“The insurance sector has started to pay damages”
TSB President Atilla Benli stated that the insurance companies have been working as one heart since the first day of the earthquake: “As an industry; We are in the field with regional teams, stakeholder institutions, agencies and experts. We are urgently doing our part to make the lives of our insured people easier, and our industry has started to pay claims.”
Continuing his investigations in the disaster area, Atilla Benli, President of the Insurance Association of Turkey (TSB), stated that they are facing the biggest disaster of the century, but the insurance industry only exists today. Benli continued as follows: “As all insurance companies, we have taken and continue to take a series of measures, from accelerating the damage process, opening separate lines in call centers for those injured by the earthquake, and establishing damage communication centers in the region, so that the damages can be remedied as soon as possible and the damage compensation process can be operated quickly. ”
Stating that insurance is the most important sector in ensuring economic sustainability, Benli said, “In addition to the compulsory earthquake insurance, it includes earthquake coverage; When we take into account the motor insurance, fire, life and personal accident insurance policies, the total number of policies covering earthquake coverage in the region is around 4 million.
TSB President Benli said, “Unfortunately, the importance of insurance is better understood in times like these,” and continued: As the insurance industry, we are fulfilling our duties in the spirit of unity and will continue to do so in the mobilization initiated to compensate for losses and re-establish the region.”
Referring to the fact that the insurance sector delivers the in-kind and cash aids collected immediately after the earthquakes to the region through the Red Crescent and AFAD in order to assist and support the disaster victims, insurance agencies and personnel living in the region, Benli said: Since then, it has provided significant in-kind and cash support to the region.”
Damage payments started
In this process, TSB President stated that they acted with the awareness of the critical importance of accelerating damage determination and payments, as well as aids, and continued as follows:
“The experts of the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization continue to assess the damage in the disaster area. We also take actions in parallel with the Ministry’s reports and TCIP payments to speed up the processes. After the earthquake, TCIP started its damage payments quickly. In addition, ‘mobile damage support points’ of many of our companies have been activated in the region. Claims managers of our companies and more than 200 experts make their determinations in the field. More than 1000 of our personnel both participate in the support activities and urgently operate the processes to make the lives of our injured insured a little easier.”
Stating that the insurance industry, especially the Insurance and Private Pension Regulation and Supervision Agency (SEDDK), is working hard to facilitate this extraordinary process for the insured in the form of “One Heart”, Chairman Benli said, “Our industry has the experience and power to manage such processes. We will continue our work as usual with the understanding of ‘Insurance is Valuing’.
