Turkish maritime time bars are short, and several of them extinguish the right rather than merely bar the action. The table below collects the periods a foreign claimant most often runs into, with the article of the Turkish Commercial Code that sets each. An arrest does not stop any of them: it secures the claim, and proceedings on the merits must still be started within one month of the arrest (TCC art. 1376) and within the period below.
| Claim | Period and starting point | Nature | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cargo loss, damage or late delivery against the carrier | One year from delivery, or from the date delivery was due; extendable by agreement after the event | Extinguishes the right | TCC art. 1188 |
| Notice of cargo loss or damage | In writing at delivery; within three days if not apparent; delay within sixty days | Presumption against the claimant if missed | TCC art. 1185 |
| Claims under bareboat and time charters, contracts of carriage and bills of lading — freight, hire, demurrage, damages | One year from the date the claim fell due | Limitation | TCC art. 1246 |
| Collision damages | Two years from the collision; recourse between owners one year from payment | Limitation | TCC art. 1297 |
| Salvage and wreck removal | Two years from the end of the operation; extendable by declaration of the party liable | Limitation | TCC art. 1319 |
| General average contributions | One year from the vessel's arrival at the place of adjustment | Limitation | TCC art. 1285 |
| Maritime liens — crew wages, personal injury, salvage, port dues, tort damage | One year from the claim arising, for wages from the seafarer leaving the vessel; survives only if the vessel is arrested within the year and then sold | The lien lapses; the personal claim follows the same period save special rules | TCC arts 1326, 1327 |
| Wage claims of seafarers on a Turkish-flagged vessel | The lien above; the employment claim under the Maritime Labour Law | — | TCC art. 1326; Law No. 854 |
| Insurance claims under the policy | Two years from falling due; in any event six years from the event | Limitation, cannot be shortened | TCC arts 1420, 1452 |
| Direct claim against a liability insurer | Ten years from the insured event | Limitation, cannot be shortened | TCC arts 1482, 1486 |
| Pollution fine — court challenge | Thirty days from service of the decision, before the administrative court | Time limit for the action | Law No. 2872 art. 25 |
| Port State Control detention — objection | One month from the detention, to the Administration | Time limit for the objection | Port State Control Regulation, art. 20 |
| After a ship arrest — starting proceedings on the merits | One month from execution | Arrest lapses if missed | TCC art. 1376 |
| After a ship arrest order — taking it to the enforcement office | Three business days from the order | Order lapses if missed | TCC art. 1364 |
Two habits protect a foreign claimant. Diary the Turkish period from the day the claim arises, not from the day a Turkish lawyer is instructed; and treat the lien year as the real deadline for any claim against a ship that will come back to a Turkish port, because after it the ship no longer answers for the debt (TCC art. 1326).
Updates to this guide
17 September 2026
First published, against the text of the Turkish Commercial Code, the Environment Law and the Port State Control Regulation.
Questions readers ask
Can the parties extend a time bar?
The cargo time bar may be extended by an agreement made after the cause of action arose (TCC art. 1188), and the salvage time bar by a declaration of the party liable (TCC art. 1319). The insurance periods cannot be shortened by the policy (TCC arts 1452, 1486).
Does an arrest interrupt the time bar?
No. The arrest secures the claim; proceedings on the merits must be started within one month of execution (TCC art. 1376) and, in any event, within the time bar for the claim.