Only heir of Turkey’s ‘queen of brothels’ dies

ISTANBUL

Kerope Çilingir, the son and the only heir of Turkish-Armenian “brothel queen” Matild Manukyan, has died. He was 80.

Çilingir died on Aug. 5 during surgery, in which he was diagnosed with internal bleeding.

Manukyan, who was once Turkey’s top taxpayer, died in 2001 and left behind a huge fortune, including 486 properties, dozens of cars, five-star hotels, factories as well as millions in cash and stocks.

Known as a tough and competitive businesswoman, Manukyan had built up a chain of 32 brothels in Istanbul, receiving letters of praises and thanks from Turkish authorities from time to time for her benevolence.

But a fresh debate is expected to arise about the fate of the massive fortune, which is thought to be worth billions after Çilingir’s death.

In 2018, the relatives of Manukyan, who live in the eastern province of Muş and the western provinces İzmir and Kocaeli, had filed a case over the inheritance at an Istanbul court.

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

Manukyan’s fortune was mostly based on inheritance she received from her great uncle Armenak Chah Mouradian and her grandmother Susan Chah Mouradian, according to the claims of the plaintiffs.