A janitor who discovered 24,500 euros ($26,000) in the toilets at Istanbul's Atatürk International Airport has been praised for his "good character and inner conscience" after turning over the cash to the authorities.

Emrah Evrensel, who earns minimum wage – currently TL 1,000 a month ($348) – for cleaning the airport's VIP area, found a bag full of cash on Friday.

Evrensel admitted he was startled by his discovery: "I could have kept the money for myself. People think of every option. I did so; but I chose the good one," he said.

The money's owner returned to the airport soon after its discovery and retrieved the cash upon being officially identified.

Airport manager Mehmet Ali Ulutaş said: "He [Evrensel] could have kept the money to buy himself a modest house. However, he brought it to the officials and set a good example."
Evrensel was awarded a prize and a certificate of appreciation.

Meanwhile, a currency exchange office in southern Turkey finally found the customer who unwittingly pocketed almost TL 10,000 in a faulty transaction.

The unidentified customer who came into the office in Adana on Tuesday to change $10,500 and was mistakenly paid TL 39,295 instead of TL 29,365, returned the money on Friday after the story made rounds in Turkish media.