As this series continues to examine the dynamics of Turkey’s most prominent families and their contested inheritance disputes, attention turns to Tatlıcı family.
Mehmet Salih Tatlıcı was one of Turkey’s richest and most powerful men. When he died, his family didn’t come together, and they turned on each other. At the heart of the fight is his son Mehmet Tatlıcı, the oldest from his first marriage. Mehmet Tatlıcı says his father’s second wife, Nurten Tatlıcı, and her son Uğur Tatlıcı tricked Mehmet Salih Tatlıcı into changing his will. As a result, Mehmet Tatlıcı alleges, the most of the family fortune went to them, not to Mehmet Tatlıcı and his brothers.
Turkish courts say the will is legal. But Mehmet Tatlıcı won’t accept it. For him, this isn’t just about money. It’s about his mother, Bedriye, and his place in the family. When his parents divorced in 1991 and his father remarried, everything changed. Now, Mehmet Tatlıcı is fighting to get what he believes is his.
But the battle isn’t just in court. Mehmet Tatlıcı’s own life has become part of the story. His marriage to Gizem Tatlıcı, a highly educated woman from a privileged background, ended in a messy divorce. Gizem Tatlıcı accused him of spying on her with hidden cameras. A court later convicted Mehmet Tatlıcı of domestic violence against her. This shows how power can be abused, even in the wealthiest families.
Mehmet Tatlıcı’s legal fights have been aggressive. In 2024, a court found that he was trying to bribe an expert in the inheritance case. There are also claims he threatened Uğur Tatlıcı and Nurten Tatlıcı, though he denies it.
Then there’s the strange case in Florida. Mehmet Tatlıcı sued Uğur Tatlıcı for defamation and won $740 million. It was noted that’s the same amount he’s demanded in settlement talks over the inheritance. But Uğur Tatlıcı says he never even knew about the Florida lawsuit. He’s fighting the decision, saying the court had no right to rule on the case. Meanwhile, Turkish prosecutors are looking into claims that Mehmet faked documents and lied about money to get what he wants.
The number $740 million keeps coming up. It’s the amount Mehmet Tatlıcı says he’s owed. It’s the amount he won in court. It’s the amount he’s offered to drop his lawsuits for. But is it fair, or is it even real? The answers aren’t clear.
Mehmet Tatlıcı sees himself as a wronged son, fighting for justice. Others see a man who will break the rules to get his way. One thing is certain that Tatlici family fight is far from over, and it’s about power, pride, and what’s left of a family torn apart.