The number of Turkish billionaires who were granted Maltese citizenship through the country’s Individual Investor Programme (IIP) continues to grow.

Earlier reports revealed that third-generation members of the Sabancı family, who owns Sabancı Holdings, one of Turkey’s largest conglomerates with 70 companies and around 65,000 employees across 15 countries, were granted Maltese citizenship in 2018.

Sevda Gülçelik, the daughter of Vildan Gülçelik, one of the founders of ENKA Holding and among the top 100 richest Turks in Forbes index, is among the list.

The list of new citizens also includes the two daughters of one of the founders of Turkey's leading business group TÜSIAD, Meltem Berker and Nilgün Berker, as well as members of another famed Turkish family members from the southeastern province of Gaziantep, the Gülsan family.

A would-be citizen can now qualify by investing $650,000 (3.95 million lira) in the Mediterranean island nation, according to IIP laws. And, some 65 members of billionaire Turkish families were granted Maltese citizenship in 2019.