SHY Regulation: Turkish Regulation on Air Passenger Rights

If you are travelling from Türkiye or with a Turkish airline and your flight is delayed, cancelled, or you are denied boarding, you may be entitled to compensation of up to €600. The SHY-Yolcu Regulation on Air Passenger Rights ensures that airlines operating from Türkiye are held responsible for flight disruptions within their control. In this article, we outline the main provisions of the Turkish Regulation. 

What’s SHY regulation Türkiye?

SHY Regulation is Türkiye’s legal framework that protects air passenger rights for both domestic and international flights landing or departing from Türkiye. It was introduced by the Turkish Directorate General of Civil Aviation as an alternative to EU Regulation 261/2004 which only applies to flights departing from EU airports or operated by EU-registered airlines. 

The Turkish regulation is especially significant for air passengers from all around the world, given that Istanbul airport is one of Europe’s busiest hubs and the national carrier Turkish Airlines operates numerous intercontinental routes.

Contrary to what you may think, SHY is not an English abbreviation. The acronym comes from the Turkish Sivil Havacılık Yönetmeliği (Civil Aviation Regulation). The SHY-Passenger framework was enacted in 2012 and, while strongly influenced by EU261, it has its details. Here’s what you should know if you experience a flight delay or cancellation, or get denied boarding on a Turkish flight. 

Your rights under the Turkish regulation

Now, that we know what the SHY regulation covers, let's break down your rights in cases of delays, cancellation or denied boarding. 

Your rights in case of flight delays 

SHY regulation states that passengers who have experienced a flight delay of more than 3 hours have the right to:

• Compensation between €100 and €600 (£86 — £520), depending on the flight distance.
• Care provided by the airline (e.g. meals and beverages, overnight accommodation and transport from/to the airport if needed)

If the flight gets delayed for more than 5 hours, every affected passenger can opt for a full refund of the ticket fare or a free replacement flight. 
Regardless of the cause of the delay, passengers retain their right to care, as well as the option for a refund or an alternative flight. 

However, monetary compensation is only available if the flight disruption is within the airline’s control. The most common examples include technical issues with the aircraft, wildcat strikes, or scheduling conflicts. In other words, you will not be entitled to compensation if there are any extraordinary circumstances present. 

Your rights in cases of flight cancellations

The Turkish Regulation entitles you to the following rights in case your flight is cancelled:

• Compensation between €100 and €600 in case the cancellation was announced less than 14 days before the flight.
• Care provided by the airline (e.g. meals and beverages, overnight accommodation and transport from/to the airport if needed)
• A full refund or a replacement flight to your final destination at the earliest possibility or at your convenience. 

Similarly to delays, the cause of the cancellation has to be within the airline's control. In cases of extraordinary circumstances, you're still entitled to a refund or replacement flight, and care during your wait at the airport.

Your rights in case of denied boarding

Like EU261/UK261, SHY regulation protects passenger rights in case of involuntary denied boarding, such as overbooking. If your Turkish flight is overbooked, you are entitled to care, compensation of up to €600 depending on the flight distance, and a choice between a full reimbursement or an alternative flight. 

However, you will only be entitled to compensation if you do not give up your seat voluntarily, and you do not accept any vouchers, perks, or other offers the airline proposes in exchange for your seat. 

Eligibility for compensation under Turkish regulation

Similar to EU261, the Turkish regulation applies only to certain flights. SHY Regulation applies to domestic or international flights. In case of international flights, the flight has to depart from Türkiye or land in Türkiye but be operated by a Turkish carrier.

The table below breaks down all the flights eligible for compensation under SHY Regulation. 

Compensation eligibility under SHY-Passenger regulation does not depend on any other factors except the ones presented above. Your nationality, age, or travel class will not influence your right to compensation. However, you need to abide by the general air transport rules: have a confirmed reservation, check-in and show up at the gate on time, and follow all security and safety protocols. 

