Turkish Woman Mistakenly Disposes of One Kilogram of Gold Worth Over 6 Million Lira

A Turkish woman accidentally discarded a bag containing one kilogram of gold, valued at over 6 million Turkish lira (more than $133,000), by throwing it into a trash container without realizing its contents, according to TR Haber.

The family lost their savings, which they had accumulated over several years with the intention of purchasing a house.

The incident occurred in the Akçalar district of Bursa province. After discovering the mistake, the family contacted the police and municipal authorities, who initiated a search for the missing gold.

In an interview with the site, the head of the family, Sedir Kornaz, stated, "While cleaning, my wife thought the bag was trash and threw it into the street container."

He added that it remains unclear whether garbage trucks have already collected the container’s contents and transported the gold to a landfill, or if someone found the bag inside the container and took it while sorting through the trash.

The family head noted that the police and municipality have been informed about the incident, and surveillance camera footage from the area will be reviewed.

It is common for Turks to keep their savings in gold stored at home. According to estimates by the Central Bank of Turkey, the value of gold held in households reaches approximately $600 billion, placing Turkey among the leading countries worldwide in gold reserves held by its population.

Some gold owners later sell their gold possessions to buy houses, cars, or cover large expenses, a trend particularly noticeable amid Turkey’s high inflation.