100-year-old Mehmet Balaban and his 103-year-old wife Cennet Balaban, who live in Gaziantep's İslahiye district, explain the secret to their long and healthy lives as eating little, consuming natural foods, and never missing yogurt from their tables.
The Balaban couple, who live in İslahiye's Dervişpaşa Mahallesi and married in 1953, have 3 sons, 4 daughters, 25 grandchildren, and 26 great-grandchildren.
Despite their advanced age, the couple, who largely manage their daily chores themselves, stated that they have not experienced any serious health problems to date, only consulting a doctor during the pandemic in 2021.
Mehmet Balaban, explaining that he grew up with Yörük culture and spent his life hunting, stated that they have not missed butter, yogurt, and cheese from their tables for years.
Balaban, stating that he loves yogurt more than meat, added that when they consume a hearty meal, they spend the rest of the day with a single meal, saying, "Eating little and consuming natural foods has kept us going until today."
103-year-old Cennet Balaban, on the other hand, stated that they never fought with her husband throughout their marriage, saying, "May Allah be pleased with him. We lived a lifetime in peace."
Cennet Balaban, explaining that she serves her husband Turkish coffee prepared with her own hands every day, said that they appreciate every day they spend together.
The centenarian couple, resting in their home's courtyard during the summer heat, continue to keep their love and devotion for each other alive as if it were the first day, sitting hand in hand.