After a failed marriage and years of raising her daughter on her own, Kieu Anh, 31, from Dong Thap Province, never imagined she would find happiness 8,000km from home.

Her relationship with Hakan began by chance. In late 2018, Kieu Anh was preparing to move to Germany to work as a nurse and joined social media groups to gather information. Hakan, who had worked in the healthcare sector for many years, happened to be a member of one of those groups and reached out to her.

Not long afterward, during a business trip to Vietnam, he asked if they could meet. At first, Kieu Anh hesitated because of the age gap. However, after learning that Hakan had injured his leg and needed assistance while in Vietnam, she agreed to help.

She took him to a clinic, drove him to work appointments, and showed him around the city. Through those encounters, she came to see him as intelligent, calm, and sincere.

"He looked younger than in his photos and was incredibly polite. Every time we went out, he would pull out my chair, often brought me roses, and always spoke gently. I could tell his kindness was genuine rather than an attempt to impress me," Kieu Anh said.

For Hakan, it was Kieu Anh's sincerity and modesty that stood out. During their first meeting, he offered her some money, calling it "milk money" for her daughter, but she politely declined. On later dates, she always chose inexpensive restaurants and rarely talked about work or money. Those qualities made him fall in love with her, and he eventually confessed his feelings.

"I agreed to give us a chance, but I didn't expect too much because Turkey felt like such a distant and unfamiliar country," she said.

After returning home, Hakan continued messaging her every day. A year later, he came back to Vietnam, not for work, but simply to see the woman he loved.

His return surprised and delighted Kieu Anh, though she still worried about their future. It was only when he was leaving again that she fully realized how much he meant to her.

"The day he flew home, I was at the office but couldn't stop thinking about seeing him. I eventually left work, drove all the way to the airport, and spent just a few minutes with him.

“We both cried so much when we said goodbye. That's when we realized we couldn't live without each other."

Traveling alone 

In late 2021, while COVID-19 restrictions were still making international travel difficult, Kieu Anh and Hakan decided to get married. Despite her family's objections, she traveled to Turkey alone, determined to follow her heart.

Before leaving, she told her parents: "I'm going to Türkiye to see him. If you stop hearing from me, you'll know what that means..."

What awaited her was a dream wedding attended by about 70 guests, including Hakan's parents, relatives, and friends.

He had carefully arranged everything, from the reception and photography to the music. As soft melodies filled the venue, Kieu Anh listened as her future husband vowed to stand by her "through happiness and hardship, in health and in sickness." At that moment, she knew she had chosen the right person.

Nine months after the wedding, the couple returned to Vietnam to bring Kieu Anh's daughter to live with them in Turkey. Only then did her family accept Hakan wholeheartedly after seeing him fulfill his promise to love and care for both mother and daughter.

Over the past five years, Kieu Anh has devoted herself to building their family. The couple agreed on one guiding principle: respect each other's culture and communicate openly whenever differences arise.

For example, although husbands in Turkey often manage the household finances or couples keep their incomes separate, Hakan respected his wife's wish to handle the family's finances. In everyday life, Kieu Anh also adapted her cooking to suit her husband's preferences.

What makes her happiest, she said, is the love and respect she receives from both her husband and his family.

"Whenever we visit, my parents-in-law treat me like an honored guest. They hardly let me do any housework.

Linh Trang