The Turkish gran who allegedly celebrated her 120th birthday last June has passed away.

Seker Arslan of the northern Turkish city of Amasya suddenly fell ill on Wednesday, 9th February.

She was taken to the Sabuncuoglu Serafeddin Training and Research Hospital in Amasya with shortness of breath and organ failure.

Despite doctors’ best efforts, she succumbed at the alleged age of 120.

She was buried at the Tekirdede Cemetery in Amasya following her funeral at the Elif Mosque at noon yesterday (Thursday, 10th February).

Arslan allegedly turned 120 on 27th June last year and celebrated by blowing out the candles on her cake.

She said she owed her long life to her diet of yoghurt, butter, honey, ayran (a cold savoury yogurt-based beverage) and boiled eggs.

She also apparently inherited her longevity from her mother, who she said lived to the age of 110.

Arslan had a scare last year when her daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren, with whom she shared a house, contracted COVID-19.

However, she managed to avoid the illness, surprising everyone with her negative test in hospital.

She leaves behind five children and 12 grandchildren, and her only regret in life was not having any great-grandchildren, according to her daughter Serap Yuksel.

Arslan, who according to her ID card was born in 1902, is believed to have lived through three sultans and 12 presidents.

However, her age has not been independently verified, and the oldest verified living person is Japan’s Kane Tanaka, who was born on 2nd January 1903, making her 119.