Work Injuries in Türkiye 2026: SGK, Reporting and Occupational Diseases

[TURKIYE]

Work Injuries in Türkiye 2026: SGK, Reporting and Occupational Diseases

An accident suffered by a foreign employee at work in Türkiye is assessed separately from ordinary illness. When a workplace accident is established, specific reporting duties and insurance rights may apply, including temporary incapacity benefit for every qualifying day of certified rest, possible permanent incapacity income and rights for eligible survivors.

The main case in this guide is a foreign employee insured with SGK under category 4/a. An injury does not automatically establish every benefit, and the employer’s chosen label is not the final legal decision.

Organising documents and an online application​

What can count as a workplace accident?​

SGK lists circumstances including an event while the insured person is at the workplace; an event arising from the employer’s work; time spent away from the ordinary workplace on an employer-directed assignment; a breastfeeding employee’s legally allocated nursing time; travel to or from the work location in transport provided by the employer; and, for a self-employed insured person, an event arising from the activity being pursued.

There must be an event that causes physical or psychological harm to the insured person. SGK and the competent authorities assess the facts and evidence. A fall during a break at the workplace may therefore require occupational-accident assessment, while not every accident on an ordinary commute is automatically a workplace accident.

An accident and an occupational disease are different​

İş Kazası, a workplace accident, usually concerns a specific event such as a fall, machinery injury, fire or accident during an assignment. Meslek Hastalığı, an occupational disease, concerns harm caused by repeated work-related exposure or the conditions in which work is carried out; the effects may be temporary or permanent, physical or psychological.

Possible examples include hearing loss from noise, respiratory disease from dust or chemicals, occupational poisoning and certain repetitive work-related musculoskeletal conditions. A diagnosis alone does not establish final SGK recognition. The authorised medical-board report, supporting records and SGK’s medical-board assessment are important.

What to do immediately​

Get away from the hazard and call 112 where emergency help is needed. Do not wait for the employer’s arrival or payment approval before seeking urgent care.
Tell the supervisor or employer promptly.
Tell the hospital the injury occurred at work and use the words İş Kazası. Explain the time, place and sequence accurately.
Obtain emergency records, examinations, prescriptions, rest reports and the discharge summary.
Notify the employer in writing, preserving evidence of receipt.
Keep witness names, photographs and relevant messages or recordings, without putting yourself at further risk.
Follow up the SGK notification and check the report and payment records on e-Devlet.

Reporting a 4/a workplace accident​

The employer must notify law enforcement immediately and SGK within the three working days following the accident. Notification can be submitted through the employer’s electronic system or the official workplace-accident/occupational-disease form to the relevant SGK office.

SGK’s examples use a Monday accident reported by Thursday, and a Wednesday accident reported by Monday where no public holiday affects the count. This is not a blanket three-calendar-day rule. Specific provisions can apply when the event is outside the employer’s control or involves a different insurance category.

Late reporting may result in an administrative penalty and recovery from the employer of temporary incapacity payments for the period before notification. The employer’s deadline should not encourage the worker to delay written notice or stop collecting evidence.

Reporting an occupational disease​

For a 4/a employee, the employer must notify SGK within three working days of learning of the occupational disease. Recognition requires the appropriate medical documentation and SGK assessment. The date of the accident and the date the employer learns of an occupational disease are different reporting triggers.

4/a circumstance	Responsible person	Timing and follow-up
Workplace accident	Employer	Law enforcement immediately; SGK within the next 3 working days
Occupational disease	Employer	SGK within 3 working days of learning of the condition
Monday accident without an intervening public holiday	Employer	SGK example: notification by Thursday
Late or refused notification	Worker follows up evidence with SGK	Preserve the facts; do not accept an inaccurate label
Self-employed 4/b case	Insured person	A separate reporting and eligibility route applies

Potential rights under the occupational branch​

There is no minimum contribution-day requirement for occupational-accident and occupational-disease insurance rights. Depending on the accepted circumstances and conditions, rights may include temporary incapacity benefit, permanent incapacity income, survivor income, marriage allowance and funeral allowance.

This differs from ordinary sickness benefit, which generally requires 90 short-term contribution days in the preceding year. “No minimum days” does not remove the need to establish insured status, the event and the conditions of each benefit.

A routine medical examination​

Temporary incapacity after an accepted occupational injury​

With an authorised rest report for an accepted workplace accident or occupational disease, temporary incapacity benefit can be paid for every qualifying day from the beginning. The ordinary sickness rule excluding the first two days does not apply in the same way.

The basic rate is one half of the assessed insurable daily earnings during inpatient treatment, and two thirds during outpatient treatment. The assessment uses SGK’s insurable earnings rules and may not equal the employee’s full daily salary.

Check 4A/4B İşgöremezlik Ödemesi Görme for payment information and İstirahat Raporları Sorgulama for the medical rest report.

