This is the question we are asked most often by people who have just bought a car in Turkey, and the confusion is understandable: both are called insurance, both relate to your car, and only one of them is compulsory.
The short answer
| Traffic insurance | Kasko | |
|---|---|---|
| Required by law | Yes | No |
| Covers your own car | No | Yes |
| Covers damage you cause to others | Yes | No |
| Cover limits | Set by the regulator | Your car's market value |
| Price varies by insurer | Yes | Yes |
Traffic insurance is compulsory financial liability cover. If you cause an accident, it pays for the other party's vehicle, property and injuries. It pays nothing towards your own car, no matter whose fault it was.
Kasko is optional and works the other way round: it covers damage to your vehicle, including when you caused it, plus theft, fire and natural events.
Do I need both?
You have no choice about traffic insurance — it is required to register the vehicle and is checked at roadside inspections. The real question is whether kasko is worth it, and that comes down to arithmetic: compare the annual premium against what the car is worth. On a new or nearly new car the answer is almost always yes.
What to check before buying kasko
- Is there an excess, and how much of a claim would stay with you?
- Is a replacement car included, and for how many days?
- Is glass covered without an excess, or only above one?
- Are flood, hail and storm included as standard or as add-ons?
- Does the cover extend outside Turkey if you plan to drive abroad?
These details differ far more between insurers than the headline price does — which is exactly why comparing on price alone tends to disappoint later.