Article 121 of the Turkish Fire Protection Regulation (BYKHY) adds station-specific rules to the general liquid provisions: fuel only in underground tanks, at most 45,000 litres per tank and 250,000 litres per station; a hazard zone and an opening ban round the dispensers; earthing; and the number and position of extinguishers. Distances are tied to Annex 13, which is the one place where the two texts we hold disagree.
Which text is this based on? This article follows the consolidated text of the Turkish Fire Protection Regulation (BYKHY) as amended up to 09.07.2015 (Official Gazette no. 29411), read together with the BYKHY Guide issued by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change in December 2024. The regulation has been amended since 2015, and the Guide itself states that the legislation in force prevails where the two differ. On a real project, check the latest text published in the Official Gazette and confirm with the local authority or fire brigade. The 2015 text and the Guide differ on Annex 13; details below.
Which legislation? (121(1)–(2))
Matters not covered by BYKHY follow the regulation on facilities built along highways and the relevant standards (121(1)). Stations observe the Annex 13 distances and must be adequately ventilated (121(2)).
Annex 13: the two texts differ. In the consolidated text up to 09.07.2015, the place of Annex 13 holds only the note "Annex 13 removed, reference made to TS 12820" (p. 72), while Article 121(2) still refers to Annex 13 (p. 46). The December 2024 Guide prints Annex 13 in full as "Minimum safety distances at fuel service stations" (p. 266) and draws it in Figure 121.2 (pp. 203–204). That suggests the annex was reinstated by a later amendment. The values below are read from the Guide; do not use them on a project without checking the text in force. We do not hold TS 12820, so we quote nothing from it.
Annex 13 minimum safety distances (Guide p. 266)
| From → to (m) | Underground tank | Dispenser island | Tank vent pipe | Tank fill point | Admin building | Neighbouring boundary | Urban road boundary | Intercity road boundary | Places of public assembly | Hospital or school boundary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel tank | 0.5 | 2 | 7.5 | 5 | 15 | 25 | 50 | |||
| Dispenser island | 0 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7.5 | 6 | 6 | 25 | 50 |
| Tank vent pipe | 0 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 25 | 50 | |
| Tank fill point | 0 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 25 | 50 |
The table notes are part of the requirement:
- Tank distances are the shortest distance from the outer shell.
- The administration building (offices, retail and social uses, maintenance, electrical, compressed air and water plant) may not have a basement. Where a station built before the regulation has one, its entrance and openings face away from the vent pipe, fill point, tanks and dispensers, with a threshold and an outward fall beyond it.
- "Places of public assembly" are buildings or parts where 50 or more people gather for lodging, ceremonies, worship, entertainment, eating and drinking, transport, waiting or shopping.
- Note a: distances to places of public assembly and to hospital and school boundaries are reduced by 60% for existing stations; at a new station holding only a diesel tank they may be reduced by 50%.
- Note b: the distance to a building facade with no openings (windows, doors, air conditioning, lighting) may be 0 m. The vent outlet must be at least 3.6 m above the roof or its elements, with a total height not exceeding 9 m.
Read the vent rules together: Article 120(2)(ğ) requires the vent to discharge at least 4 m above ground, and the Annex 13 note requires at least 3.6 m above the roof and no more than 9 m overall. The Guide also points LPG filling stations to the same Annex 13 distances (Article 110(1), p. 183).
Station layout (121(3)–(4))
| Topic | Requirement | Clause |
|---|---|---|
| Hazard zone | Inside the dispenser is Zone 1; a 1 m radius from its centre up to its height is Zone 2 | 121(3) |
| Tank type | Fuel only in the underground tanks of Article 120(2) | 121(4)(a) |
| Tank volume | Tanks set in a reinforced concrete pit; at most 45,000 litres per tank and 250,000 litres per station | 121(4)(b) |
| Earthing | The whole station on a central earthing system, with a flying lead in the fill box to earth the delivering tanker | 121(4)(c) |
| Power lines | Overhead lines and buried cables follow the high-voltage installations regulation (Official Gazette 30.11.2000/24246) | 121(4)(ç) |
| Dispensers | Protected against overturning and vehicle impact; never below ground level or in basements | 121(4)(d) |
| Opening ban | No ducts, pipes or service openings leading to lower levels within 5 m of a dispenser; vapour build-up in cable and pipe trenches prevented, for example by sand filling | 121(4)(e) |
| Overfill | The delivery unit has a valve that closes automatically when the tank is full, or the valve lever has no latch | 121(4)(f) |
| Lightning | Lightning protection to the relevant regulations and standards | 121(4)(ğ) |
In practice the volume limit means that 250,000 litres in 45,000-litre tanks is five full tanks plus a smaller one (5 × 45,000 = 225,000 litres). A 50,000-litre tank breaks the per-tank limit even when the total stays below the station cap.
