FORBES LISTS TOP TEN RICHEST TURKS

KARAMEHMET TAKES THE THRONE FROM ÖZYEĞİN
According to Forbes' list, Mehmet Emin Karamehmet has become Turkey's richest Turk with a fortune toppling four billion dollars. In 2010, Karamehmet's assets were at 2.9 billion dollars. Second place on the list is shared by last year's richest Turk, Hüsnü Özyeğin, and Semahat Arsel whose fortune raised from 1.7 billion dollars to three billion dollars within the year.
Out of the 11 new individuals to become billionaires this year, three were from the Koç family, Mustafa, Ömer and Ali Koç. From the Sabancı family, Serra Sabancı and Çiğdem Sabancı Bilen and Cyprus Near East University founder Suat Günsel made a return to this year's billionaires list.

STRAIGHT TO BILLIONAIRE

Two individual's made the list of richest Turks for the first time as billionaires; Genel Enerji CEO Mehmet Sepil and Kazancı Holding's owner Ali Metin Kazancı. Mehmet Sepil's partnership with Turkey's richest man Mehmet Emin Karamehmet contributed significantly to his making the list. Karamehmet and Sepil have begun exporting petrol from six petroleum fields owned by Genel Enerji in Northern Iraq.

THE YOUNGEST TO MAKE THE LIST IS 26 YEARS-OLD

The average age of those who made Forbes' list is 59 years of age. There is a total 60-year age difference between the oldest on the list and the youngest. The youngest person to make the list is 26 year-old İpek Kıraç, who has a fortune totaling 550 million dollars. Selçuk Ecza's founder, 86 year-old Ahmet keleşoğlu has 715 million dollars.

THE TEN RICHEST TURKS AND THEIR FORTUNES

Mehmet Emin Karamehmet: 4 billion dollars
Semahat Arsel: 3 billion dollars
Hüsnü Özyeğin: 3 billion dollars
Rahmi Koç: 2.9 billion dollars
Murat Ülker: 2.8 billion dollars
Ferit Şahenk: 2.7 billion dollars
Şarık Tara: 2.7 billion dollars
Filiz Şahenk: 2.5 billion dollars
Suna Kıraç: 2.5 billion dollars
Ali Ağaoğlu: 2.1 billion dollars