17.07.2026 17:02
In Gaziantep, 100-year-old Mehmet Balaban and his 103-year-old wife Cennet Balaban revealed their secrets to longevity. The couple, who drink Turkish coffee every day, shared the three things they always keep on their table.
100-year-old Mehmet Balaban and his 103-year-old wife Cennet Balaban, living in the Islahiye district of Gaziantep, explain that the secret to their long and healthy life is eating less, natural nutrition, and never missing yogurt from their tables.
THEY DID NOT EXPERIENCE HEALTH PROBLEMS
The Balaban couple, living in Islahiye's Dervispasa neighborhood and married in 1953, have 3 sons, 4 daughters, 25 grandchildren, and 26 great-grandchildren. Despite their advanced age, the couple mostly handles their daily tasks themselves and stated that they have not experienced any serious health issues to date, only visiting a doctor during the pandemic in 2021.
HERE ARE THE 3 PRODUCTS THEY NEVER MISS FROM THEIR TABLES
Mehmet Balaban, who said he grew up with Yörük culture and spent his life hunting, noted that they never miss butter, yogurt, and cheese from their tables for years.
Balaban, expressing that he loves yogurt more than meat, stated that when they consume a hearty meal, they spend the rest of the day with a single meal, saying, 'Eating less and natural nutrition has kept us going until today.'
'WE LIVED IN PEACE'
103-year-old Cennet Balaban stated that she never fought with her husband throughout their marriage, saying, 'May Allah be pleased with him. We lived a lifetime in peace.'
Cennet Balaban, who said she offers Turkish coffee prepared by her own hands to her husband every day, expressed that they cherish every day spent together.
The century-old couple, resting in the courtyard of their home during summer heat, continue to keep their love and devotion to each other alive as if it were the first day, sitting hand in hand.