We interviewed our neighbors Didem and Orçun Selimoğlu, who have been living in Antteras with their son since June 2022. We talked about why they chose Antteras, their careers and their plans for the future.
Hello Didem and Orçun. First, we would like to introduce you to your neighbors. Could you please tell us a little about yourself and your family? When and how did you meet?
Didem Selimoğlu: I work as a Treasury Senior Dealer in a private bank. I am originally from Adana and the rest of my family still lives there. I came to Istanbul for my university education, passed my exams at another bank which started my banking career in Istanbul.
Orçun Selimoğlu: I am the second-generation representative of our family company, which has been operating in the electricity & contracting sector for more than 40 years. I met Didem on a holiday in Bodrum in 2015, we got married in 2018 and now we have a two-year-old son.
What are your hobbies?
D.S: I personally love traveling. I must admit that my most enjoyable hobby is planning and making reservations for everything from dinner to the show we will watch in the places we will go. I think doing pilates is very good for me, especially early in the morning, before I start my day. When I was pregnant, I introduced yoga and walking into my life, and these two sports helped me have a peaceful pregnancy.
O.S: I love scuba diving. I find peace under the water getting away from all negativity. Other than that, my other hobbies are skiing and playing PlayStation. Due to the length of my working hours, I am not able to do sports regularly, but I would like to start again as soon as possible.
You like travelling. What are your favorite cities in the world? Do you have any interesting travel memories?
O.S: I love traveling as much as Didem does and I feel very comfortable on our travels thanks to her organizational skills. When we go on a holiday, she plans our entire vacation without me having to think about anything. (Didem smiles). Our favorite destination was Hawaii, where we went for our honeymoon. We want to go again with our son one day.
D.S: I think our most interesting travel memory was the Bodrum holiday where we met.
What kind of changes in your life have you experienced after the pandemic?
D.S: Since I learned that I was pregnant at the very beginning of the pandemic, we had to attach great importance to isolation at that time. It was very difficult not to be able to hug our loved ones, and only to have a video call. Today, we still continue some precautions unwittingly. For example, I don’t go to the mall anymore unless I have to, and when I do, I want to get what I need quickly and leave.
After our son was born, we decided that we wanted to live in a place with more accessible social and green areas.
When did you move to Antteras? How did you make the decision, can you tell us a little bit about the process? What is it like for you and your family to live here?
D.S: We moved to Antteras in June 2022. This was a radical decision for us as before we lived on the 28th floor in Maslak. After our son was born, we decided that we wanted to live in a place with more accessible social and green areas. Orçun always wanted to live on the Anatolian side because all our friends live there. However, since we both work on the European side, we did not dare. Antteras has become a good choice for both of us because of its proximity to the bridge and the social opportunities it offers.
Antteras has become a good choice for both of us because of its proximity to the bridge and the social opportunities it offers.
Have you bought a place from Ant Yapı before or are you planning to buy it again?
D.S:. My family, especially my sister, misses our son Sarp very much as they live in Adana. That’s why we want to buy another apartment in Antteras to be neighbors with them.