Turkey tightens rules on heavy‑damage vehicle sales and proposes scrapping of old unused cars

Effective 1 July, a new Turkish regulation will require that a vehicle classified as heavily damaged or written‑off be identified by insurance assessors and tracked through the Insurance Information and Monitoring Center (SBM). Owners must provide a document showing the car has been removed from traffic before receiving any insurance compensation. The rule also tightens damage‑assessment criteria, allowing a vehicle to be labeled heavily damaged if repair costs exceed 60 % of market value or if critical components such as the chassis, roof, airbags or main electrical system are severely harmed.

Separately, a legislative proposal under discussion would allow cars built in 2000 or earlier that have had no inspection, insurance or traffic record for five years to be declared scrap. If enacted, the owners could have accumulated Motor Vehicle Tax (MTV) debts erased and the vehicles removed from official registers. Automotive expert Erol Şahin noted that the measure aims to “clean dead records” and improve the accuracy of vehicle‑fleet data.

Both initiatives seek greater transparency in the second‑hand market and to reduce risks posed by undocumented or severely damaged vehicles.