OBJECTIVES:  Advances in the diagnosis and anti-retroviral treatment (ART) of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in the last decade have resulted in considerable improvements in the length and quality of life for HIV+ patients. The total number of HIV+ cases in Turkey between 2003-2014 is reported as 6889 which has been rising in recent years. This study, aimed at exploring the direct cost of HIV/AIDS from the Social Security Institution (SSI) perspective in Turkey. METHODS:  This study, due to unavailability of other cost data sources, used an expert panel approach to estimate the direct costs of the disease. An expert panel, comprised of five clinical experts from five different HIV/AIDS centers was formed. An expert panel survey exploring the types, amount and frequency of resources used in diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of the disease was designed and answered face-to-face by the panel experts. Tuberculosis, coronary heart disease, Kaposi sarcoma, brain lymphoma, cervical cancer, renal failure, depression and dyslipidemia were selected as the major comorbidities of interest and a separate survey was completed to estimate the resources used for treatment of these comorbidities. The cost of resources used in all stages of the disease was calculated according to the guidelines of the SSI. RESULTS:  The annual direct cost per patient, including the cost of treating comorbidities was 14,946.75 TL. Renal failure had the highest cost among comorbidities followed by tuberculosis. The total direct cost of the disease for all Turkish HIV+ patients to the SSI was found to be 102,968,161 TL. CONCLUSIONS:  The direct healthcare cost of HIV/AIDS is an important consideration for Turkish policy-makers. Whilst ART has enabled the effective management of HIV+ patients, there should be continued focus on preventive policies and diagnosis methods as well as the management of comorbidities.