DASK is Turkey's compulsory earthquake insurance system for qualifying buildings and residential properties.
The insurance is commonly known as DASK after the Doğal Afet Sigortaları Kurumu, the Turkish Natural Catastrophe Insurance Institution, while the compulsory policy itself is Zorunlu Deprem Sigortası.
For international property owners, DASK Insurance in Turkey is an important part of owning and managing residential real estate.
It should not, however, be confused with comprehensive home insurance.
DASK has a specific purpose: providing financial protection for insured buildings against direct material damage caused by earthquakes and certain events resulting from an earthquake.
Understanding this distinction is important when Buying Property in Turkey, because DASK protects the building within the policy conditions and limits rather than covering every financial loss associated with a home.
DASK is compulsory for buildings and independent units that fall within the scope established by Turkey's Disaster Insurance Law.
The system generally covers residential buildings constructed on registered privately owned real estate, independent sections falling within the Condominium Law and certain other buildings defined under the legislation.
It can also cover qualifying independent commercial units located inside residential buildings.
The important point for a foreign buyer is that the obligation is connected to the property and building type rather than the nationality of the owner.
A foreign owner of a qualifying apartment or villa is therefore not exempt simply because he or she is not a Turkish citizen.
The official DASK framework includes residential buildings constructed on registered privately owned property.
Independent units covered by Turkey's Condominium Law also fall within the system.
DASK states that qualifying buildings with construction servitude can be insured, as can certain buildings whose land-registry classification has not yet been updated from land to building status, provided the applicable conditions are met.
This means buyers should not make assumptions based solely on how a property is described in an advertisement.
The legal and building status of the specific property should be checked.
Yes.
Not every structure in Turkey falls within compulsory earthquake insurance.
Official DASK rules identify several categories outside the compulsory system, including certain public buildings, buildings used entirely for commercial or industrial purposes and some buildings in village settlement areas.
Buildings without an approved project or engineering services can also fall outside the compulsory scope, as can buildings found to have been constructed or altered in ways that adversely affect the structural system.
Buildings officially ordered to be demolished and buildings that are derelict or unsuitable for residential use are also outside the compulsory coverage.
Different voluntary earthquake insurance options may be considered for some properties outside the compulsory DASK system.
DASK covers direct material damage to the insured building caused by an earthquake within the applicable policy limits.
It also covers building damage resulting from fire, explosion, tsunami and landslide caused by an earthquake.
The protection can apply whether the insured building is partially or completely damaged.
This makes DASK primarily a building-focused insurance product.
It is designed to provide financial protection for the physical structure following an insured earthquake event.
Official DASK coverage includes important structural and complementary parts of the building.
These can include foundations, main walls, common walls separating independent units, retaining walls, garden walls, ceilings and floors.
Staircases, lifts, landings, corridors, roofs and chimneys are also among the building components covered within the applicable policy conditions.
For an apartment owner, this distinction is important because earthquake damage is not necessarily limited to the interior of the individual apartment.
The building and its structural components are fundamental to the insurance.
No.
One of the most important misunderstandings among property owners is that DASK is equivalent to full household insurance.
It is not.
Furniture, personal belongings and other movable property are outside the compulsory earthquake insurance coverage.
If an earthquake damages the building and also destroys furniture, electronics and personal possessions, DASK should not be expected to compensate for all of these losses.
Owners who want broader protection should consider appropriate additional home insurance.
Official DASK information identifies a number of losses that fall outside compulsory earthquake insurance.
These include debris-removal expenses, loss of profit, interruption of business, loss of rental income and alternative accommodation or workplace expenses.
Bodily injury, death and claims for non-material damages are also outside DASK coverage.
Damage unrelated to an earthquake or to earthquake-induced fire, explosion, tsunami or landslide is not covered under the compulsory earthquake policy.
Damage that develops over time because of the building's own defective structure independently of an earthquake is also excluded.
Because DASK has a specific and limited purpose, property owners may consider taking out additional home insurance.
A private home-insurance policy can provide protection for risks and assets that compulsory earthquake insurance does not cover, depending on the selected policy.
This can be particularly relevant for furnished villas and apartments.
A property containing valuable furniture, appliances and personal belongings can have financial exposure well beyond the physical building protection provided by DASK.
DASK itself also states that where the value exceeds its maximum compulsory cover, additional protection can be obtained from insurance companies through voluntary insurance.
DASK coverage should not be confused with the market value of the property.
