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Turkish series turns real as American woman sues long-lost tycoon for inheritance

Sabri Acarsoy (left) and Esin Marchesi (right), who claims he was her father and sues for inheritance, Türkiye, July 18, 2025. (Created with Canva)
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Sabri Acarsoy (left) and Esin Marchesi (right), who claims he was her father and sues for inheritance, Türkiye, July 18, 2025. (Created with Canva)
By Newsroom
July 18, 2025 11:30 AM GMT+03:00

A woman living in the United States has filed a paternity and inheritance lawsuit in Türkiye after claiming that the late Turkish businessman Sabri Acarsoy was her biological father.

The case gained public attention after the family of Acarsoy accused her of secretly tampering with the grave to collect DNA without permission.

Who was Turkish businessman Sabri Acarsoy?

Sabri Acarsoy ran the distribution of luxury brands such as Versace, Porsche Design, and Salvatore Ferragamo in Türkiye. He died of a heart attack on Jan. 27, 2025. His children, Ali Selcuk, Sabri Can, and Merve Acarsoy, buried him at Zincirlikuyu Cemetery in Istanbul.

A few months later, during Ramadan, an unidentified person visited the cemetery and called Ali Selcuk Acarsoy, as reported by Hurriyet. He informed him that the grave had been disturbed and had partially collapsed.

The family had the grave repaired and restored to its original condition. Soon after, Ali Selcuk Acarsoy received an official legal notice. The document stated that a woman named Esin Marchesi had filed two lawsuits: one to establish paternity and another to claim a share of the estate.

Esin Marchesi files paternity case in Türkiye after DNA suspicion

According to statements submitted to the court, Marchesi said her mother had a relationship with Sabri Acarsoy when she was 19 years old.

After becoming pregnant, Marchesi’s mother married another man because Acarsoy reportedly refused to take responsibility. Esin Marchesi grew up believing this man was her father.

How did she find out?

  • In January, Marchesi watched a television show that mentioned blood type inheritance
  • After comparing her own blood group to her recorded father's, she became suspicious and confronted her mother
  • Her mother then told her that Sabri Acarsoy was her biological father

Marchesi, a 53-year-old fitness and nutrition expert living in the United States, said she had no idea who her real father was until that moment. She then hired legal representation in Türkiye and filed lawsuits in an attempt to prove paternity and secure inheritance rights.

The news reached the family shortly after they repaired the grave, adding further distress to the Acarsoy siblings.

Businessman's children accuse Marchesi of illegal DNA collection from grave

The children of Sabri Acarsoy, Ali Selcuk, Sabri Can, and Merve, responded by filing a criminal complaint.

They submitted a petition to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office through their lawyer, claiming that someone had opened the grave without authorization and may have taken biological samples.

The family said the disturbance occurred within a month of the burial and raised serious suspicions.

“We believe Esin Marchesi could have taken a sample from our father’s grave,” they stated in the petition. They also called for an investigation into everyone who may have assisted her in this act, including individuals, institutions, or companies.

The Prosecutor’s Office has not issued a public statement on whether any DNA was collected from the site. The legal process for both the paternity and inheritance lawsuits continues. The outcome could affect the distribution of Acarsoy’s estate, depending on the results of the court’s evaluation and any confirmed biological evidence.

July 18, 2025 11:31 AM GMT+03:00
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