Strict (no-fault) liability

Under Turkish law, strict liability makes a person answerable for certain damage regardless of fault. It departs from the fault principle in order to protect victims and to make those who benefit from risky activities bear the risks they create.

The main statutory examples are the employer's liability for damage caused by employees, the building owner's liability for defects in the structure, the liability of animal keepers, and liability arising from operations that create significant danger. The liability of motor vehicle operators for traffic accidents is a further strict liability regime set out in special legislation.

To escape liability, the responsible person must prove not the absence of fault but compliance with the statutory duties of care, or that the causal link between the activity and the damage was broken by an external cause.