08.09.2025 12:42
Engin Koç, a famous model and actor from a past era, built a house in his village in the Hafik district of Sivas, away from the chaos of the big city. Spending time in nature with his wife and son, Koç recalled his past experiences in front of the camera with stars like Hülya Avşar and Banu Alkan, stating, "It is very important for a person to return to their essence and get to know themselves. That's why I chose this place," as he described the tranquility of village life.
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Engin Koç (66), a former model and film actor who built a house in his village in the Hafik district of Sivas, spends time away from the stress of the big city. Having acted in many films in the 1980s and 90s and walked the runways, Koç said, "It is very important for a person to return to their essence and meet themselves. That's why I chose this place."
STARTED MODELLING AT A YOUNG AGE Engin Koç, originally from Sivas, was born in Istanbul in 1959 and started modeling at the age of 16. In 1976, he was selected as the 1st in the 'King of Models' competition organized by Saklambaç Newspaper, where Ajda Pekkan, Cüneyt Arkın, Seyyal Taner, and Sezen Cumhur Önal were jury members. Having walked the runway for years, Engin Koç also participated in dozens of projects in the cinema and series industry. Koç, who lives with his wife Pınar and son Burga, built a house in Yeniköy, a village connected to the Hafik district, which he frequently visited for years. Spending part of the summer vacation with his wife and son in their village house, Engin Koç works in his garden.
'MY GOAL IS TO STAY HERE FOR 6 MONTHS' Stating that he comes and goes to his village almost every year and usually stays with relatives, Koç expressed his desire to have his own house, saying, "It is very important for a person to return to their essence and be themselves, to meet themselves. That's why I chose this place. There is no other alternative, it couldn't be. I wanted to have a small place here that I can call home, with the key in my hand. God granted us the opportunity to build a small prefabricated house. When I come, I have a place where I can open the door and stay inside. All my aunts, the whole village, are relatives anyway. Of course, I used to come here every summer during my childhood. When I came before, I stayed with my aunts. It doesn't work, of course, with houses on top of each other. God granted us to build a house," he said.
'THIS PLACE IS LIKE A PAINTER'S CANVAS' Engin Koç, who loves Istanbul but finds the crowd exhausting, stated, "I no longer want to live in Istanbul. There are too many people, too much energy. It used to be very beautiful, in my time. Istanbul is still beautiful, a very enjoyable place, but I don't think it's a place to stay for a long time anymore. People are now looking for calm places where they can relax and rejuvenate their souls. Here, a person relaxes. There are crops, and they are harvested. You see the seasons here. First, there is a lush green nature cover, then it turns yellow. Life here is like a canvas, like a painter's canvas. You see everything as if there is a being constantly painting in front of you. I came to Istanbul when I was little. My father never lost his accent. I haven't lost mine either. We used to come and go here. And we love our relatives. We become good kin to each other here," he expressed.
'I HAVE NO REGRETS ABOUT MY PAST' Koç, explaining that his professional life holds a special place for him, said, "Every age, every time has its own characteristics. They were meant to be lived, and we lived them. I have never regretted my past. Because I may have made mistakes in my past. But that was how it was at that time. Now I am walking towards my time of wisdom. There is a thing called being a master of the job, being a master of life. But in this endless journey, there is no stopping. You are always learning. Of course, I have had regrets. But there is no possibility of not having them. Like everyone else, I may have made mistakes. We came to this world to make mistakes. Only our prophets do not make mistakes. Everyone learns something. We go on learning. But you shouldn't linger too long in front of the buffet. You can't eat Circassian chicken every day. If you do, you'll upset your stomach. You have to continue. New dishes, new people, new views. You should consider everyone like yourself. You should think beautifully," he stated.
'I LOVED MODELLING MORE' Engin Koç, who stated that he loved modeling the most among the sectors he was involved in, but that acting in films and series is also important, said, "I left nothing in my artistic life. If there is a series suitable for me now, I would gladly act. I am always open to projects. I have always done my job willingly. My dear director Temel Gürsu introduced me to cinema. We shot films with Banu (Alkan), Harika (Avcı), Hülya (Avşar), and Serpil (Çakmaklı) for years. Honestly, I loved modeling much more. It was my first love. In my time, there were 10 male models and 20 female models. Also, modeling opened my horizons. I was a successful model. I represented my country well abroad. I traveled the world for 2 years as the only Turkish model among 20 foreign models. Everywhere it said 'Engin Koç, From Istanbul, Turkey,' and it became a source of pride for me. I represented Turkey here. Those were beautiful days. May everyone have the chance, but those years are gone. That modeling is gone, those jobs are gone. Everything is very mechanical now. The emotion of the job is no longer there, as you can understand," he said.
'THERE WERE BEAUTIFUL MOVIES IN THE OLD DAYS' Koç explained that filming was more difficult in the past, saying, "Back then, Yeşilçam, of course, because it shot on negative, and since it wasn't digital, if you couldn't act well, the person would get angry with you inside. Because you waste their negative. They go to waste. 'Engin, act properly,' and so on. There were very beautiful movies in the old days. Nowadays, there are also beautiful ones. For example, 20 series come out at the beginning of the season. Then 3 or 4 series remain, the others get eliminated. So, the series and movies that are favorites among people remain. They get good ratings. If they don't get ratings, they go," he said.
Engin Koç's wife Pınar and son Burga Koç also expressed their happiness about building a house in the village and spending time there, stating that being part of village life and being close to nature brings peace.
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