Compensation amounts under SHY-Passenger regulation

The compensation amount you can get under Turkish law varies between €250 and €600 and depends on the flight distance. The reimbursements for a flight delay, cancellation or denied boarding are the same as the ones outlined by EU261 and UK261. Unlike the European rules though, the Turkish Regulation determines a fixed compensation amount, regardless of the delay’s duration.

Flights not eligible for compensation under Turkish regulation

Under SHY-Passenger regulation, as with EU261 and UK261, passengers cannot claim compensation if extraordinary circumstances caused their flight disruption. These include bad weather conditions, security risks, natural disasters (e.g. earthquakes and volcano eruptions), political instability, terrorist attacks, etc. In such cases, you retain your right to care and the choice between a refund or a replacement flight.

Other rights under Turkish law

Aside from the right to compensation, refund or an alternative flight, you're also entitled to additional rights under SHY Regulation. 

Right to care

Under the Turkish Regulation, the right to care applies in the cases of flight delays, cancellations, or denied boarding. What you are entitled to depends on the waiting time and the flight distance.  

• Hot and cold beverages: between 2 and 3 hours; 
• Breakfast or lunch: between 2 and 5 hours;
• Additional hot and cold beverages, plus snacks: after 5 hours of delay;
• Overnight accommodation and airport transfers: when applicable;
• Two free phone calls, emails, or fax messages: any time.

Additionally, your right to care kicks in at different hours, depending on the distance of your flight. We break them down in the table below. 

Right to compensation in case of downgrade

Airlines occasionally make last-minute changes to the seating plan, which can result in passengers being put in a lower class than the one they originally paid for. Fortunately, Turkish law protects your rights even in these situations. The airline must refund the price difference, and additionally – compensate you with a respective portion of the ticket fare. The compensation again depends on the flight distance, as presented in the table below. 

If, on the other hand, the airline decides to give you an upgrade, consider it your lucky day! Turkish law prohibits the carrier from charging you anything on top of what you have already paid. 

Additional rights for passengers with restricted mobility or special needs

If you have any special needs or limited mobility, the Turkish regulation requires airlines to provide you and your caregiver (or registered care dog) with care as a priority. This also applies to children travelling alone. If you have visual impairment, all information regarding your flight disruption must be communicated appropriately.

Obligation to inform passengers

While EU261 does not explicitly require airlines to inform you about your rights, Turkish law sets a clear rule. Whenever a disruption is expected, the carrier must present the following message at the gate, both in Turkish and English.

If you are denied boarding, your flight is cancelled or delayed by at least two hours, please request a text stating your rights regarding the services you will receive from the check-in counter or the boarding gate.

Claiming Turkish flight compensation

1. Check your eligibility: Our free compensation calculator will immediately tell you whether you are entitled to compensation. 
2. Gather all necessary documents: Boarding passes, messages or emails from the airline, pictures of info boards, receipts for additional expenses — all of them can strengthen your compensation claim.
3. Submit a claim for compensation using our quick and easy compensation claim form.

N.B. Your eligibility for compensation under Turkish Regulation does not eliminate your right for reimbursement under other Regulations, such as EU261 or the Montreal convention. However, you cannot claim double compensation for the same flight. If you have already received a certain amount under EU261, for example, you can't claim compensation under SHY Regulation too.

How can SkyRefund help? 

If you are unsure whether you are eligible for compensation under the Turkish Regulation, SkyRefund is here to help you. Our team of legal professionals knows the ins and outs of all air passenger rights regulations and will give you personalized advice about your situation. We will take care of all paperwork and negotiate with the airline until we obtain your compensation. And if, for any reason, we are not successful, you will owe us no fee whatsoever. 

More than 700,000 passengers have already entrusted us with their compensation claims, and we put our best efforts into each one of them. If your Turkish flight was delayed or cancelled, or you were denied boarding, submit your claim with SkyRefund and let us help you get your compensation.