Turkey: Lavish wedding of lawmaker’s nephew sparks outrage – Bride couldn’t stand due to gold-laden dress

Şanlıurfa, a city in Turkey located in southeastern Anatolia, became a cradle of gold and banknotes. What happened at this wedding falls within the framework of traditions in the neighboring country, yet it is remarkable, especially for the display of wealth and money in every form that was circulated. The 26-year-old Kahraman Zülfikar İzol, a lawyer and nephew of a former AKP parliamentarian, from whom he inherited his middle name and surname, married 25-year-old Nazdar Barzani, niece of Iraq’s representative in Turkey, Masoud Barzani.

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Nazdar certainly didn’t expect that she wouldn’t be able to lift her wedding dress, as the gold jewelry hung on it, as is customary and as gifts, made the dress heavy and unbearable. Specifically, the bride couldn’t stay upright for long, as the gold on her was placed by the kilogram. From gold coins, gold belt and necklace to diamond ring and gold crown, this wedding dress would make Midas’s wife jealous. Additionally, guests showered the couple with banknotes.

Turkey: Informal competition

Bundles were scattered with characteristic ease in the venue, something that arose from the informal competition among guests over who would throw more money. Naturally, the celebration started in the morning and ended in the evening. Besides relatives, other powerful personalities from the region were also present. The guests were literally thousands and the money that fell was so much that employees collected it and put it in boxes. The wedding was officiated by the mayor of Siverek, Ali Murat Buçak. After the wedding, guests from Iraq formed a long queue to wear the gold jewelry they brought in special boxes.