Her homeland is the village of Ay-Kol, located in the Leilek district of the Batken region.
“I am the youngest of three children and the only daughter in the family. My parents still live in Leilek. My first experience abroad was a trip to Moscow, where I, like many, worked in labor migration. Then I went to Turkey, where I managed to visit various cities. For work, I also traveled to Uzbekistan and lived in Tashkent. In the future, I dream of traveling around Europe,” Baktygul shared.
Currently, she works in the customs department of a logistics company in Istanbul.
“I have been married for ten years. We met in Istanbul when I was looking for an institution. He asked for my phone number to send me a photo and address. I soon left for Kyrgyzstan, and six months later, he wrote to me, and we started communicating. Fate led us to marry in 2015, and I became part of his Istanbul family. His name is Onur, he was born and raised in Istanbul, and his hometown is Kastamonu. We held our wedding ceremony in Kyrgyzstan. We have a son named Mehmet-Ersin, who is currently in the second grade,” she shared.
“We both work, and my mother-in-law looks after our son during the day. In the evenings, like in any family, we do household chores: cook food and complete various tasks. We always help each other. For example, when I am doing homework with our son, my husband prepares dinner,” noted the Kyrgyz woman.
Baktygul shared an interesting episode from her life:
“When I first became a daughter-in-law, a funny incident happened. In Turkey, there are establishments called 'kahvehane,' where men drink tea or coffee and play board games. One day, I walked into such a place, ordered tea, and waited a long time, observing around and wondering why there were no women there. At that time, I didn’t even know that this place was exclusively for men, as I hadn’t watched Turkish series. This incident will forever remain in my memory,” she recounted.
She also shared her impressions of Istanbul:
“The infrastructure and transportation here are well organized. The city has many historical sites and architectural monuments that have survived since the Ottoman Empire. Traditions and culture are felt in everyday life. The streets are always full of people, and many shops operate around the clock. There is a tradition of drinking tea and coffee in the evenings. But despite all this, my homeland will always be special to me, and I love Kyrgyzstan the most,” she emphasized.
Baktygul highlighted that she built her career from scratch, starting as a secretary and eventually achieving the position of director.
“At first, there were many difficulties. But with each new experience, I became more confident and better at my job, continuing to learn. This journey taught me a lot. Now I can proudly say that I received the title of 'best specialist.' Of course, my family — my husband, mother-in-law, parents, and brothers — have been a great support for me,” she added.
In her free time, Baktygul prefers to spend it with her family. She also runs a blog where she shares videos about beautiful places in Istanbul and useful information for her compatriots, as well as creates content about Kyrgyz and Turkish cultures.
“My goal for the future is to open my own business,” she concluded.
