I was born in 1947 in the Şar neighborhood of Mardin. I grew up in a family with nine children. I have been actively involved in the workforce since my primary school years.

After school and during summer holidays, my siblings and I would go to our father's tailor shop in Mardin and help him. I had learned the basics of tailoring by the age of 14.

At the age of 15, I went to Istanbul to join my older brother and entered the world of commerce. I went to his sewing workshop in Şişli and helped him, and started earning money.

When I turned 18, my great-uncle in the Grand Bazaar invited me to the bazaar, where I was introduced to the craft of jewelry making.

At the age of 21, I started running my own shop in the Grand Bazaar for the first time by renting both my shop and the shop across from mine. I also invited my brothers to the shop across the street, thus encouraging them to come to the bazaar as well. That's why we named ourselves The Brothers Jewellery.

We conducted our business in these two shops until 1977. That year, I rented the shop I am currently in. My brothers continued with the carpet weaving craft, while I continued with my well-making. Because I loved well-making and silver.

I pioneered many firsts in these areas in the market. I was the first to produce cufflinks and tie clips in silver. In those years, I led the sector by creating different models of men's silver rings.

I was extremely passionate about the profession. I collected jewelry from all over the world, but mostly from Afghanistan, India, Turkmenistan, Iran, Yemen, Tibet, Indonesia, Morocco, Georgia, Russia, and Poland.

Later, when I visited my older brother who had moved to America, I was collecting foreign magazines about jewelry making and producing gold models.

As a result, my shop became a frequent haunt for American and European bureaucrats. Especially on Saturdays, I became a popular stop for consulate employees residing here.

I became a shop that bureaucrats serving the Bush and Clinton administrations would always visit during their trips to Türkiye.

I always had colleagues who advised me, "Expand your business, get involved in really big projects." But I chose that path. I loved being a tradesman. I always said, "Big business comes with big problems."

I am still running my business in the same location.

They always ask me:

"What would you most like to happen in life?"

I would like to tell people about silver.

The silent elegance hidden within that metal, the patience of craftsmanship, the spirit it acquired by passing through the fire…
Now, nobody even realizes what silver is. They think it's just a glitter.

Perhaps that's why they're so sad. Because they don't feel the depth of anything.

They don't know what a line hidden on the inside of a ring means, or what intention is concealed in the curve of a wire.

I wish I could tell people the secret of silver.

Then they would realize the beauty beneath the surface. That
it wasn't just an ornament, but also a keepsake; that a piece of silver could sometimes tell a lifetime's story…

Perhaps then they would understand themselves and each other better.

Perhaps they could even reshape their own stories.

Although I can no longer explain it due to my age, my son, who has learned this profession very well, can pass it on to you.
I have handed the baton to him. In fact, the models you see now are his work.

Our shop's address is known, and our doors are open to anyone who wants to come.

Stay well and healthy, everyone.