Divorce negotiations at the Sabancı family stalled by compensation dispute! Astronomical figure crisis

Sabah newspaper columnist Bülent Cankurt wrote that Ali Sabancı and Vuslat Doğan Sabancı, who have decided to divorce, have not yet taken the matter to court because they have been unable to reach an agreement on compensation.

In his column, Cankurt stated that there is an "astronomical compensation negotiation" taking place before the couple's divorce case, and reported that Vuslat Doğan Sabancı holds her husband responsible for the boat accident that occurred off the coast of Greece in the summer of 2023, and is therefore making a significant demand.

Cankurt claimed that an agreement could not be reached due to the "high figure" requested by Vuslat Doğan Sabancı.

Here is the relevant part of Bülent Cankurt's article:

“The marriage of Ali Bey from the Sabancı Family and Vuslat Hanım, the daughter of the Doğan Family, who married in 1996, has come to an end, even if not officially.

I learned from a source close to the family that although both want to divorce, they cannot achieve this because they cannot agree on the compensation. More precisely, they cannot reach an agreement because Vuslat Hanım is asking for an astronomical figure.

Despite all my insistence, they did not disclose the figure, but they said that Vuslat Hanım holds her husband responsible for the boat accident and is asking for an astronomical compensation because she wants to punish him in this way.

This may be true because Vuslat Hanım has no need for money.

Meanwhile, I have also heard that if they cannot agree, one of the parties will soon head to court.

Let's see if they will be able to divorce without a fight or noise…”

WHAT HAD HAPPENED?

The Sabancı couple had a major boat accident off the coast of the Greek island of Leros on August 24, 2023, and both were seriously injured and received treatment for a long time. After this accident, it was reported that deep cracks had formed in their relationship and their marriage had been shaken.

The couple's divorce allegations first appeared in the press in March 2025, and since that date, it has been reported in various news stories that the Sabancıs had started living separately.

It was observed that Ali Sabancı had moved to a new house, while Vuslat Doğan Sabancı attended invitations and events alone. Thus, it was revealed that the couple had effectively separated and were preparing for the official divorce process.

Ali Sabancı and Vuslat Doğan, the daughter of former Hürriyet newspaper boss Aydın Doğan, tied the knot in 1995.

The end of this process for the couple, who brought together Turkey's leading business and media families throughout their nearly 30-year marriage, is causing a wide stir in public opinion.

According to 2025 data, Ali Sabancı's wealth is around 960 million dollars, and this figure places him as Turkey's 34th richest businessperson.

It is claimed that the high compensation demand brought up in the divorce case is also linked to this wealth.