Longest nose record holder Mehmet Özyürek passes away at 75

Mehmet Özyürek, who held the Guinness World Record for having the longest nose, passed away at the age of 75. Guinness World Record was "saddened" by Ozyurek's passing.

The Turkish man's nose was 3.46 inches long, and GWR officially ratified the record in November 2021. He achieved the title of the longest nose on a living male three times: initially in 2001 on Guinness World Records: Primetime in Los Angeles, then in 2010 on the set of Lo Show dei Record in Italy, and finally in 2021. 

On each occasion, his nose measured 8.8 cm (3.46 in) from the bridge to the tip, equivalent to the length of a playing card. Mehmet's loved ones bid him an emotional farewell as he was laid to rest in his hometown of Artvin.

Mehmet took great pride in his nose and its exceptional sense of smell. In 2021, he shared, "My sense of smell is unique compared to others. I can detect smells that others cannot. When I enter my house, I can immediately identify which dish has been cooked."

GWR stated that Özyürek was well known and loved for his zest for life and often spoke of how he was "blessed" to have a record-breaking nose.

Mehmet claimed that his pronouncedly huge nose was a family characteristic, however, the precise reason for it is still unknown. He said, "I have this special feature."

However, members of Mehmet's family did not exhibit the same feature. Despite receiving ribbing about his nose as a teenager, he always had a strong affection for this distinctive feature.

"My friends used to call me 'Big Nose' to upset me," he recalled. "But when I looked at myself in the mirror, I discovered my true self. God created me like this, and there's nothing that can be done about it. I've learned to live peacefully with my appearance." 

"I love my nose, of course... I consider myself blessed," Mehmet proudly declared."I'm extremely pleased to represent Türkiye, the Black Sea, or Artvin on an international level."Some people become martyrs, some become Prime Ministers, and some become record holders." 

Mehmet shared that his distinctive nose invariably drew attention when he entered a room, but it never bothered him in the least. "I love my nose, of course... I consider myself blessed," Mehmet proudly declared. "I'm extremely pleased to represent Türkiye, the Black Sea, or Artvin on an international level. "Some people become martyrs, some become Prime Ministers, and some become record holders."