Young mum with 22 kids opens up on life after husband's arrest
A young mother of 22 children, whose millionaire husband has been arrested on money laundering charges, has admitted that life is “hard”.
Russian woman Kristina Ozturk, 24, lived with her 57-year-old husband Galip Ozturk in a picturesque coastal town in the Georgian republic of Adjara prior to his arrest on May 31st.
Kristina already had one child from a previous relationship when she met Galip, a Turkish businessman who reportedly owns a bus company and a hotel.
The couple have spent over $260,000 on surrogate children between March 2020 and July 2021. They’ve had 21 children and spend an additional $124,000 per year on 16 live-in nannies who help care for the kids.
However, their plans to grow their family even further have recently been put on hold after Ozturk was arrested following a police raid.
He was reportedly detained on charges relating to money laundering and falsifying documents.
Since being taken into custody, Kristina has been vocal in sharing her struggles on social media, writing it was “hard” without him.
“The feeling of loneliness does not leave me even with so many close people around,” she wrote in an Instagram post.
“I’m used to the fact that my husband is always at home, always there.
“Now it’s more difficult for me than ever, I can’t stand silence, I can’t stand his absence, I can’t sleep and wake up alone.”
The couple met in Georgia when Kristina, a former stripper, was on holiday there from Russia.
Ozturk fled to the country in 2018 after being sentenced to life imprisonment in relation to a 1996 murder in his home country of Turkey. He was charged with ordering the murder of a man named Kuvvet Köseoğlu.
In another post, the young mother detailed the support she’s received since her husband’s arrest.
The couple first hit headlines when Kristina revealed she had plans to welcome more than 100 children using surrogates, declaring she would be happy to spend more than $1.5 million to make her dream become a reality.
It costs around 8000 euros ($A12,500) to legally use a surrogate.
Counselling and legal paperwork are essential for the surrogates, who carry the babies that are genetically the biological children of Kristina and her husband.
Images: Instagram