Regulation·7 min read
Which Buildings Require Which Fire System? BYKHY 2025–2026 Guide
Based on your building's type and size, which is legally required — sprinklers, detection, kitchen hood suppression or gaseous suppression? We explain it with Turkish Fire Code (BYKHY) article numbers and exact thresholds.
A-Pro Engineering
In Türkiye, which fire suppression or detection system is mandatory for a building is determined by the building’s use type, height and area. There is no single “mandatory for all” rule; each system has its own threshold. All of these thresholds are defined in the Regulation on the Protection of Buildings Against Fire (BYKHY).
In this guide, for the most frequently asked building types — such as hotels, malls, car parks, hospitals, data centers and commercial kitchens — we summarize which system is mandatory at which threshold, with article numbers and exact figures.
📄 Source document: You can download the full BYKHY text (consolidated, current as of 1 July 2025) as a PDF here. The article numbers below refer to this text.
First, two critical dates: 31 December 2025 and 31 May 2026
It is important not to confuse the compliance calendar; the two are separate regulations:
- 31 December 2025 — The deadline for all existing buildings to remedy their fire-safety deficiencies (Turkish Fire Code (BYKHY) Provisional Article 4).
- 31 May 2026 — The additional period granted only to accommodation facilities found deficient in inspection to obtain a fire-compliance report (Regulation on Workplace Opening and Operating Licenses, Provisional Article 9).
In other words, “31 May 2026” is not for all buildings, only for accommodation facilities. Once these periods expire, fire compliance becomes a direct requirement in licensing, insurance and inspection processes.
Sprinkler (water-based suppression) — Article 96
The automatic sprinkler system is the broadest-scope requirement. For sprinklers under water-based fire suppression, the Turkish Fire Code (BYKHY) Article 96 thresholds are as follows:
| Building Type | Sprinkler Threshold |
|---|---|
| All non-residential buildings | Building height > 30.50 m |
| Residential buildings | Building height > 51.50 m |
| Hotel / dormitory / guesthouse / hostel | > 100 rooms OR > 200 beds OR > 21.50 m |
| Enclosed car parks | Total area > 600 m² OR > 10 vehicles via lift |
| Malls, multi-story stores, commercial and entertainment venues | Total area > 2,000 m² |
| Buildings containing readily flammable/combustible materials | Total area > 1,000 m² |
Sprinkler design is based on TS EN 12845 and NFPA 13; it is engineered holistically with hydraulic calculations, a pump station and alarm valve sets.
Fire detection & alarm — Article 75 + Annex-7
The fire detection & alarm system comes into play at much lower thresholds, independent of suppression. Among the Annex-7 thresholds for automatic detection (smoke/heat detectors), the prominent ones are:
| Building Class | Building Height | Total Enclosed Area |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation (hotel/dormitory/guesthouse) | > 6.50 m | > 1,000 m² |
| Inpatient healthcare facilities | > 6.50 m | > 1,000 m² |
| Commercial purpose (mall, store) | > 12.50 m | > 2,000 m² |
| Educational facilities | > 21.50 m | > 5,000 m² |
| Industrial buildings | > 21.50 m | > 7,500 m² |
In addition, with the 1 July 2025 amendment, automatic detection became mandatory in enclosed car parks. Fire alarm (warning) call points are mandatory in all non-residential buildings higher than 4 stories and in 2–4 story buildings with a floor area exceeding 400 m².
Commercial kitchen hood suppression — Article 57
In kitchens such as restaurants, hotels, mall food courts and catering factories, a kitchen hood suppression system is mandatory under the following conditions:
- All commercial kitchens within a mall
- Kitchens within a high-rise building (> 30.50 m)
- Catering factories
- Kitchens serving more than 100 people at once
Within this scope, not only suppression but also gas detection, an automatic gas shut-off valve and audible/visual warning are required by the regulation. Residences are out of scope.
Gaseous suppression — Article 98
In spaces with electronics and valuable contents that water would damage, gaseous suppression is used instead of water. Typical application areas under Article 98:
- Electrical/electronic spaces (panels, UPS, server rooms)
- Data centers and IT rooms
- Volumes with valuable contents such as museums, archives and libraries
- Transformer and generator rooms
The design standard is TS ISO 14520 and NFPA 2001. Agent selection (FM200, NOVEC 1230, CO₂ or inert gas IG01) is made according to the type of space, occupancy, and environmental priorities.
Fire hose cabinet, hydrant and fire department connections — Articles 94, 95 and 97
Apart from sprinklers, the fixed standpipe system (fire hose cabinet), external hydrants, and the connection ports that facilitate fire department intervention in the building are also subject to separate thresholds. These four elements complete a building’s “water-based” fire infrastructure:
- Fire hose cabinet (Article 94): Mandatory in high-rise buildings (> 21.50 m); in manufacturing shops, workshops, warehouses, accommodation, healthcare, assembly and educational buildings with a total enclosed area > 1,000 m²; in enclosed car parks > 600 m²; and in boiler rooms with a thermal capacity > 350 kW.
