Fresh suit filed for massive inheritance of Turkish-Armenian brothel owner Manukyan

Özge Eğrikar - ISTANBUL

Sixteen plaintiffs have filed a suit in Istanbul for the massive inheritance of Turkish-Armenian brothel owner Matild Manukyan seventeen years after her death.

Manukyan, who was one of the top tax payers in Turkey, died in 2001 and left behind a huge fortune, including 486 properties, dozens of cars, as well as millions in cash and stocks.

Manukyan’s inheritance was bequeathed to Kerope Çilingir, who was officially registered as his son.

Sixteen relatives of Manukyan, who live in the eastern province of Muş and the western provinces İzmir and Kocaeli, filed a fresh case over the inheritance last week at the Istanbul Civil Court of Peace.

The plaintiffs argued that Çilingir “usurped” the inheritance although he was not the late woman’s son.

According to their attorney, who said he concluded a years-long research over the issue, Manukyan’s fortune was mostly based on inheritance she received from her great uncle Armenak Chah Mouradian and her grandmother Susan Chah Mouradian.

“Manukyan had no sons or daughters. My clients were her only relatives and legal heirs. But Kerope Çilingir usurped the inheritance,” the petition said, asking the court to “correct the error in the registry” and enforce an injuction to "keep Çilingir from selling the remaining properties.”