Many foreigners face challenges when it comes to inheriting assets from their relatives in Turkey due to registration issues in the Turkish demographic records. Turkish citizens living abroad typically register their children with the Turkish consulates, ensuring their official recognition in Turkey’s civil registry. However, some individuals fail to inform the consulate about their children, leaving them unregistered. This oversight becomes critical when inheritance matters arise, as Turkish law only recognizes officially registered family members as legal heirs.

If a child is not recorded in the Turkish demographic system, Turkish courts will not recognize them as heirs, which may lead to irreversible consequences regarding their inheritance rights. In such cases, individuals must initiate legal proceedings to correct the records. If the claimant is registered in Turkey’s family tree and is over 18 years old, they must file a lawsuit to rectify the demographic records. A DNA test plays a crucial role in establishing biological ties between family members. The court may collect tissue samples and send them for forensic examination to verify the claimed familial relationship.

However, being registered in Turkey’s family records does not automatically confer Turkish citizenship. If the court rules in favor of a paternity claim, the applicant will be added to the family records of the relevant foreign member but will not be granted citizenship without a formal application.

A Notable Case: Naim Süleymanoğlu’s Paternity Dispute

One of the most significant international inheritance cases involving Turkey was the paternity dispute concerning the late world champion weightlifter Naim Süleymanoğlu.

According to Hürriyet Daily News:

“A paternity test confirmed that Japanese national Sekai Mori is the daughter of the late Turkish Olympic weightlifting legend Naim Süleymanoğlu. Following her lawsuit, Süleymanoğlu’s remains were exhumed in July for DNA testing. The forensic examination established with 99.9% certainty that Mori is his daughter. This result entitled her to a share of her father’s inheritance. Mori claimed that Süleymanoğlu met her mother, Japanese journalist Kyoko Mori, during the 1988 Seoul Olympics. She later requested a paternity test, leading Turkish authorities to approve the exhumation of Süleymanoğlu’s body for DNA sampling. The weightlifting legend, who never married, had two other daughters, Esin and Sezin Süleymanoğlu, who opposed the exhumation decision. Süleymanoğlu passed away at age 50 in November 2017 due to liver failure caused by cirrhosis.”

(Source: Daily Sabah)

In this case, Sekai Mori traveled to Turkey to provide DNA samples for the legal proceedings. However, international claimants may not always be able to travel due to various reasons, such as health issues or logistical constraints. When a physical presence in Turkey is not possible, judicial cooperation treaties between countries can facilitate the collection of evidence. Through letters rogatory, Turkish courts can request DNA samples from foreign jurisdictions, allowing paternity tests to be conducted abroad under international legal frameworks.

This case highlights the importance of accurate demographic registration and the legal avenues available for individuals seeking to establish their inheritance rights under Turkish law.