'Dead' Turkish man spends decade to prove he is alive

A 46-year-old Turkish man mistakenly listed as dead by authorities has spent 10 years fighting to prove he is alive, state media reported yesterday. Sinan Avci, who lives in eastern Erzurum province, was forced into an early retirement in 2003 after being diagnosed with epilepsy. The former worker discovered that Turkey's Social Security Fund had listed him as dead in 2004 when he failed to withdraw his disability pension.