ISTANBUL
Regardless of the slim chance of hitting the jackpot in the New Year lottery, hopeful Turks line up before Istanbul’s luckiest venue, the Nimet Abla stand an Eminonu, on Wednesday.
The late "Nimet Abla (elder sister Nimet)" was a ticket agent who sold numerous winning tickets, spurring a good luck superstition. Its popularity knows no boundaries as some people even travel from outside Istanbul to increase their chances or ask their friends to buy them a ticket.
Since the company is unable to cope with demands, it has opened a website so people can buy tickets without waiting in line.
The National Lottery increased the prize by 223 percent in the last 10 years, from a jackpot worth 15 million liras in 2004.
“If I get 50 million TL (around 24 million USD), I will buy a car. Then I will help poor people,” Ismail Kursun told an AA correspondent after buying a series of lottery tickets.
Unlike Ismail, his friend expressed he aims to spend it all. “I will do whatever I would like to do,” he said in noting that his first dream is to tour Turkey.
However, others are cautious not to fall for their dreams, such as Sevim Gungor who said, “Dreaming is the easy part. Let’s hit the jackpot first."
Still, with a smile in their faces and warm wishes in their hearts, they moved away from Nimet Abla stand.
An employee at Nimet Abla said most people are interested in buying the cheapest quarter-ticket. Noted that demands increase dramatically as the New Year approaches, Hasan Egri said, “Some people buy tickets from the black market.”
Tickets this year are being sold at 12.5 liras for a quarter-ticket, 25 liras for a half-ticket and 50 liras for a full-ticket. At the drawing on midnight December 31, one winning ticket will be worth 50 million TL.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