The insured amount is determined according to the compulsory earthquake insurance tariff and the applicable construction-cost methodology.
The value of the land is not included.
This is logical because even if the insured building is destroyed, the owner's land or land share continues to exist.
Therefore, purchasing an apartment for €300,000 does not mean that a DASK policy automatically provides €300,000 of earthquake cover.
The property's market price and DASK's insured building value are different concepts.
DASK coverage figures can change.
The official system provides for adjustments to the square-metre amounts used in determining insured value, and the maximum cover can consequently change during the year.
For this reason, a Buyer Guide should not present one historical amount as though it were permanently valid.
Property owners should check the current DASK tariff and their actual policy for the applicable insured amount.
This is especially important when reading older online guides, where figures may already be outdated.
There is no single fixed DASK premium for every property in Turkey.
The applicable premium depends on the insurance tariff and characteristics relevant to the insured building.
The official framework takes factors such as the building's surface area, construction characteristics and earthquake risk into consideration.
DASK currently uses different tariff classifications according to risk and construction type.
Consequently, two homes with the same floor area do not necessarily have exactly the same premium.
The correct amount should be calculated using the current tariff and property details rather than an old price quoted in a property article.
A DASK compulsory earthquake insurance policy is valid for one year.
When the policy expires, it needs to be renewed.
Property ownership therefore does not involve buying DASK once and assuming that it remains permanently valid.
Owners should monitor the policy expiry date and arrange renewal.
This is particularly important for international property owners who may spend long periods outside Turkey.
An expired policy can become a problem precisely when valid insurance is required for a transaction or, more importantly, when an earthquake occurs.
DASK is directly relevant to the property-buying process.
Under the applicable rules, the existence and validity of compulsory earthquake insurance are checked for covered buildings and independent units in the relevant land-registry transactions.
For this reason, buyers and sellers should not leave DASK until the final moment of a property transfer.
The property's insurance status can be reviewed as part of preparing for the Tapu transaction.
International buyers unfamiliar with the wider purchasing procedure can also read our Buying Property in Turkey guide for the legal and practical stages surrounding the acquisition.
Tapu is the Turkish title deed and land-registry system.
For properties falling within compulsory earthquake insurance, the existence and validity of DASK are checked in the land-registry transactions specified by the applicable legislation.
DASK is therefore not simply an optional document kept in a property file.
It interacts with important official property procedures.
However, having a DASK policy should never be interpreted as confirmation that every other legal or technical aspect of the property is correct.
Title-deed due diligence, planning status, permits and other property checks remain separate issues.
Valid compulsory earthquake insurance is also relevant to electricity subscription procedures for buildings within the DASK system.
The Disaster Insurance Law requires the existence of compulsory earthquake insurance to be checked for relevant electricity subscription transactions.
This can become particularly important after buying a property when the new owner needs to establish or change the electricity account.
International buyers should therefore keep their current policy details accessible rather than viewing DASK solely as part of the purchase-day paperwork.
The same principle applies to relevant water subscription procedures.
For buildings and independent units within compulsory earthquake insurance, the existence of DASK is checked during the applicable water subscription and subscriber-change procedures.
This is another practical reason to keep the policy renewed after purchasing the property.
DASK remains part of ongoing property administration, not only the original acquisition.
The existence and validity of compulsory earthquake insurance are also checked in relevant housing-credit procedures for properties within the system.
A mortgage buyer may therefore encounter DASK as part of the financing process as well as the property transaction itself.
Bank requirements can also include additional insurance products, depending on the financing arrangement.
These should be distinguished from the statutory DASK policy.
The obligation ultimately concerns the qualifying property and its owner or relevant right holder under the applicable framework.
In practice, compulsory earthquake insurance policies are issued through authorised insurance companies and agencies.
When buying a resale property, the buyer should check the existing insurance situation and ensure that the necessary information is properly updated for the new ownership circumstances.
Do not assume that an old policy document from the seller is all that is required for future years.
Accurate property and owner information is important when arranging compulsory earthquake insurance.
The details used to identify the property and building need to correspond with the relevant records.
Foreign property owners should ensure that their personal information and the property's address and registration details are entered correctly.
Errors can create unnecessary complications later, particularly when the policy needs to be verified for an official procedure or a claim.
Apartment buyers make up a significant part of Turkey's international property market.
For a qualifying apartment, DASK covers the insured building structure and relevant building components within the policy terms rather than the owner's furniture and personal possessions.
