Birth, Childhood, and Family
On January 21, 1931, on a cold winter night in Diyarbakır, Salih Tatlıcı was born.
Salih was the first child of Hacı Şeyhmuz and Hacı Sultan.
An easy childhood was not set for Salih Tatlıcı in Diyarbakır. The people of Turkey were trying to recognize the newly established Republic; the world was scorched by the economic depression.With its scarce resources, the country was trying to realize its modernization plans by putting into effect its five-year industrialization plan. From West to East, there was a mobilization against poverty all over the land.
The eldest child of the house was Salih. Not only was he the nearest and dearest firstborn, but also he was the older brother of Şehmuz, Gülşen, Mustafa, and Aziz. Salih was both going to school and helping his father, who ran a confectionery store.
He was different from his peers. He never forgot what he heard. But, his mind was riddled with Diyarbakir houses, which attracted attention with their different architecture. This curiosity would affect Salih Tatlıcı’s entire life in the future.
Born to a poor family, Salih started working in the confectionery store owned by his father, Mr. Şeyhmus, from the first years of his childhood. After completing his elementary school, he put an end to his school life in order to take the burden away more from his tired father and to contribute more to the education of his siblings. He took over the confectionery store. With this decision, he said goodbye to his childhood at an early age and took on maintaining the livelihood of his family, which he loved very much.
Youth
Salih showed great success in his father’s confectionery store in a short time.
He was now devoted to working so that his siblings could lead a good life.
In the harsh and difficult conditions of the East, children grow up early. Salih, too, faced the harsh realities of life at the age of 15 and shouldered the heavy burden of fatherhood even before he was married. In the spring of his youth, while struggling with the responsibility of three children, life imposed an even heavier task on him. He was married to Madam Bedriye, the daughter of his aunt and the mother of his three children, whom he called “elder sister”, according to custom and his mother’s wishes. Madam Bedriye had ceased to be his “elder sister” and became his “wife”. As the “head of the family”, Salih had to undertake the difficult struggle of financing his household.
Mrs. Bedriye and Mr. Salih had 9 children over the years, but 6 out of 9 children could not survive due to this consanguineous marriage. From Mrs. Bedriye, three boys named Ali, Ahmet, and Mehmet survived.
First Step to the Business World
Salih had decided to expand the business in order to take his own destiny into his own hands. All of his three children and four siblings’ upkeep was on Salih, and he did not want his children or siblings to be deprived of anything.
He needed more capital to realize his dream about business. He had to chance his luck. So he did and took the Eastern Anatolian dealership of Izmir Tur Yağ Company.
His father, Hacı Şeyhmuz, appreciated the great sacrifices of Salih, his nearest and dearest firstborn. He said to his son at every opportunity, “May God the Creator be pleased with you. May you have the Midas touch, my child. We all depend on you for our living.”
The money he earned from the Tur Yağ dealership was insufficient for the important investment he had in mind. He made a big investment in his city at a very young age with a Ziraat Bank loan. He bought the vacant land opposite Diyarbakır Officers’ Club. He built Diyarbakir’s most innovative hotel on that land, which had a great impact in its period. The hotel was inaugurated by then Prime Minister Süleyman Demirel in the 1960s.
Mr. Salih was first designing his dreams in his mind, then visualizing them in his mind, and if he believed in his work, he was putting them into action without having a need to ask anyone.
Rise in His Business Life
After the death of his father, whom he loved and respected very much, in 1962, Salih Tatlıcı put his decision to continue his business life in Istanbul into practice.
He opened the “Tatlıcı” patisserie, which was one of the most decent and distinguished patisseries of its time, in Karaköy. The patisserie had a great impact at that time. The value Mr. Salih attaches to art came into being with Tatlıcı patisserie.
He told artist Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu, a member of the Eyüboğlu family, one of the pioneers of enlightenment in Turkey, that he wanted to have a painting made both inside and outside of Tatlıcı Patisserie.
In fact, this was a kind request from an artist to leave a work of art that the city of Istanbul would inherit. Without any hesitation, Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu agreed. He excitedly prepared the seven square meter painting for the exterior of the shop.
In the following years, by purchasing the Mabel Chocolate factory, Mr. Salih continued his investments. Soonafter, he gifted this Chocolate factory to his middle son Ahmet.
Mr. Salih bought a toy factory in Kağıthane, Istanbul in 1971. Subsequently, it made a technology agreement with the Swedish battery company holding Tudor brand and produced batteries for many years in this factory with thebrand PİLMA-TUDOR.
Mr. Salih continued to invest in his country, and in 1992, he took over Altın Kadife textile factory operating in Tekirdağ and started exporting fabrics abroad.
In 1997, the Tat Golf Course, which was built on a total of 110 hectares of land by the architects of England’s Hawtree golf course, was realized in Antalya Belek.
His biggest investment was the TAT Towers project, which he started to build in 1988. However, this big project, which he started with his own resources without using a loan, could not be completed for a very long time due to financial difficulties.
