An Interview With Bahar Akkurt
Today, we will talk about a couple who took a radical decision in their lives and moved from Istanbul to Datça, a district of Muğla. Dear couple Bahar and Hasan Akkurt, perhaps the ones who make the dreams of most people living in the big city come true. Instead of working in the big city, they are the managers of Thomas Suites Datça.
We thank Ms. Bahar, who gave us information about their life in Datça and the transition process there.
Are you born and raised in Istanbul?
I was born in Istanbul and until 2019 I lived in Istanbul. My spouse, Hasan was born in Germany, Duisburg.
How did you get the idea to go from Istanbul? What was the reason?
We married in 2011, and we always wanted to live in a quiet town. The life has always been chaotic and tiring in Istanbul. Everybody is nervous and agitated to arrive somewhere, no one is aware of enjoying their present moment. We decided that there must be a reason of our lives, we have to discover, learn and enjoy. After our son’s birth, we were ready to leave Istanbul.
How long was the time between the idea to go and the realization?
We moved to Datça in June 2019, so eight years.
Why Datça?
There is no specific reason indeed. I call it chance or the answer of the universe. We were in search of appropriate place to move in. While we were on holiday in Datça in 2018, we heard that there is a building on sale which was built as an apart hotel. We bought it and renovated the building and made some changes, then here we are as the owners and managers of the apart hotel. There 8 rooms; 4 double-room and 4 family suits (maximum for 5 people). The name comes from our son’s second name, Thomas 🙂
How was the moving process?
Because I lived abroad for a while, moving from Istanbul to Datça was not really a tough experience for me. Hasan has always been open-minded. We missed our family and friends for sure, but they always visit us.
Why did you choose hotel management as your business?
There is not lots of business opportunities in Datça. Because we bought the building, the best thing is to deal with tourism.
What were your previous jobs?
I am a teacher and Hasan used to deal with construction business.
What were your difficulties in this process?
We, actually, did not have any obstacles. Adaption period was easier than we expected. In a short time we met really nice people with whom we can have nice time, or even to share. Because we have a son, our main concentration has been on him.
How was the adaptation process to Datça?
The life is simple and in harmony here in Datça, we have never been fan of shopping malls and crowds of people. I had a chance to discover me, my skills, and also I stepped into Cosmo Energy and learned a lot about it. I could create some time for myself to discover more. I am glad that we could move here.
Well, did you find what you wanted or what you were looking for?
Definitely, we did. However, we never give up searching for innovation.
Is there any possibility to return to Istanbul?
We would like to go to Istanbul only as a guest, not as a citizen 🙂
Do you have anything to add or say to our readers?
It is a hard decision to move to somewhere else that you do not know. If you listen to your inner voice and spare some time for you, your selfness will be your real guide. Pay attention to your needs and enjoy your present moment, do not always invest for your future. No one can guarantee the future.
