When your luck is in…A married father-of-two from Tokat, in northern Turkiye, has become an instant millionaire after winning the top scratchcard prize.
Retired worker Dursun Koçyiğit had just enough cash in his pocket to buy himself a packet of cigarettes but, at the last minute, he changed his mind and asked the tobacconist for a Millionaires Club scratchcard instead.
He quickly scratched off the numbers section and to his great surprise, he had two 28 numbers on his card, winning him the top prize of TL 2 million – the equivalent of £96,200.
Koçyiğit told local media that he had gone to the local shops for some work. He had 30 TL in his pocket and approached a tobacco stand on Cumhuriyet Meydanı (Republic Square) in Tokat to buy some cigarettes.
"I came to the shops for a job. I had 30 [Turkish] lira in my pocket. I said to myself, 'I'll buy one 30 [TL ticket], let me try my luck. If I strike lucky, great, if I doesn't, it's the luck of the draw.'
Dursun Koçyiğit with his winning ticket
“When I looked I couldn't believe it, it was a 2 million [Turkish] lira prize [ticket]. I was really excited.
“I immediately ran to the man in the [tobacco] stand. I couldn't believe it. When the [ticket] machine read it, we learned for sure,” said Mr Koçyiğit.
“With the prize, I will open a business for my son, and help get him married, and buy his car. I will do my fatherly duty. I wasn't playing [scratchcards] all the time,” he added.
Dursun Koçyiğit with his winning ticket
