Earthquake insurance policy in Turkey
• Earthquake insurance, or DASK, is an abbreviation for DOĞAL AFET SİGORTALARI KURUMU, meaning the Natural Disaster Insurance Institution in Turkey. It is also called SİGORTA DEPREM, meaning earthquake insurance,
This policy is issued by the Natural Disaster Institution in Turkey to flat owners.
• This insurance is entirely different from the compensation provided by the Turkish government, which it is morally committed to offering citizens and residents on its territory in the event of earthquakes and natural disasters
The purpose of this policy is, firstly, to share the financial burden of those affected, with the cost of the loss calculated and paid to them in cash, and secondly, to require citizens to obtain the insurance so that all buildings and flats meet the standards imposed by the Turkish government in order to mitigate the impact of these earthquakes as much as possible.
• More precisely, it is aimed at raising Turkish citizens' awareness of the importance of sound, earthquake-resistant buildings and reducing potential damage when earthquakes occur, by requiring them to obtain this policy, which has been mandatory since 1999, following the major earthquake that struck Istanbul.
What does earthquake insurance cover?
If an earthquake occurs in a given area and a building is completely destroyed, the DASK insurance company is obligated to cover the costs of certain items, namely:
Building foundations and bases
Main walls
Partition walls ("between rooms")
Ceilings and floors
Staircases
Elevators
Corridors and roofs
Garden walls
Complementary sections of the upper parts