17.05.2026 21:30
In Muğla, Bodrum, a groundbreaking twist was added to traditional dowry ceremonies. The groom-to-be, working day and night with his father, completely restored a rare jeep—only two of which exist worldwide, with one already scrapped—through four months of intense effort. Painted entirely pink and reborn from its ashes, this special vehicle was presented to the bride as an unforgettable surprise at the dowry ceremony.
Saltuğ Taşlıdağ, who is preparing for marriage in Bodrum district of Muğla, wanted to give a gift to his fiancée Ece Demirkıran before the wedding.
THEY WORKED DAY AND NIGHT FOR 4 MONTHS
Saltuğ Taşlıdağ, together with his father Murat Taşlıdağ, entered the workshop and purchased an old jeep that had been abandoned to its fate in a scrapyard. Father and son started an intense work in their own business, working day and night for 4 months to overhaul the vehicle from top to bottom. The jeep, painted pink and decorated with special details, gained a dazzling design.
COVERED WITH PINK TULLE, SET OFF TOWARD THE BRIDE'S HOME
Today was the dowry sending ceremony, and there was activity at the workshop. The pink jeep, with preparations completed, was loaded onto a tow truck with a crane accompanied by drums and zurna. The jeep, covered with pink tulle, and the accompanying convoy went to Gümüşlük neighborhood where the bride's family lives. While the dowries were loaded onto a camel, the jeep on the tow truck began to move toward the home of bride Ece Demirkıran. Citizens who saw the pink jeep and the crowded convoy behind it could not hide their astonishment. Bride Ece Demirkıran, seeing the jeep on the tow truck, first experienced surprise, then great joy.
“THERE ARE ONLY 2 IN THE WORLD”
Stating that the license plate is special, Saltuğ Taşlıdağ said, “As a result of a 4-month effort with my father, we adapted a 1952 model jeep to 2026. We made it more technological. We redesigned it to be more suitable for Bodrum, sportier, two-wheel drive for my fiancée. Today is the weight ceremony, we are taking the dowries. We will also deliver this jeep as my fiancée's dowry. We got our license plate specially. My wife's name is Ece, our license plate is 34 ECE 225. Because we are from Erzurum, 25. Additionally, the numbers '22-5' also represent our wedding date, May 22. Thus, we took care of everything at once. It will be a surprise for my wife. We chose the color specially. Pink is unique in Turkey and there are only two in the world. What makes it unique is that only one of the two pink jeeps will drive on the road, the other stays in a museum.”
“WE BRING SCRAP JEEPS BACK TO LIFE”
Murat Taşlıdağ said, “We work with jeeps, which is our family profession. We have been in Bodrum for 8 years. We are taking our daughter-in-law from Bodrum. We also made a jeep for our bride-to-be. Before this, I had already started a 'jeep for every home' campaign. We wanted the first of these homes to be for my bride. Today is our happy day, we said 'let the heaviest of the weight be'. Blessings upon my bride. We collect scrap jeeps and bring them back to life. In past years, we made similar jeeps in Muğla, Bodrum, and Fethiye.”
“I AM VERY HAPPY”
Ece Demirkıran, expressing great joy over the gift, stated, “I thank my fiancée, my soon-to-be husband, very much for deeming me worthy of this beautiful gift. I was surprised; the pink military jeep is unique in Turkey, they restored it for me again. Everything was specially selected and made with great effort.”