkiye is increasing year by year and that the uninsurance rate according to vehicle types is around 22 percent as of December 2025.
Öntürk stated that, according to the uninsurance rate analysis conducted by vehicle groups, uninsurance levels show significant differences between vehicle types and said, “The highest uninsurance rate is seen in the motorcycle group with 65.47 percent. This rate reveals that insurance awareness is quite low in the relevant vehicle types.” he said.
Öntürk said that tractors ranked second in the uninsurance rate with a rate of 36.84 percent, and similarly, it was observed that this group of vehicles, which are widely used in rural areas and often used in activities other than private use, were also outside the scope of insurance.
Öntürk stated that the uninsurance rate for automobiles seems low at 5.8 percent compared to other vehicle types, but these vehicles are at the million level and made the following evaluations:
“The total uninsurance rate is calculated as 22.10 percent, and this rate shows that one in every five vehicles across Turkey does not have compulsory traffic insurance. These findings reveal that access to the insurance system, user awareness, economic factors and lack of supervision have a direct impact on uninsurance rates. In this context, developing special policy recommendations and strengthening inspection mechanisms, especially for vehicle groups with high uninsurance rates such as motorcycles and tractors, seem essential to increase the level of insurance.”
Öntürk reminded that currently the coverage limit for physical damage in traffic insurance is up to 3.6 million lira, and mentioned that traffic accidents cause financial and physical damage to thousands of people every year.
Öntürk stated that covering the damages in question was possible largely thanks to the compulsory traffic insurance system and said, “Traffic insurance is not only a legal obligation, but also a vital assurance that ensures social solidarity and the elimination of grievances.” he said.
“THE ASSURANCE ACCOUNT RETURNS THE COMPENSATION IT PAID TO THOSE WHO CAUSED THE ACCIDENT”
Öntürk stated that the compensation amounts resulting from traffic accidents can reach serious levels, and that this situation has serious consequences for both the drivers who caused the accident and the victims in cases where there is no traffic insurance, and reminded that after the Assurance Account pays the compensation to the victims, it recourses the compensation to the driver and owner of the vehicle that caused the accident.
Pointing out the importance of compulsory traffic insurance, Öntürk warned citizens by giving the following example:
“In a traffic accident that occurred in 2023, a 25-year-old citizen was left permanently disabled at a rate of 80 percent due to the fault of the driver of an uninsured vehicle. Due to this serious physical damage resulting from the accident, the victim was entitled to compensation exceeding 18 million liras. As a result of the victim’s application to the Assurance Account, payment was made within the framework of the applicable coverage limits. However, the payment in question was not sufficient to cover the entire damage. This example is based on the high compensation amounts that may arise as a result of traffic accidents. “It clearly reveals the importance of compulsory traffic insurance coverage.”
Öntürk emphasized that the Assurance Account fulfills an important public duty by ensuring that the damages of third parties who are aggrieved are covered in cases where compulsory traffic insurance is never taken out or renewed.
Öntürk stated that it would be possible to meet high compensation demands in cases such as accidents caused by uninsured vehicles, undetected vehicles or insufficient financial structure of the insurance company, through the Assurance Account and said, “Traffic insurance is a basic assurance mechanism that protects the economic future of the parties involved in the accident, ensures the elimination of grievances and contributes to the establishment of social justice. As a complementary element of this system, the Assurance Account ensures that the victims are not left alone even in cases of uninsurance or uncertainty.” He concluded his words by saying.
