Turkey faces ATM cash shortages and legal rulings on unauthorized use

Turkey is experiencing increasing challenges regarding Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), including cash shortages and legal complexities. Rising cash needs, particularly on pension and salary payment days, often lead to machines running out of money. This issue is exacerbated by inflation, which increases the volume of cash withdrawn and puts pressure on the limited banknote capacity of machines. In districts with limited ATM access, these shortages force citizens to travel to other regions to access their funds.

Beyond cash availability, technical malfunctions are causing significant issues. There are reports of accounts being debited without the machine dispensing cash, as well as banknotes becoming stuck due to hardware failures.

In a related legal development, the Court of Cassation (Yargıtay) has issued critical rulings regarding the unauthorized use of ATM resources. The court emphasized that money left in an ATM compartment is not ownerless property and remains under the ownership of its original owner. Taking such money or performing unauthorized transactions via an unattended screen can be prosecuted as theft or the misuse of bank and credit cards. Furthermore, customers are advised to report lost or forgotten cards immediately; failure to do so may result in the customer being held liable for losses due to negligence.