Turkey’s Constitutional Court, in an unprecedented decision, has overturned the revocation of a certificate of inheritance from a non-citizen.

Istanbul-born Greek national Ioannis Maditinos lost his Turkish citizenship when he acquired Greek citizenship in 1986, without permission from Turkish authorities.

Article 25 of Turkish citizenship law stipulates certain conditions to be fulfilled to grant permission to give up Turkish citizenship.

When Maditinos became the sole heir in his family, he requested a certificate of inheritance from an Istanbul court in 1996.

The court recognized Maditinos’ claim, but the Turkish state Treasury launched a suit to nullify the certificate on the grounds that the sole heir of the Maditinos family was no longer a Turkish citizen.

The Treasury’s case resulted in the revocation of Maditinos’ certificate of inheritance.

Maditinos’ appealed the Treasury lawsuit arguing that his certificate was passed to the state’s body, yet his case was dismissed because he “voluntarily” switched citizenships.

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