16.10.2026 13:21
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced that people with disabilities, veterans, relatives of martyrs, persons disabled in the line of duty, and state athletes who have the right to free travel on trains will be able to buy tickets using their Turkish Republic ID number as of October 29. No physical card will be required for travel; an ID card will suffice, while free and discounted travel records defined since 2014 will be deactivated.
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced that citizens with disabilities, veterans, relatives of martyrs, and other citizens entitled to free travel can obtain their free tickets by verifying eligibility using their Turkish Republic identity numbers.
DIGITAL VERIFICATION STARTS ON OCTOBER 29
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced that as of October 29, a digital verification period will begin for free train travel. Stating that the data integration efforts carried out between TCDD Taşımacılık AŞ and the Ministry of Family and Social Services have been completed, Minister Uraloğlu announced that the new system will be put into operation soon. Minister Uraloğlu also added that this situation covers citizens entitled to free travel, such as persons with disabilities, veterans, relatives of martyrs, service-disabled persons, and state athletes, and that other citizens entitled to free travel can exercise their right to free tickets by verifying eligibility using their identity numbers.
OLD RECORDS WILL BE DEACTIVATED
Stating that with the introduction of the new system, existing records in the ticket sales system that have been created since 2014 and assigned a free or discounted travel package will be deactivated, Minister Uraloğlu reported that the citizens concerned will be informed about the transition process and the new application via SMS and other communication channels. Minister Uraloğlu noted that citizens whose free travel entitlement query returns a negative result will be directed to the provincial and district directorates of the Ministry of Family and Social Services for entitlement updating and data verification procedures. Emphasizing that citizens traveling with alternative identity documents such as a passport or driver's license must show their entitlement cards or instant and live QR-coded digital identity documents created via the Barrier-Free Mobile Application, Minister Uraloğlu noted that documents in screenshot, photo, and PDF format will not be valid.
PHYSICAL CARDS WILL NO LONGER BE REQUIRED
Stating that citizens can buy tickets through TCDD Taşımacılık AŞ's website, mobile applications, or ticket offices, Minister Uraloğlu said, "Our citizens with disabilities, veterans, relatives of martyrs, and other citizens entitled to free travel will be able to obtain their free tickets by verifying eligibility using their Turkish Republic identity numbers. When our citizens enter their Turkish Republic identity numbers and select the relevant tariff, an instant eligibility query will be made through the database of the Ministry of Family and Social Services. If the query returns a positive result, the free ticket will be created automatically. During admission to trains and checks during the journey, it will be sufficient for our citizens to present only their Turkish Republic identity cards together with their tickets. Physical documents such as disability, veteran, or martyr relative cards will not be requested separately. We are making all processes of our citizens entitled to free travel, from ticket purchasing procedures to checks during the journey, faster, easier, and more comfortable," he said.