Turkish man inherits $8.22M, finds father through bus passenger’s remark
Former bus driver Cihan Yildirim (L) and his biological father Orhan Karaca (R). (Photo via Türkiye Gazetesi)
A Turkish man who discovered his biological father through a chance encounter on a bus has won a six-year paternity case, securing an $8.22 million fortune.
The incredible story of Cihan Yildirim, who learned of his wealthy father from a passenger who said, “Give my regards to your father,” has unfolded like a Turkish movie plot.
A life-changing ride
In 2019, while working as a bus driver in Mugla, Yildirim was approached by a passenger who asked, “Aren’t you the son of Orhan, the coal merchant? Give this ₺1,000 ($28) to your father. We owe him for the coal we bought. Give my regards to your father.” Yildirim, stunned by the claim, insisted that his father had died in a car accident when he was six years old.
However, the passenger remained firm and walked away, leaving Yildirim with more questions than answers.
Tearful confession and shocking truth
When Yildirim confronted his mother, Suzan Yildirim, she tearfully confessed to a secret kept for decades.
Suzan had an affair with businessman Orhan Karaca while she was married, resulting in Cihan’s birth. She had registered him under her husband’s name, believing the truth would remain hidden.
DNA test confirms paternity
Yildirim launched a legal battle, represented by lawyer Varol Turbay, against Orhan Karaca, a prominent wood and coal trader. DNA tests, including the exhumation of Yasar Yildirim’s grave, confirmed that Cihan’s biological father was not Yasar but indeed Orhan Karaca.
The legal process took six years, with the case reaching the Supreme Court (Yargitay) in Türkiye, which ultimately upheld the decision.
New name and a $8.22M inheritance
The court ruling officially changed Yildirim’s surname to Karaca, making him the third child of Orhan Karaca. He became entitled to a share of his biological father’s $8.22M estate, alongside his two half-siblings.
Cihan also won a $12,7K compensation lawsuit for not being accepted as Karaca’s son, which he pledged to donate to Türkiye’s Child Protection Agency.
‘It was never about money’
Cihan Karaca, now a truck driver, shared his feelings with Turkish media: “This was a matter of pride, not money. I was offered a house and a car to drop the case, but I refused. My goal was always to claim the Karaca surname.”
He expressed joy that his wife and daughter would also bear the new surname and looked forward to receiving his new ID. Karaca spent six years using his mother’s maiden name, Altin, but now feels complete with his rightful name.
Lawyer Varol Turbay emphasized the significance of this ruling, calling it a precedent-setting case. He confirmed that the new identity documents for Cihan Karaca would soon be issued, marking the end of a long, legal and emotional journey.
