Those who see the statue of Cristiano Ronaldo eating kuymak think it's real.

In Uzungöl, Trabzon, tourism entrepreneur Mehmet İnan had a wax statue made of the world-famous Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo for his business. The statue of Ronaldo, seated in a chair with a view of the lake and offering a local delicacy called kuymak with a spoon, has become the center of attention for customers and visitors. Inviting Ronaldo to Uzungöl, İnan said, "Cristiano Ronaldo is the best name in this regard; he has a lot of followers on social media. We thought that there would be easier interaction, so we came up with this idea."

HAD A STATUE OF RONALDO EATING KUYMAK MADE FOR HIS BUSINESS

Mehmet İnan, who is a hotel and tourism operator in the world-famous tourist center of Uzungöl in the Çaykara district, had a wax statue made of the world-famous Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo to attract the attention of visitors and customers, especially from Gulf countries, and to increase interaction in the region known for its natural beauty. Holidaymakers and visitors coming to the area are initially deceived into thinking that the wax statue of Ronaldo, who is seated in a chair with a view of Uzungöl and offering kuymak with a spoon, is real. Customers take souvenir photos with the statue once they realize it up close.

"WE WANTED A NAME EVERYONE RECOGNIZES"

Stating that the Ronaldo statue has become synonymous with the venue, Mehmet İnan said, "We opened a new place that overlooks Uzungöl from above. We thought about having this new place be associated with something different. Of course, people from all over the world come to Uzungöl. We wanted a name that everyone recognizes. Cristiano Ronaldo is the best name in this regard; he has a lot of followers on social media. We thought that there would be easier interaction, so we came up with this idea. Uzungöl is also a place that has become synonymous with kuymak. That's why we wanted to have him eat kuymak. We thought, 'Let it be both local and international, and let it promote our kuymak'."

"WE GET INTERESTING REACTIONS"

İnan, stating that customers initially think the statue is real, shared a humorous dialogue he had with a customer, saying, "We get interesting reactions from the guests who come to the business. We hear interesting questions like, 'Is this Ronaldo's place?' 'Did Ronaldo have breakfast here?' Sometimes we experience funny events. People don't realize at first that this is a statue. Once, one of our guests wanted kuymak from us. That day, we had run out of kuymak cheese due to the crowd. When we told him we couldn't make kuymak, he pointed to Ronaldo's statue and said, 'But that guy is eating, why aren't you giving it to us?' We all laughed a lot about that."

"THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO COME JUST TO TAKE PHOTOS"

İnan expressed that there are also those who come to the venue just to take photos with Ronaldo's wax statue, saying, "When they first enter the venue, they can't tell whether it's real or a statue. However, when they get closer, they immediately compare it to Ronaldo. Because they think it looks like him, they take photos right away. Almost 80% of the people who enter the venue take photos with it. We also have guests who come just to take photos and then leave. The cost of this was around 400,000 lira. With this opportunity, we invite Ronaldo to Uzungöl. If he ever comes to Turkey, we hope he will come here. We would like to treat him to kuymak along with his statues."

"IT LOOKS A LOT LIKE RONALDO"

Customer Yusuf Aktürk stated that he initially thought the statue was real, saying, "I was already a fan of Ronaldo. We used to watch and follow him. When I came here, I thought it was real at first when I walked in. I saw someone sitting here. When we first arrived, we got closer, and he had kuymak in his hand; I thought it was real. Then we came here, took photos, and so on. It turned out nice, it's a beautiful decoration. It has added a lot of color to this place. I was surprised when I first saw it. It looks a lot like Ronaldo."