Deciding to enter the Finance sector after the sectors of Tourism, Textile, Industry, and Real Estate, Mr. Salih established an Investment Bank called TATBANK in Istanbul.
Second Marriage
Mr. Salih drummed up the business.Not so easy was dealing with so many different business lines, making the right decisions, managing thousands of employees.His responsibilities were increasing day by day…
Noticing Mr. Salih’s determination and hard work early on, his mother, Mrs. Hacı Sultan, married off Mr. Salih to the daughter of his aunt, whom he addressed as “sister”, when he was only 15 years old, so that the wealth that Mr. Salih would make remains in the family.
Despite all the years spent in this marriage, Mr. Salih’s heart was empty.
Mr. Salih received the greatest support in his difficult and tiring life from his second wife and life partner of 43 years, Mrs. Nurten, whom he met in his patisserie in Karaköy in 1960.
Uğur Tatlıcı, his youngest son, who was born from this marriage in 1977, continues to follow the path paved by his father today.
Problems with his family and his will
Mr. Salih, in his business life, which he started from scratch, expanded his businesses with his determination, steadfastness and hard work and had his name written on the list of the richest businessmen in the world by putting his stamp on with big projects and investments.
After his death, how this wealth of Mr. Salih would be divided among his heirs came to the fore. Among those he left behind were his three sons (and their children,who areMr. Salih’s grandchildren) from his divorced first wife, his wife Nurten, whom he married for the second time, and another son, Uğur, who was born from this marriage.
Mrs. Nurten and Ugur’s Christian and Greek heritage often stood in stark contrast to the predominant beliefs of Mr. Salih’s extended family. Over the time, this cultural and religious divergence became a focal point of contention. Mr. Salih, along with his second wife Mrs. Nurten and their son Uğur, found themselves at the receiving end of intense hatred, marginalization, violence, threats, and harassment from certain family members who viewed their Christian and Greek lineage with disdain. Mr. Salih made an official will through the notary public in 1994, disinheriting his sons from his first wife. He wanted his grandchildren to inherit his estate, not his sons.
His Death and the Final Journey
It was a spring morning in 1994. Mr. Salih was in his office at the Pilma Pil factory. The phone rang. Mr. Salih answered the phone.
After saying “Hello,” his voice gradually dropped lower as it went on, and heturnedpale.
When Mr.Salih hung up the phone, his blood was drained from his face; sweat was accumulated on his forehead… He collapsed to the ground in a minute.
A heart attack it was…
Before long, paramedics arrived at the factory.
At the hospital where he was taken without delay, he was urgently taken under the bypass surgery.
When the doctors said that Mr. Salih was out of the woods, Mrs. Nurten and her son Uğur’s minds were put at rest. Employees shed tears of joy.
Another bad surprise was waiting for Mr. Salih in 2004. He had been diagnosed with cancer. The doctors predicted a short lifespan, but there was still a lot of work to do. He wanted to finish the projects he started.
The treatment process was started without delay. The progression of the disease was slowed, but unfortunately, not completely stopped.
2008 did not start well.
The condition of Mr. Salih, who had been ill for a long time, had worsened. He was now monitoring his work from home. Over the years, this disease had eatenMr. Salih up inside.
Next to him was his beloved Mrs. Nurten, his beloved and better half for 43 years.
One day in January 2009, his condition worsened, and he was hospitalized. Six days it had been, butMr. Salih could not come out of his coma.
Known times had turned into unknown sorrows for those who loved him…
For Mrs. Nurten, time was on the edge of a sharp knife. Her world, life, existence, sea, nature, laughing, crying, in short, everything was Mr. Salih.
Mr. Salih also loved his second wife,Mrs. Nurten, but unfortunately, he was in a web of those who could not love at all.
However, would Mr. Salih’s remaining life be enough to live and keep this love alive despite all the negativities?
Unfortunately, after 3 weeks in the intensive care unit for his fight for life, Mr. Salih could not overcome the cancer he was caught and passed away despite all the medical interventions made for him. For those who loved him, he took his most timeless place in eternity.
Happywas Mr. Salih.He realized his dreams. He loved and was loved back with an epic love. They supported each other with Mrs. Nurten… They stand back-to-back in all kinds of difficulties…
Mrs. Nurten, the love of Mr. Salih for 43 years, was deeply saddened by an existence without Mr. Salih.
On a rainy February morning in 2009, ones who loved him bid a last farewell to Mr. Salih with tears.
The land was saturated with sorrow, pain and sadness with the tears of all those who loved him..
Ms. Nurten was out on her feet.
His son Uğur, on the other hand, was still, silent, and helpless.
Everyone who loved and respected him was there. All his employees were sending him off with gratitude.
Mr. Salih was lucky…
He was bid his final farewell with love and respect. While his memories still live in the hearts of ones who loved him with all their warmth, his dignity was lived on and kept alive by donations made on his behalf…
Now his soul was equipped with all the beautiful feelings about the human being…