20 babies in less than a year? You read it right. Kristina Öztürk (23) arranged this major family expansion by hiring a lot of surrogate mothers in a short period of time. Her husband Galip (57) was responsible for the financial aspect. The millionaire paid 8,000 euros per child, so the bill rose to 160,000 euros.
The couple lives in the Georgian seaside town of Batumi with sixteen nannies, who work for them around the clock. The nannies only collect 400 euros per month for their hard work. In exchange, they do have their own bedroom and kitchen, where they can order food. And after four days of babysitting, they are allowed to rest for two days.
All babies were born between March 10, 2020, and January 16, 2021. Mustafa was the first, Olivia closed the line. Diapers (twenty packs a week) and baby food (53 boxes a week) are being consumed at lightning speed. “We still lose 4,250 to 5,000 euros per week for the essentials alone”, Kristina explains the bill.
22nd child?
The young Russian lady gave birth to a daughter herself six years ago. “Viktoria is over the moon with so many brothers and sisters. She plays with them, feeds them, and likes to read fairy tales,” it sounds.
Kristina certainly does not rule out a 22nd child, but then it will have to happen naturally. “At the moment, I don’t feel like getting pregnant. I have to give all my babies enough attention, that’s a day job in itself.”
Sentenced to life
The Russian met Galip when she was on vacation in Batumi. The immensely wealthy businessman had fled his home country of Turkey after being sentenced to life in prison there. The court accused him of ordering a murder. On the day of the verdict, however, he fled, destined for Georgia. He called it a voluntary exile.
“It was love at first sight when I saw him,” says Kristina. “He presented himself as my mentor and my guide, a real prince on the white horse.”
“She is very easy going,” adds Galip. “Always a smile on your lips, but also shy and mysterious at the same time. She was the kind of woman I’ve always wanted, an uncut diamond with a pure heart.”
Legally regulated
The lovebirds soon decided to have as many children as they could. “I was originally supposed to get pregnant every year, but that process would take too long. Our ambitions were much higher”, explains Kristina.
Hence the plan is to work with surrogate mothers. That practice has been legal in Georgia since 1997, provided the couple is married and heterosexual. The child automatically goes to the man and woman who provide the genetic material for fertilization. The surrogate has no right to keep the baby herself.
Young women only
“Only young women who had had at least one pregnancy were eligible,” Kristina clarifies. “They were also properly screened for possible addictions. We never came into contact with those ladies ourselves; that was all arranged by the hospital. I was allowed to put together a healthy eating pattern for them and could check whether they adhered to it through tests.”
Kristina faces a lot of opposition because she had 20 babies born via surrogate mothers. “Yes, critics enough. But to them, I can only say one thing: this is our life and our choice.”