- External (fire) hydrant (Article 95): An external fire hydrant is mandatory for buildings with a total footprint area > 5,000 m². Each hydrant provides at least 1,900 L/min flow and 7 bar (700 kPa) pressure; the distance between hydrants is generally 50–150 m depending on layout and risk. The hydrant enables the fire department to draw water from the municipal network or the fire water tank.
Fire department (siamese) connection — Article 97
The fire department water intake connection (siamese connection / dry pipe system) is the port that allows a fire engine to feed the building’s fixed standpipe system (fire hose cabinets/sprinkler risers) by pumping pressurized water from outside. Under Article 97, it is mandatory in the following buildings:
- High-rise buildings (building height > 30.50 m)
- Buildings with a single-floor footprint > 1,000 m²
- Buildings with a facade width > 75 m
Fire department water intake — Article 94
The fire department water intake line, on the other hand, is the point designated for the fire department to connect to and draw water from the building’s internal installation. It is provided in high-rise buildings and in malls and enclosed car parks with a floor area > 1,000 m².
Note: The hydrant (which supplies water outward), the water supply connection (the port through which the fire department pumps water into the building’s installation), and the water intake (the point from which the fire department draws water) should not be confused with one another; all three serve different purposes and are sized separately in the project.
Quick summary by your building type
The table below summarizes the typical combination of requirements for the most commonly encountered facilities (the exact situation is clarified by the thresholds above according to the building’s dimensions):
| Facility | Prominent requirements |
|---|---|
| Hotel & accommodation | Sprinkler (100 rooms/200 beds/21.5 m), detection (6.5 m/1,000 m²), kitchen hood (100+ people) |
| Mall & retail | Sprinkler (2,000 m²), detection (12.5 m/2,000 m²), hood in all commercial kitchens |
| Enclosed car park | Sprinkler (600 m²/10 vehicles), automatic detection (since 1 July 2025) |
| Hospital & healthcare | Detection (6.5 m/1,000 m²), water-based suppression, gaseous suppression in critical spaces |
| Data center | Clean-agent gaseous suppression (Article 98), very-early-warning detection (VESDA) |
How does the compliance process proceed?
A facility’s fire compliance is clarified through assessment of the current situation, comparison of deficiencies against the regulation thresholds, and engineering. As A-Pro Engineering, we carry out the process end to end:
- Site survey and current-state assessment — determining which articles apply based on the building’s type, height and area.
- Engineering and hydraulic calculation — designing the mandatory systems in accordance with BYKHY and the relevant standards (NFPA, TS EN, TS ISO).
- Installation and commissioning — assembly, testing and functional trials.
- Reporting and maintenance — the documents required for compliance and a periodic inspection plan.
To clarify which systems your facility needs, you can review our BYKHY Compliance Guide page or contact us for a free site survey within Ankara.
This content is for informational purposes only. A binding, facility-specific assessment requires project-based work with a fire engineer.
© 2026 A-Pro Mühendislik. This is original technical content produced by A-Pro Engineering; all rights reserved. Copying, reproducing or republishing it in whole or in part without attribution and permission is prohibited.
Frequently asked questions
Is a sprinkler system mandatory for my hotel?+
An automatic sprinkler system is mandatory for hotels, dormitories, guesthouses and hostels with more than 100 rooms OR more than 200 beds OR a building height exceeding 21.50 m (Turkish Fire Code (BYKHY) Article 96). For facilities below these thresholds, other measures such as detection and fire hose cabinets come into play.
What do the dates 31 December 2025 and 31 May 2026 cover?+
31 December 2025 is the deadline for all existing buildings to remedy their fire-safety deficiencies (Turkish Fire Code (BYKHY) Provisional Article 4). 31 May 2026 is a separate period granted only to accommodation facilities found deficient in inspection to obtain a fire-compliance report.
Which systems are mandatory in an enclosed car park?+
Sprinklers are mandatory in enclosed car parks with a total area exceeding 600 m² or serving more than 10 vehicles via a vehicle lift (Article 96). With the 1 July 2025 amendment, automatic fire detection also became mandatory in enclosed car parks.
Should water or a gaseous system be used in a data center and server room?+
Because water damages electronic equipment, clean-agent gaseous suppression (FM200, NOVEC 1230, IG01) is preferred under Turkish Fire Code (BYKHY) Article 98 in spaces such as servers, UPS, panels and data centers. The design standard is TS ISO 14520 / NFPA 2001.
Is hood suppression mandatory for my commercial kitchen?+
Automatic kitchen hood suppression, gas detection and automatic gas shut-off are mandatory in all commercial kitchens within a mall, in kitchens of high-rise buildings (above 30.50 m), in catering factories, and in kitchens serving more than 100 people at once (Article 57).
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