Flight compensation in Turkey: how to claim under SHY-PASSENGER rules

Flights to and from Turkey are some of the busiest in Europe, especially through major hubs like Istanbul and Antalya. But when a flight is delayed or cancelled, many passengers are unsure what their rights actually are. 

Check Turkey flight cancellations & delays today →

Unlike the UK and EU systems, Turkey follows its own passenger protection rules known as SHY-PASSENGER. These regulations determine when airlines must provide compensation, refunds, rebooking, and care during disruptions. Understanding how SHY works can help travellers quickly determine whether they are entitled to assistance or compensation when their journey does not go as planned.

Key takeaways

1. Passenger rights for flights in Turkey are governed by a regulation called SHY-PASSENGER, which sets the rules for what airlines must provide when flights are delayed or cancelled.
2. Flight delays in Turkey usually do not qualify for financial compensation.
3. However, if your departure is delayed by two hours or more, the airline must provide care, such as meals, drinks, and possibly accommodation if you are stranded overnight.
4. If your flight is cancelled with less than 14 days’ notice, you may be entitled to compensation.
5. Compensation ranges from £85 to £520, depending on the distance of the flight, and is typically paid in Turkish lira using the exchange rate from the date the ticket was purchased.
6. Airlines are not required to pay compensation if the disruption was caused by extraordinary circumstances, such as severe weather, security risks, or other events outside their control.

Flight Interruption Compensation - SHY-PASSENGER

The main thing you need to know when you have your Turkey flights cancelled or delayed, is that the compensation is covered by the Turkey Regulation on Air Passenger Rights, also called SHY-PASSENGER.

Notable SHY-PASSENGER Conditions

1. There is no requirement for airlines to issue compensation, other than due care, for Turkey flight delays.
2. Turkish passenger rights are dictated based on the time waiting at the airport and the overall flight distance.
3. To qualify for between €100 and €600 in cancellation compensation, the passenger must be notified of the cancellation less than two weeks prior to departure.
4. Payment of all compensation is made in Turkish lira using the exchange rate from the date of the ticket purchase.

One of the biggest differences travellers notice with Turkey’s SHY regulation is how delays are treated. Under EU261 or UK261, long delays can trigger compensation, but under SHY the focus is mainly on care during the delay rather than automatic payouts. That means passengers may still receive meals, accommodation, and rebooking assistance even when financial compensation isn’t available. — Michael Higgins, Aviation Attorney

Compensation: How much can you claim under Turkish air passenger's rights?

If your Turkey flights are cancelled today, your route, and especially your flight distance, will factor into your compensation payout. Here’s what to expect:

Flight cancellation and denied boarding options

Aside from the compensation above, passengers in Turkey are entitled to one of the following if their flight is cancelled or they are denied boarding:

• The earliest available replacement flight.
• A flight replacement on another day that you approve.
• A full refund.

In the event a delay exceeds 5 hours, according to Turkish law, you can request a refund and forfeit your original ticket.

The right to care 

Although Turkey delayed flights are not eligible for blanket compensation like cancelled flights, they do require the airline to make sure the inconvenienced passengers are comfortable. In the case of delays, your Turkish passenger rights entitle you to care when:

What exactly is the right to care?

The right to care means that the airline is required to make sure you’re as comfortable as possible during a delay, and they foot the bill. You should receive:

• Access to phone calls, emails, or faxes.
• Refreshments of hot or cold drinks for airport wait times between two and three hours.
• Meals plus refreshments for waits between three and five hours.
• Extra snacks, drinks, and meals for delays exceeding five hours.

Additionally, should your delay extend overnight, airlines are required to offer complementary accommodation and transfers to and from the airport.

What Turkey flights are eligible?

Not every Turkish flight that’s cancelled or delayed qualifies under SHY-PASSENGER. Any flight that departs from a Turkish airport is eligible, and if your flight only arrives at a Turkish airport, you need to be flying with a Turkey-based airline like Turkish Airlines or Pegasus Airlines. When in doubt, the easiest thing to do is use our free flight checker to determine whether or not you qualify. Here are some examples:

Istanbul to New York

A flight from Istanbul’s IGA Airport to New York’s JFK Airport covers approximately 8,000 km. So, in the case of a flight cancelled with fewer than 14 days' notice and no offer of an acceptable route change arriving within two hours of the original flight, passengers would qualify for the maximum of the equivalent of €600 in Turkish lira.

If we flip the flight route and leave from JFK instead, passengers would only qualify for the same compensation if they flew with a Turkish airline.

Trabzon to Ankara

Flying domestically from Trabzon Airport to Ankara Esenboga Airport is a route of about 580 km, but the distance doesn’t really factor in since this is not an international flight. The airline doesn’t matter, either because passengers both depart and land at a Turkish airport. In this case, the expected flight cancellation compensation would be the equivalent of €100.

Istanbul to Paris

A flight from Istanbul Airport to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport generally spans 2,240 km. This puts it in the middle tier of potential compensation of €400. Reverse the flight and depart from Paris instead, and if you’re not flying a Turkish airline, compensation does not apply.

But, in this case, all isn’t lost, because Europe has its own regulation called EU261/2004 that covers both delays and cancellations. It applies to flights that leave European airports, so you would be eligible to claim cancellation or delay compensation. Plus, for delays, you can claim between €250 to €600 as long as the delay upon arrival is at least three hours, so that’s a bonus.

Think you qualify for Turkey flight cancellation compensation?Click here and start a claim today!

Force majeure

Not every disruption is preventable by the airline, and Turkish air passenger rights depend on what exactly caused the interruption. Circumstances that would fall under the force majeure exception to compensation include things like severe weather, security issues or terrorism, wars, and strikes. But, the good news is that the airline is still responsible for onward transportation and care.

Flight compensation Turkey: The major airlines

Turkish Airlines

Over the past 90 days, Turkish Airlines operated 48,921 flights. Most flights ran as scheduled, but some experienced delays or cancellations. Most long delays happened on short and medium-haul routes, while cancellations were spread across short, medium, and long-distance flights.

Overall, the numbers show that major disruptions are relatively uncommon, but they still affect thousands of passengers.

So, if you need to claim for flight cancellation with Turkish Airlines, we can help.

Pegasus Airlines

Over the past 90 days, Pegasus Airlines operated 4,062 flights. While most flights ran as scheduled, some experienced delays or cancellations that could potentially qualify for compensation depending on the route and airline rules.

In total, 2,373 flights were cancelled, meaning about 1 in 2 flights in this dataset experienced cancellations, which are the main type of disruption that can trigger compensation under Turkey’s SHY passenger rights regulation. 

How to file a compensation claim 

To avoid wasting time submitting claims for flights that don’t qualify for compensation, remember the following:

1. Turkey flight delays only entitle passengers to care, not compensation.
2. Flights from Europe to Turkey, regardless of the airline, do qualify for flight delay compensation according to regulation EU261.
3. Force majeure circumstances negate the requirement for a payout.
4. You must adhere to the airline’s rules - check in on time and have a confirmed reservation.
5. Keep all relevant documentation related to the incident and get the reason for the interruption from the airline as soon as your flight is significantly delayed or cancelled.

FAQs