An owner in a residential complex should therefore distinguish between DASK, any insurance held by the building or management and the owner's own optional household insurance.
These products can have different purposes and should not be assumed to replace one another.
Buyers comparing Apartments For Sale In Antalya or other Turkish destinations should include insurance and annual property administration in their ownership planning.
Qualifying residential villas can also fall within compulsory earthquake insurance.
Villa owners should pay particular attention to the difference between the insured building and other assets around the property.
Furniture and movable belongings are not part of DASK coverage.
A high-specification villa may also have a rebuilding exposure above the compulsory insurance limit.
For this reason, owners of luxury or extensively furnished villas may wish to consider additional insurance alongside DASK.
This can be relevant when purchasing Villas For Sale In Antalya, Belek Property or a custom-built home.
A newly completed property is not automatically exempt from compulsory earthquake insurance simply because it is new.
The applicable property and building status determine the insurance position.
Buyers of new-build homes should therefore include DASK in their completion and ownership checklist.
At the same time, DASK should not be confused with construction guarantees, developer obligations or technical building checks.
Earthquake insurance is one element of property ownership; it does not replace proper due diligence on construction and legal documentation.
Owners who Build a House in Turkey should also consider the transition from the construction phase to the completed residential property and the insurance requirements that apply to it.
Construction-stage insurance and the compulsory earthquake insurance applicable to a completed qualifying residence are not necessarily the same product.
The project should therefore be reviewed at the appropriate stage to ensure that the finished home has the required insurance.
Buyers planning their own villa can read our Building a House in Turkey guide for the wider land, planning, permit and construction process.
International buyers looking at Property For Sale In Antalya should treat DASK as a normal part of property ownership.
Whether purchasing an apartment for permanent residence, a holiday home or a villa, the buyer should establish whether the property falls within compulsory earthquake insurance and make sure the policy is valid where required.
Because Antalya contains a wide variety of property types, the specific building and legal status should always be considered rather than relying on a general assumption about the region.
The same principles apply to residential property in Belek and Kadriye.
Owners of qualifying Belek Property, including apartments and villas, should keep compulsory earthquake insurance current and understand what the policy does and does not cover.
For a furnished holiday villa, DASK alone does not protect all furniture and personal contents.
For buyers considering Golf Property In Belek, insurance should therefore form part of the broader ownership plan alongside maintenance, site fees where applicable and property management.
If an insured property suffers damage from an event covered by DASK, the owner should report the claim and follow the institution's required damage-assessment procedure.
DASK provides official claim-reporting channels including ALO DASK 125 and the insurance company or agency that issued the policy.
The institution identifies required information for claims, including policy or identification information, current title-deed information, the address of the damaged property and contact details.
The damage is then assessed through the applicable claims process.
Not necessarily.
This is another important distinction for international owners.
DASK compensation operates according to the insured building amount and policy limits rather than simply reimbursing the property's open-market sale price.
The land value is not part of the DASK insured amount.
If the desired level of protection exceeds compulsory earthquake insurance, additional private insurance should be considered.
This is particularly relevant for high-value coastal property where the market price can reflect location and land value as much as the physical cost of the building.
A valid DASK policy should never be interpreted as proof that a property is legally or technically perfect.
DASK is an insurance product.
It does not replace checking the Tapu, seller, planning situation, permits, property boundaries or other legal and technical aspects of an acquisition.
International buyers should complete appropriate due diligence separately.
This distinction is particularly important when a seller presents an insurance policy as evidence that there can be no legal problem with a property.
For most international residential buyers, DASK is straightforward once its purpose is understood.
It is Turkey's compulsory earthquake insurance for qualifying buildings, providing defined protection against direct earthquake-related material damage to the insured building.
It does not insure every risk associated with owning a property and should not be confused with comprehensive home insurance.
The policy lasts one year and needs to be renewed annually. Its validity is checked in important procedures including relevant Tapu, electricity, water and housing-loan transactions.
The safest approach is therefore to treat DASK as one element of normal property administration.
When Buying Property in Turkey, confirm whether the property is within the compulsory system, check the current policy and ensure that future renewals are managed correctly.
Buyers can then consider additional home insurance according to the value, contents and intended use of their property.
For international buyers still researching ownership, our Buying Property in Turkey guide provides the wider purchase process, while Property For Sale In Turkey, Property For Sale In Antalya and Belek Property can be explored when moving from research to property selection.
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