What started as a heartfelt surprise ended in heartbreak for Sadık Şaşmaz in southern Türkiye's Adana. The 29-year-old cleaning worker decorated his car with balloons and a heartfelt sign welcoming his pregnant wife, Melek, back from a trip – and the gesture went viral. But instead of applause at work, he got fired.
Melek, 25, had spent a month in her hometown of Batman. Early on Aug. 31, she returned to Adana, only to find her husband waiting at the bus station with a car adorned with balloons and a sign reading, “I missed you so much, my dear wife, welcome home.” Overwhelmed, she hugged him, and the moment quickly made waves on social media.
“Through this, I reached millions of people and received so much love,” Şaşmaz told Ihlas News Agency (IHA). “I just wanted to make my wife happy. I thought my wife would win, and she did – but I lost my job.”
Şaşmaz worked for ISS Türkiye at Adana City Training and Research Hospital. The company claimed he staged the surprise while on sick leave, a charge he denies. He said he organized the surprise a day before taking a two-day medical leave. Despite presenting proof, the company issued a new report the next day, citing “poor performance,” and terminated his contract.
Facing a pregnant wife, looming rent, and uncertainty, Şaşmaz said he plans to sue to return to work. “I hope either they reinstate me, or a generous employer can give me a chance,” he said.
ISS Türkiye has not commented on the case.
