Do I need a shelter in my building in Turkey? What the law says

Short answer. Under Turkey's Shelter Regulation (1988, heavily amended on 7 November 2025), fallout shelters are mandatory in new buildings with a building permit, with exemptions that notably cover residential buildings with fewer than 10 units, non-residential buildings under 1,500 m² and public buildings under 1,000 m² ¹. The shelter is part of the permit drawings and is recorded by the district governor ¹.

Is a shelter mandatory in Turkey?

Yes, for buildings above the thresholds. Article 7 of the regulation reads: "Serpinti sığınakları, bu maddede belirlenen istisnalar dışında her türlü tesis ve binalarda yapılır" — fallout shelters are built in all facilities and buildings, except those exempted in this article ¹. AFAD's shelter page covers the same framework ².

Which buildings are exempt?

The exemptions in article 7 include ¹:

• residential-only buildings with fewer than 10 independent units;
• non-residential buildings with less than 1,500 m² of floor area counted in the floor-area ratio, and public buildings under 1,000 m²;
• mixed buildings with fewer than 10 dwellings and less than 1,500 m² in total;
• dormitories and hotels with 50 beds or fewer; care homes and in-patient health facilities with 25 beds or fewer;
• farm buildings; manufacturing plants under 2,000 m²; prisons; above-ground car parks, markets, warehouses and fuel stations; stadiums under 5,000 seats.

In short, a typical single-family house or small apartment block in Turkey has no shelter duty ¹.

How is a shelter approved?

There is no separate shelter permit. The shelter is shown in the architectural and mechanical drawings of the building permit (yapı ruhsatı), issued by the authority that grants building and occupancy permits ¹. Then ¹:

1. the district governor (mülki idare amirliği) records the shelter within 5 working days of the occupancy permit documents;
2. the record is notified to the Governorship (Provincial AFAD Directorate);
3. major alterations to the shelter must also be notified.

Can the shelter be used for something else?

In peacetime, yes: it may be used for other purposes by a decision of four-fifths of the owners, provided its shelter features are kept ¹. The technical features to keep are listed on our shelter standards page.

What about existing buildings?

Shelters in other buildings that were required under the old rules must be checked by the authority within one year of 7 November 2025 ¹. Separately, existing shopping-centre and public car-park basements must be brought up to shelter standard by 31 December 2028 ¹; see public shelters.

Can I build a shelter in an exempt house?

The regulation sets duties for buildings above the thresholds; it does not describe a separate route for voluntary shelters in exempt houses ¹. Any construction goes through the normal building permit process. Phaenyx does not give construction instructions: design and construction must be done by qualified engineers, who can use the regulation's technical minimums as a reference ¹.

Useful background before talking to an engineer:

• What is a shelter's protection factor?
• How much fresh air does a shelter need?
• How NBC air filtration works
• Radon in underground rooms and humidity and mould in shelters

Frequently asked questions

Does my house in Turkey need a shelter?

Not if it is a residential-only building with fewer than 10 independent units: those are exempt ¹.

Who checks that a shelter was built?

Compliance runs through the building permit and occupancy permit process; the district governor records the shelter and notifies the Provincial AFAD Directorate ¹.

Can owners turn the shelter into storage?

In peacetime, a four-fifths decision of the owners can allow another use, provided the shelter features are kept ¹.

When did the rules change?

The 1988 regulation was heavily amended on 7 November 2025 (Official Gazette no. 33070) ¹.

Sources

1. Resmî Gazete / Çevre, Şehircilik ve İklim Değişikliği Bakanlığı — Sığınak Yönetmeliğinde Değişiklik Yapılmasına Dair Yönetmelik (Resmî Gazete, 7 Kasım 2025, Sayı 33070) — https://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2025/11/20251107-2.htm (accessed 2026-10-20)
2. AFAD - Afet ve Acil Durum Yönetimi Başkanlığı — Sığınaklar — https://www.afad.gov.tr/siginaklar (accessed 2026-10-20)