The Digital Report Card of the Turkish Insurance Sector Has Been Announced

Academic Study: “Discourse Is Strong, Operational Transformation Is Limited”

A comprehensive academic study analyzing the level of digital adaptation in Türkiye’s insurance sector has achieved significant international success. The research, led by Prof. Dr. Erdem Kırkbeşoğlu, a faculty member of the Department of Insurance at Başkent University and also a member of GESİD Ankara, and prepared with contributions from Assoc. Prof. Dr. Esma Ergüner and Research Assistant Said Sami Sönmez, was published in Journal of Risk Research (SSCI), one of the respected academic journals in the field of insurance. 

Eight-Year Discourse Analysis

Within the scope of the study titled “Determining the Level of Digital Adaptation in the Insurance Sector,” digitalization statements made by senior executives of multinational insurance companies operating in Türkiye during the 2016–2023 period were examined using content analysis and social network analysis methods. 

The analysis, conducted through publicly available statements by general managers, board members, and deputy general managers, revealed the sector’s perception of digital transformation and its level of implementation with concrete data.

Findings: Digitalization Is Being Discussed, but Has Not Yet Become Central

The most striking finding of the study was that, although sector executives strongly emphasize the importance of digitalization in their discourse, digital technologies have not yet spread across the entire value chain. 

According to the study:

* Digital applications are concentrated mainly in sales and marketing processes.

* Digital integration remains limited in core operational areas such as underwriting, pricing, claims management, and product development.

* Digital transformation has not yet become central to strategy.

The research also noted that Aksigorta, Quick Sigorta, and AXA Sigorta stand out among digitally innovative companies in Türkiye; however, compared with advanced insurance economies, the sector overall remains in a “digital follower” position. 

Four-Level Digital Competency Map

The study classifies insurance companies into four categories based on their level of digital competence:

* Inactives – Digital discourse exists, but operational transformation is weak

* Followers – Digital applications are limited to the customer interface

* Operators – Integration exists in some operational processes

* Innovators – Companies that have placed digital technologies at the center of both service and operations

According to the research findings, the majority of the sector is positioned as “followers,” while the number of companies able to achieve digitalization across the entire value chain remains quite limited.

Technological Risk Perception at a Critical Threshold

The study also indicates that technological risk perception in the insurance sector has not yet been addressed as centrally as financial risk. While the traditional approach focused on regulation and capital adequacy continues, issues such as data quality, algorithmic pricing, cyber risk, and digital operational fragility are assessed as not yet having been sufficiently embedded at the center of strategic risk management..

Contribution to the International Literature

The research not only presents a situation analysis specific to Türkiye but also contributes to the international literature by revealing the structural limits of digital transformation in emerging insurance markets. The study also draws attention to the need to strengthen the sector’s digital capacity within the context of the United Nations’ sustainable industry and innovation goals.

Conclusion

The insurance sector is aware of the importance of digitalization. However, this transformation needs to move beyond sales channels and become embedded at the center of risk management and the value chain.

The study provides an important roadmap for the sector and strongly demonstrates that digitalization should now be addressed not merely as a communication topic but as a source of competitive advantage and sustainability.

The full study is available via Journal of Risk Research.