As we were planning the interview, Alp invited me to his office. When I looked up the address, I immediately recognized it as a street I frequented during my high school years. I agreed, and we met right after his shoot for Aposto.

Walking down that narrow street felt nostalgic; it had been a good eight years since I was last there.

Alp and his colleagues greeted me warmly at the door. The atmosphere was relaxed, and Alp was in high spirits—mostly, I learned, because he was leaving for vacation that very day. He let me know right away that we were short on time, so we jumped straight into the photoshoot. It was effortless; we quickly agreed on how and where to shoot. My immediate impression was of someone in perpetual, efficient motion. It wasn’t just physical; his mind worked like clockwork. You could see in his eyes that he was not only hyper-aware but also constantly weighing his surroundings. When we sat down to chat, I broke the ice with a few anecdotes about him. He maintained that initial impression: his responses were lightning-fast. In fact, the speed and comprehensiveness of his answers were striking. It was almost shocking how quickly he formulated such articulate thoughts.

When he mentioned that the first thing he notices in a person is sincerity, I must have made a funny face. Before I could even ask him to elaborate—which I had planned to do—he started explaining. Sincerity, he noted, is something he recognizes instantly. Clothes, for example, can be a giveaway; if someone looks perfectly put together, as if they just stepped out of a catalog, he tends to distrust it. He views it as “standardized,” and it became clear to me that he avoids standardization at all costs. Smirking, he added that over-consistency just doesn’t sit right with him. Tone of voice matters too, he explained, playfully imitating a fake, polished voice. I think that was the moment the ice truly broke between us.

Another fascinating insight came when discussing his habits in the city: he avoids traffic at all costs, even if it means taking longer to get from point A to B. He explained that he’d rather spend an extra 40 minutes commuting on the ferry than sit trapped in a car. To him, those 40 minutes on the water aren’t lost time; they’re a win, a perfect opportunity for multitasking. This segued perfectly into my next question regarding where he always returns to. “The Bosphorus,” he answered instantly. I couldn’t help but smile, pleased that I had successfully connected the dots of his routines. Alp has the kind of commanding presence that makes you want to sit up straight and prove you are matching his focus. I asked if he had always loved the Bosphorus this much, or if studying at Stanford had amplified it. He immediately said yes to the latter, explaining that missing the Bosphorus from afar taught him never to take it for granted. As I asked more questions, I was repeatedly struck by the sheer velocity of his intellect.

Wrapping up the interview, I thanked him for his time. He told me he enjoyed the questions and the thought they provoked. I felt truly honored. I am not someone who typically seeks validation, but somehow, Alp left me with the distinct feeling that his opinion truly matters.