Sadettin Dilbilgen was son of the owner of a large farm in Ottoman Macedonia, near Marko's Monastery in the village of Markova Sušica.

He caught polio as a child, and lost some of the function of one hand and foot.

[citation needed] Dilbilgen's family lost their farm and all their assets after the Balkan War, and migrated to İzmir, where he worked as a civil servant.

In 1923 he visited Ankara and met his childhood friend Atatürk, who was interested and concerned about him.

He was one of the few collectors with whom Queen Elizabeth II of England exchanged stamps.