Gran is ‘world’s oldest person after turning 119’ thanks to diet of butter, honey, cheese and a boiled egg every morning
A GRAN claimed to be the world’s oldest person has celebrated turning 119 - and puts her long life down to her fatty diet of butter and cheese.
Seker Arslan was reported to be even older yesterday in Turkish media after her cake had a large number 120 on top - as even her family appeared uncertain how old she is.
She was said to have celebrated the event at home in Amasya, north Turkey, surrounded by her relatives on Sunday.
But an ID card offered as proof of her age suggested she was born on June 27, 1902 - making her only 119.
If verified, that would still make her more than six months older than the current record holder.
Arslan, who has six children and 12 grandchildren, reportedly inherited her longevity from her mother, who is said to have lived to be 110.
Her daughter, Serap Yueksel, believes her mother's long life is down to eating natural foods.
She said: "Butter, honey and cheese were always on the table.
“She used to leaven her yogurt herself. She still has a boiled egg at breakfast."
Serap said her mother’s only regret was not yet having any great-grandchildren.
Despite this, she is surrounded by relatives, as she lives with her daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren.
The family had a scare when the grandchildren caught Covid-19, six months ago.
However, despite sharing the same space as their elderly relative, they miraculously did not pass the virus on to her, with her test coming back negative.
Arslan spent most of her birthday praying and reminiscing with family on memories from years gone past.
She also had a visit from local politician from Mesudiye Altun Guerlevik, an ally of President Erdogan, who wished her a happy birthday.
Local officials hope that having her birthday recognised would enable her to claim the oldest living person title.
In doing so, she would overtaking the current oldest person, 118-year-old Kane Tanaka of Japan, who was born on January 2, 1903.
Last year, a Chinese woman claimed she was celebrating her 134th birthday - though the claims have come under some scrutiny and doubts were raised because of her unverifiable birth records.
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And a Russian woman who claimed to be the oldest in the world at 123 passed away in 2019.
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While her claims were recognised in the Russian Book of Records and evidently the Russian government, they did not see her feature in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Locals in her district in Astrakhan region said she was more than 100 before she went to see a doctor.
