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Airline guide

Turkish Airlines compensation

Turkish Airlines is not an EU carrier, so the direction of your flight decides everything: EU departures are covered, arrivals into the EU from Istanbul are not.

Quick answer

Turkish Airlines is not an EU carrier, so the direction of your flight decides everything: EU departures are covered, arrivals into the EU from Istanbul are not.

Airline
Turkish Airlines
Main hub
Istanbul
Potential compensation
€250–€600 per passenger
Route coverage
EU departures; not inbound EU flights from Türkiye

Does Turkish Airlines have to pay?

Turkish Airlines flies from EU and EEA airports, so EC Regulation 261/2004 applies to those departures regardless of where the flight is going. European cities to Istanbul are mostly in the €250–400 bands; onward connections can push the total distance higher. Most of those routes fall in the €250 band, with longer ones reaching €400.

What usually decides the claim

  • A flight from an EU airport to Istanbul is covered; Istanbul to an EU airport is not, because the airline is non-EU.
  • On a single booking through Istanbul, the outbound EU departure still covers the whole journey's arrival delay.
  • Turkey has its own passenger rights rules, which are weaker than EU261.
  • Escalate to the enforcement body of the EU country you departed from.

How to send your claim

Turkish Airlines takes claims through its online feedback form. Be explicit that the flight departed an EU airport and cite the regulation.

If they refuse

Airlines often reject a first claim with a one-line reference to extraordinary circumstances. Ask them to state the specific cause and the reasonable measures they took. If the answer is unconvincing or none arrives within 14 days, escalate to the national enforcement body in the country of departure — for Istanbul-based flights that is the regulator of that state — or to an approved alternative dispute resolution scheme.

Common questions

My Istanbul–Berlin flight was delayed. Can I claim?
Not under EU261: a non-EU airline flying into the EU is outside the regulation. Turkish national rules may still give you something.
Berlin–Istanbul–Bangkok on one ticket, arrived 6 hours late. What now?
The journey began at an EU airport, so EU261 covers the whole booking and the distance to Bangkok sets the band at €600.
How long do I have to claim?
It depends on the country whose courts would hear the case: three years in Germany, five in Spain, six in the UK and Ireland, two in some others. Older flights are often still claimable, so it is worth asking.

Primary sources

Official guidance and legislation used to review this page.