Extinguishers (121(4)(g))
| Where | What | How many |
|---|---|---|
| Beside each dispenser island | 6 kg dry chemical powder to TS 862-EN 3 | At least 1 |
| Inside each building | 6 kg dry chemical powder to TS 862-EN 3 | At least 1 |
| At different points on site, no closer than 7 m and no further than 25 m from the fill point | 50 kg wheeled dry chemical powder with a rating of at least 89 B | At least 2 |
The siting of the wheeled units defines a ring: someone tackling a fire at the fill point during a tanker delivery must reach a unit that is not right next to the flames but not more than 25 m away. The regulation does not require a fixed foam system at a station; its general approach to foam is in the Articles 98 and 122 article.
The Guide's note on filling
Under the Zone 1 clause of Article 117, the Guide adds a fuel station note: at the dispensing point and while underground tanks are filled, explosion-protected systems should be used against vapour build-up and leaks round the fill opening, along with vapour recovery and earthing (p. 192).
Common mistakes
- Taking distances from Annex 13 alone. Its status differs between the two texts; check the text in force and TS 12820 together.
- Proposing an aboveground tank. Article 121(4)(a) allows only underground tanks at a station.
- Placing a drain cover next to a dispenser. No opening to a lower level within 5 m.
- Parking the wheeled extinguisher at the fill point. It must be at least 7 m away.
For tank cover, vents and filling-point zones see the Article 120 article; for a station example under the US approach, the NFPA 30A article.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much fuel may a Turkish service station store?
Article 121(4)(b) sets tanks in a reinforced concrete pit, with at most 45,000 litres per tank and 250,000 litres per station. Fuel is held only in the underground tanks of Article 120(2).
How many extinguishers does a fuel station need?
Article 121(4)(g): at least one 6 kg dry powder unit beside each dispenser island and in each building, plus at least two 50 kg wheeled dry powder units rated at least 89 B, sited 7 to 25 m from the fill point.
Is Annex 13 in force?
The consolidated text up to 2015 says Annex 13 was removed and replaced by a reference to TS 12820. The December 2024 Guide prints Annex 13 as a full table (p. 266). Check the latest text in the Official Gazette.
What is the hazard zone around a dispenser?
Under Article 121(3) the inside of the dispenser is Zone 1 and a 1 m radius from its centre up to its height is Zone 2. Article 121(4)(e) also bans openings to lower levels within 5 m.
May the station office have a basement?
According to the Annex 13 note in the Guide, the administration building may not have a basement. In stations built before the regulation, an existing basement entrance must face away from the tanks, fill point, vent and dispensers and have a threshold.
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Download MEP Calc on the App StoreRegulation on Fire Protection of Buildings (BYKHY), Official Gazette 19.12.2007/26735; consolidated text including the amendments of 09.09.2009/27344, 05.04.2012/28255 and 09.07.2015/29411: Article 120(2) (p. 45), Article 121 (p. 46), Annex 13 note (p. 72). BYKHY Guide (Binaların Yangından Korunması Hakkında Yönetmelik Kılavuzu), Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, December 2024: Article 110(1) (p. 183), note to Article 117 (p. 192), Article 121 and Figure 121.2 (pp. 202–205), Annex 13 (p. 266). Page numbers refer to the 72-page consolidated text and to the Guide's own page numbering. The binding text is the regulation in force as published in the Official Gazette.