Turkish Airlines: delayed, cancelled or overbooked flight — your rights

Was your Turkish Airlines flight delayed, cancelled, diverted, or did you miss a connection in Istanbul? Depending on the direction of travel, the European air passenger rights regulation may entitle you to compensation of up to €600 per passenger, or the Montreal Convention may cover your actual documented damage.

Turkish Airlines is a non-European carrier (Turkey). EU Regulation 261/2004 only applies to its flights when they physically depart from an EU airport. Departing Istanbul towards Europe, the EU261 fixed compensation is not owed; instead Turkish law, or the Montreal Convention, may cover the situation.

Turkish Airlines and Turkish law: the SHY-YOLCU regulation

Turkey has its own air passenger protection regulation, SHY-YOLCU ("Havayolu ile Seyahat Eden Yolcuların Haklarına Dair Yönetmelik", sometimes referred to as SHY-PASSENGER), in force since 2012 and administered by the Sivil Havacılık Genel Müdürlüğü (SHGM), the Turkish civil aviation authority. It covers, among other things, denied boarding, delay and cancellation. An amendment published in the Turkish Official Gazette on 10 December 2024 introduced fixed compensation for delays: around €100 for domestic flights, and €250 to €600 for international flights depending on distance — a scale that closely mirrors EU Regulation 261/2004. The claim must first be sent to the airline; if the response is unsatisfactory, the passenger can then bring the matter before the SHGM under its own procedure.

In practice, for a Turkish Airlines flight that does not depart the EU, it is worth checking whether SHY-YOLCU applies before concluding that no compensation is possible.

Turkish Airlines: am I entitled to compensation?

The direction of travel is the single most important factor for Turkish Airlines: unlike a European carrier, coverage is not automatic in both directions.

Turkish Airlines delayed flight

Yes, you may be entitled to up to €600 if your Turkish Airlines flight departs the EU and arrives at least 3 hours late, subject to the other conditions. The delay is measured on arrival, at the final destination, not at departure, and only on a flight covered by the regulation (physically departing an EU airport). From 3 hours of delay recorded on a covered flight, compensation may be due if the other conditions are met and no extraordinary circumstance applies, with no need to prove financial loss: €250 up to 1,500 km, €400 between 1,500 and 3,500 km, €600 beyond.

Turkish Airlines' excuses: valid or not

Valid excuses: extreme weather, airspace closure, air traffic control strikes, bird strike or debris on the runway. Even then, the airline must prove it took all reasonable measures to limit the delay.

Invalid excuses (compensation remains due): a technical fault on the aircraft, even an unforeseen one (Wallentin-Hermann and van der Lans, CJEU), the aircraft running late on its previous rotation, understaffing or internal organisational problems.

Turkish Airlines cancelled flight

Yes, in principle, if Turkish Airlines cancels your flight departing the EU and informs you less than 14 days before departure, you are entitled to the compensation per passenger, plus either a ticket refund OR re-routing, at your choice. These two rights are cumulative (articles 7 and 8 of the regulation). A travel voucher only replaces a cash refund if you accept it: you can refuse it and insist on a bank transfer.

Note: being told less than 14 days in advance does not always trigger compensation on its own. If Turkish Airlines also offers re-routing at times very close to the original flight, it may escape payment in certain specific cases.

Missed connection with Turkish Airlines

Did Turkish Airlines cause you to miss your connection? If your ticket is a single booking covering the whole journey, the delay is measured at your final destination, whichever leg caused it (Folkerts, CJEU, 2013).

Since Turkish Airlines is a non-European carrier, coverage depends on the rest of the itinerary: if another leg of the same booking is operated by a European carrier, or departs from an EU airport, the final delay may open entitlement to the fixed compensation. If the whole journey stays outside the scope of the regulation, only the Montreal Convention applies.

This is a key trap to watch for on Turkish Airlines routings via Istanbul. Be careful: if you bought two separate tickets — for example one ticket from Africa to Istanbul and a second, independent ticket from Istanbul to Europe — rather than a single booking covering the whole journey on one reservation reference, the protection is far weaker. Each flight is then assessed on its own: a delay on the first leg that causes you to miss a connection you booked separately does not carry over to the second flight, and each ticket must independently meet the eligibility conditions (including, for EU261 purposes, its own departure point). Always check whether your itinerary via Istanbul was issued as one single booking or as two separate tickets before assuming compensation applies to the whole journey.

Turkish Airlines overbooking / denied boarding

On a flight covered by the regulation, involuntary denied boarding opens specific rights: in particular, compensation, care (meals, accommodation where necessary) and the choice between a refund and re-routing, subject to the applicable conditions. Article 4 of EU Regulation 261/2004 requires the airline to first call for volunteers before denying boarding to anyone.

Strikes and Turkish Airlines flights

It all depends on who is striking, and this is only assessed on a flight covered by the regulation. A strike by Turkish Airlines' own staff must be analysed in light of European case law and the precise circumstances. In the Krüsemann ruling (CJEU), the Court held that a spontaneous walkout by staff, triggered in reaction to a restructuring decision by the airline, did not amount to an extraordinary circumstance in the circumstances of that case. This does not mean every internal strike is automatically treated the same way: the characterisation depends on the precise facts.

A strike by third parties outside Turkish Airlines (air traffic controllers, airport staff not employed by the airline, a national general strike) may, on the other hand, be a valid extraordinary circumstance, provided Turkish Airlines proves it took all reasonable measures to limit the impact.

Connecting at Istanbul Airport (IST)

Istanbul used to have several commercial airports, including the former Atatürk Airport. Since April 2019, Turkish Airlines has operated from Istanbul Airport (IST), a single terminal that ranks among the largest in the world. The scale is impressive: distances to cover inside the terminal can be long, and you should allow more connection time than at a smaller airport, particularly when travelling with children or older passengers.

A useful and often overlooked point: the airport offers free assistance for passengers with reduced mobility or who have difficulty walking (wheelchair, priority escort). It is best to request this in advance from the airline or the airport rather than discovering the size of the terminal once you are there.

Another practical point: prices in the shops and restaurants at Istanbul Airport are known to be high, above the usual average for international airports. It is worth making your purchases before the airport if possible. That said, the airport remains generally pleasant during a long connection: it has rest areas that let you wait or sleep between flights.

How to contact Turkish Airlines about a claim

Turkish Airlines handles direct claims slowly, often without a reply for several months. Before writing yourself, keep your boarding pass, your e-ticket and any delay or cancellation notification: these are the documents that make the difference if the airline refuses or stays silent.

Postal addresses and direct phone numbers for Turkish Airlines published by third parties vary from one source to another; it is best to go through the official form on the airline's website to be sure of reaching the right destination.

How long do you have to claim?

Before the French courts, the general-law limitation period applied by case law for the EU261 compensation is generally 5 years (art. 2224 of the French Civil Code). It is therefore best not to wait several years before acting, and to check this deadline case by case rather than treat it as automatic.

Sources and references

• Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 — territorial scope, article 3
• Guide to non-EU carriers: Turkish, Emirates, Qatar — the direction-of-travel rule
• CJEU, Krüsemann (C-195/17) — internal strikes, characterisation depending on the precise facts
• SHY-YOLCU / SHY-PASSENGER — official SHGM regulation (Turkish civil aviation authority)

How to claim with Robin des Airs

A specialist in the Africa-Europe corridors, Robin des Airs checks whether your Turkish Airlines flight qualifies (direction, distance, cause of the delay), builds the file, sends the claim and challenges refusals. Nothing to pay if nothing is recovered. You receive 75% of the sums recovered at the amicable stage, and 60% if the airline forces us to go to court.

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