Meeting Engin Akyurek

My name is Linda Savage Wakeling and I am American. I met Engin Akyürek in April 2019 at his birthday charity event in Istanbul. This was not the first time I met Engin, or the 2nd time... But the 3rd time. I want to share about the previous times we met because they have affected my impressions of meeting Engin on this 3rd meeting.

The first meeting with Engin was a huge surprise when I walked into a small market in 2018 on the Asian side of Istanbul and saw him walking straight towards me. I was so shocked I could barely think or talk. Engin saw me whisper his name “Engin Bey?” and was very kind to stop and talk to me. I had been staying with a friend in Kadıköy for a week hoping for the slim chance of an Engin-sighting and give him a birthday gift I carried in my backpack. Now, he was standing before me! I tried to speak in Turkish introducing myself but soon forgot most of the Turkish I knew. I switched to English and he said “We go outside to talk?” because we were blocking the small market aisle. Outside the door among the vegetable bins, I gave him my gift, he thanked me, I told him how much I enjoyed watching his work, he continued to thank me. I think I babbled a few more sentences to him but can’t remember what I said as his smiling eyes looked at me. I did not want to keep him from his shopping so I thanked him, we parted and he went back inside. I was so shocked by my encounter with Engin, I walked away from the market forgetting to buy anything. A minute later, after regaining some sanity, I turned around and went back to the market to buy the things I needed. When I arrived, Engin was quickly walking away from the market with his purchases and my gift under his arm. He drove away in his white car.

Engin didn’t have to stop and talk to me. He could have walked past me pretending he didn’t hear me or see the shocked expression on my face. No one else in the market seemed to notice him....only me. I’m told most Turks give their celebrities space and privacy in public. Only “foreigners” stop them in public. But that is the kind of man Engin is...kind and generous to his fans.

I texted a few of my Engin-fan friends and explained what happened. “I gave Engin a birthday gift but I forgot to get a photo with him or have him sign his book!” They told me I could see him at a book signing in Suadiye later that week and when he saw me at the book signing, he smiled big and said “I remember you!” I had spent a total of about 5 minutes in those first 2 meetings with Engin. I thought how blessed I was to have been able to meet Engin twice and would probably never see him again.

September 2018, I was happy to donate to UCIM, Engin’s birthday charity, to help abused children. In February 2019, 13 fans were chosen to meet Engin at the charity presentation in Istanbul. My name was not among the 13 chosen people. Weeks passed without hearing any news of the event. In April 2019, I was in Istanbul after much traveling in that area of the world when I received messages that some people were not able to attend the meeting with Engin that month and I was one of the alternates chosen next on the list. Was I able and ready to attend? When I got over the shock of being chosen, I replied “Yes, I’m already here!”

I wrote in advance what I wanted to say to Engin in Turkish and English. From experience, I knew that being in Engin’s presence would be enough to wipe out my memory. I am a happily married woman but Engin has an affect on people...ok, on me...and this affect is hard to explain. The day arrived and I found myself sitting in a room with the other excited fans and UCIM & Art Istanbul employees. Among the 13 fans, we drew numbers to determine what order we would speak to Engin. I was last...#13. I joked that by the time it was my turn to talk to Engin, they would say “Sorry, we’ve run out of time....Engin has to go!” But knowing how kind Engin is with his fans, I knew he would never let that happen.

We were nervous and excited. The conference room was hot, stuffy, full of people and balloons that were all over the floor and side tables. Every once in a while a balloon would pop adding to the anxiety. We told “Engin is on his way”...then ”Engin is 5 minutes away“...suddenly I looked up and Engin appeared in the doorway and walked in greeting us with his big smile. Immediately, it was as if I saw him again for the first time. My breath caught in my chest. I noticed, again, how tall he was, what a charming smile he had, how his eyes twinkled and smiled at the same time, that his hair had a little more gray but still as handsome as ever and how he took the time to greet each fan around the table individually shaking their hands. But the table was too long to reach those at the end of the table. I would understand if he stopped shaking hands since the room was so crowded with people and balloons. But that didn’t stop him from moving around to the other side of the table to greet and shake hands with each person, even those of us in the back. That is the kind of man Engin is...intentionally kind to each person he encounters.

When Engin made eye contact with me to shake my hand, I saw the glimmer of recognition in his eyes and he laughed a little saying to me “I remember you” for the 2nd time In my life. There were presentations from UCIM, thanking donors and thanking Engin for using his fame and celebrity to help others. During these presentations, Engin stood tall, fidgeting at times with his arms and hands, looking up, looking down, looking out to the room of people but fixing his eyes just above our heads at a fixed object. My impression was, although Engin is a tremendous actor and a master at being in front of an audience or camera playing someone else, he may not be completely comfortable receiving attention as himself, especially for his good deeds. But kind and giving people are like that...they do not need or care for recognition. Engin could choose to be honored in private by his charities but he is gracious to allow fans to meet him at these events. That is the kind of man Engin is.. .intentionally gracious and kind.

As each fan was speaking to Engin, I concentrated on watching him. I watched his reactions when each person spoke to him. Engin was attentive to each person, sometimes asking a question, laughing at something funny that was said, listening thoughtfully and thoughtfully answering questions asked of him. Time passed too quickly as we savored his time with us. Then, it was my turn.

I was standing towards the back but I moved to the front where Engin was sitting so he could hear me speak. My biggest fear was that he would not understand my Turkish. I wasn't just talking to Engin, but every person in the room was looking on and listening....many were Turkish speakers. I read my Turkish message and I think he understood. He smiled and said something like “very good” or “çok iyi.” Honestly, from the time I began to speak to Engin, I don’t remember everything he said to me. When I switched to English, I tried to speak slowly and clearly because I believe he can understand more English than he can speak. He asked me a question or two in English without the help of the interpreter.

At the end, I asked him 3 questions:

#1- If you could have dinner and talk to anyone (dead or alive) who would you choose and why? He said “Mustafa Kemal Atatürk...because he was the founder of the Republic of Turkey...our country.” I sort of expected that answer.

#2- What is a favorite book you enjoy reading over & over again? After thinking, he said quietly “Don Quixote”...the classic book written by Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes.

#3- I heard you like rock music. Do you have any favorite American rock bands? He thought and spoke to the interpreter exchanging a few words. The interpreter said slowly “Scorpions?” and Engin repeated in English. Even though Scorpions is a German band...who cares? I wanted to get a little insight into Engin’s mind and his likes.

During that afternoon, all the questions and answers from Engin helped me to gain a little more insight into the man. But at the end of the day, there were a few things about Engin that were not new to me and made the same impression on me each time I have met him. These things are some of the reasons Engin Akyürek is greatly admired world-wide. Not only is Engin a phenomenal actor and gifted writer, Engin is intentionally kind, gracious and generous to others. He exemplifies these traits time and time again with people that meet and work with him. This is the kind of man he is, and, the kind of man he will always be!