The share of homes covered by compulsory earthquake insurance across Türkiye stands at 58%. According to DASK data, the total number of homes with policies has reached 11,700,223.
Marmara region leads
Insurance coverage rates vary by region. The Marmara region ranks first at 65%, followed by Eastern Anatolia at 64%, Southeastern Anatolia at 63%, the Aegean and Mediterranean regions at 59%, and Central Anatolia at 51%.
The Black Sea region has the lowest compulsory earthquake insurance coverage rate, at 45%. DASK Secretary-General Balkır Demirkan said the rates were linked to earthquake awareness and the frequency of tremors.
1,397 damaging earthquakes in more than 25 years
Established in 2000 after the Marmara earthquake, DASK operates as a public institution responsible for implementing and managing compulsory earthquake insurance. DASK policies cover homes against earthquakes as well as disasters directly caused by them, such as fire, explosion, landslide and tsunami.
Since DASK began operating in 2000, 1,397 damaging earthquakes have occurred across Türkiye. A total of 867,275 claims related to these earthquakes were received.
The highest number of earthquakes occurred in 2020, with 175 tremors. While 123 earthquakes were recorded in 2021, the highest number of claims was received in 2023, at 653,081; 2020 ranked second with 76,431 claims.
39 billion liras paid for Kahramanmaraş earthquakes
Demirkan said the largest earthquakes during DASK’s period of operation were the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes that occurred on February 6, 2023. He said DASK processed 540,000 claims within nine months and paid 39 billion liras in compensation for these earthquakes.
Demirkan said the total financial damage from the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes amounted to $104 billion, with approximately $5.5 billion covered by the insurance sector. He noted that DASK’s payment within the scope of its capacity amounted to $1.6 billion.
Target: full insurance coverage
Demirkan said they did not consider the current rate of 58% sufficient and announced that their target was full insurance coverage. He said that increasing the coverage rate could provide more financing from international markets to Türkiye after a possible major earthquake and allow the growing insurance pool to offer broader protection.
Demirkan said the tendency to purchase policies was low in regions such as Konya and the Black Sea, where earthquakes occur less frequently, or that policies were not renewed the following year. He highlighted the importance of the Compulsory Disaster Insurance Law, which envisages expanding DASK to cover annual natural disasters such as floods, hail and fires.
Artificial intelligence initiatives at DASK
DASK is carrying out initiatives through agencies, insurance companies, regional offices and the DASK truck to raise earthquake awareness and increase the number of policies. The institution has also prepared its projection for the next five years.
Demirkan said pilot projects were continuing to integrate artificial intelligence into production and claims processes. The initiatives aim to ensure that compensation payments after possible earthquakes are made more quickly, effectively and accurately, while also making insurance products easier to access.
Call for regular policy renewals
Demirkan said DASK had the capacity to cover a possible Marmara earthquake. He said the coverage amount in policies was increased every month in line with inflation and called on people without insurance to purchase policies and on existing policyholders to renew them without interruption.
Demirkan also drew attention to new assessments regarding the number of active faults in Türkiye and said that earthquake risk was always present. He stressed that insurance could not be purchased after damage had occurred and that policies needed to be renewed regularly and continuously.
