Naz Yıldırım Akbaş Takes Over Istanbul Shoe Repair Shop at 47

Naz Yıldırım Akbaş, a 47‑year‑old woman originally from Bayburt, moved to Istanbul in 2013. After her husband’s construction business collapsed, she supported her family by working in cleaning jobs while dreaming of starting her own enterprise.

In 2023 she entered a shoe‑repair workshop in Üsküdar as a 45‑year‑old apprentice. Learning the trade from the shop’s owner, Şeref Bey, she eventually accepted his offer to hand over the 25‑square‑metre shop. Defying remarks such as “this is a man’s job, you can’t do it,” Akbaş became the proprietor, running the business while raising four children and a grandchild.