Potential right	Main condition	Important distinction
Temporary incapacity benefit	Authorised report and accepted occupational event	Every qualifying day; no ordinary 90-day threshold
Inpatient benefit rate	Assessed insurable daily earnings	One half of the daily assessment
Outpatient benefit rate	Assessed insurable daily earnings	Two thirds of the daily assessment
Permanent incapacity income	SGK medical-board finding of at least 10% loss of occupational earning capacity	A hospital’s percentage does not automatically bind SGK
Survivor income and allowances	Eligible beneficiaries and each benefit’s conditions	No uniform payment is guaranteed to every family

Permanent incapacity and death-related rights​

SGK may award Sürekli İş Göremezlik Geliri where its medical board determines that the occupational injury or disease caused at least a 10% loss of occupational earning capacity. A hospital’s disability report does not automatically establish the same percentage for SGK. Attend required assessments and keep the clinical evidence if the effects continue after treatment.

If an occupational accident or disease causes death, eligible family members may qualify for survivor income and relevant allowances. The family should keep medical records, the accident report, death certificate and proof of relationship, and apply to SGK rather than assume benefits will start without a claim review.

Foreign employees and workers without a visible registration​

The Ministry of Labour states that the relevant legal provisions apply to foreign workers who become ill or suffer a workplace accident. Check work authorisation, SGK registration, 4A service records, declared days and earnings, and any applicable overseas posting or social security agreement.

Missing registration makes the claim more complex. It does not justify ignoring the injury or describing it as a domestic accident. Equally, it is not a guarantee that SGK will pay immediately: the employment relationship, insured status and event may need to be established through investigation or legal proceedings.

Seek treatment, state the true work connection, gather wage transfers, communications, attendance records, workplace details and witnesses, and contact SGK and ALO 170. Obtain independent legal advice if the employer disputes the employment relationship or the accident.

If the employer refuses to report the incident​

Keep a dated written description and evidence that the employer received it. Preserve witnesses, images, messages, shift and attendance records, assignment instructions and employer-provided vehicle details where relevant. Take the medical and employment evidence to SGK and use ALO 170 for guidance or the appropriate complaint route.

Do not sign a blank document or an inaccurate statement. If you cannot understand the Turkish document, obtain a translation or assistance before signing. For a serious injury, seek independent advice before agreeing to a waiver or settlement. An employer’s refusal or delay does not erase the facts or prevent SGK from investigating them.

Documents and other possible claims​

Keep emergency and other medical reports, the electronic rest report, scene images, witness contact details, employer notifications and responses, police records where applicable, attendance and assignment documents, relevant transport information, 4A records and insurable earnings, and invoices for injury-related expenses.

SGK benefits are distinct from possible claims based on employer responsibility, financial or non-financial harm, or employment-contract entitlements. Receiving an SGK benefit does not settle every other legal question; additional compensation is not automatic either. The evidence, responsibility and applicable legal decisions matter.

The separate 4/b position and practical questions​

A self-employed 4/b insured person reports the accident personally under separate rules. Temporary incapacity payment is linked to inpatient treatment or necessary rest following it, and premium debt may matter. Do not apply every employee rule to a self-employed case.

An accident inside the workplace during a break may qualify, but circumstances are assessed. An ordinary commuting accident is not automatically occupational; employer-provided transport is one listed circumstance. No 90-day minimum applies to the occupational benefit branch. SGK recognition, rather than the employer’s view alone, determines the occupational nature of a disputed case.

Useful Turkish phrases​

İş kazası geçirdim. — I suffered a workplace accident.
Kaza çalışırken meydana geldi. — The accident happened while I was working.
Olayın iş kazası olarak kaydedilmesini istiyorum. — I want the incident recorded as a workplace accident.
İş kazasını SGK’ya bildirdiniz mi? — Have you notified SGK of the accident?
Acil servis raporunun bir kopyasını istiyorum. — I would like a copy of the emergency-department report.
İşveren iş kazası bildirimini yapmadı. — The employer has not submitted the workplace-accident notification.
İhbar başvurusu yapmak istiyorum. — I would like to file a report.

Discussing care during a medical consultation​

Related topics​

• SGK for Foreign Employees in Türkiye 2026: Registration and Family Benefits
• Sick Leave in Türkiye 2026: e-Rapor and SGK Benefits for Foreign Workers
• SGK on e-Devlet in Türkiye 2026: Eligibility, Premium Debt and Records
• Using SGK and GSS in Türkiye 2026: Hospital, Prescription and Emergency Costs
• Emergency Care for Foreign Patients in Türkiye 2026
• Public, Private and University Hospitals in Türkiye 2026
• e-Nabız for Foreign Nationals in Türkiye 2026
• Residence Health Insurance in Türkiye 2026: Requirements and Cover

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