Eleven people were killed and 27 injured on Sunday when a tour bus crashed into a truck on a highway in western Türkiye. The Manisa Governor's Office confirmed the toll after the accident, which happened near the Akhisar toll booths on the Gebze-Orhangazi-Izmir Highway at around 11 a.m. local time.
The bus had been travelling from Bursa towards Izmir, a route popular with both domestic and international visitors heading to the Aegean coast. Emergency crews, including ambulances, firefighters and police, were sent to the scene, and rescue operations were carried out before the injured were taken to nearby hospitals. Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi confirmed the casualty figures and said authorities were monitoring the situation closely. As of the latest update, no cause for the crash had been given.
For travellers, the story is a reminder of the risks on Türkiye's long intercity bus routes. Coach travel is one of the most common and affordable ways to get around the country — the Bursa–Izmir corridor is heavily used — and while serious crashes remain relatively rare, motorway transfers between major cities involve long stretches of high-speed driving, often overnight or early in the morning.
If you're booking a long-distance bus in Türkiye, a few practical points are worth keeping in mind. Established operators with modern fleets tend to have stronger safety records, and seatbelts are fitted on most intercity coaches even if they're not always used. Daytime departures on well-maintained motorways are generally the safer bet for longer routes. It's also worth noting where you are on the journey: crashes at toll plazas and interchanges, where traffic merges and slows unevenly, are a known hazard on Turkish highways.
Anyone planning a trip in the Manisa–Akhisar area, or connecting Bursa to Izmir by road, should keep an eye on local news for updates as investigators work out what went wrong. Alternative options on that corridor include high-speed rail portions and domestic flights into Izmir's Adnan Menderes Airport, which can cut road time significantly.
The story remains developing, with further details expected from authorities — Daily Sabah will add updates as they come in.
Daily Sabah Travel
