In Iraq’s northern city of Duhok, Ahmet Akbey doesn’t just wear his heart on his sleeve – he roars it aloud.
The Diyarbakır-born businessperson, famously known as an “aslan terbiyecisi” (“lion tamer”), celebrated Galatasaray’s 25th Süper Lig title with his pet lions, named after club icons Fatih Terim and Okan Buruk.
A devout Galatasaray fan, Akbey marked the historic fifth star – now stitched on the club’s crest – by posing with his pride of lions, including newborn cubs named after star players Mauro Icardi, Victor Osimhen, Barış Alper Yılmaz, Yunus Akgün, and Abdülkerim Bardakcı.
“My biggest dream is to watch a match at Rams Park with my lion named Fatih Terim,” said Akbey. “Okan Buruk is still a cub, but he’ll grow up too. Even our lionesses gave birth this season – so we’re raising the next generation of Galatasaray legends right here.”
But Akbey isn’t the only one turning passion into spectacle.
Over 600 kilometers (370 miles) away in Diyarbakır’s Silvan district, another story roars to life.
Mehdi Keskinkılınç, a father of four and lifelong Galatasaray devotee, transformed his modest home into a shrine for the Istanbul club.
Painted in yellow and red, his house features the names of Icardi and Osimhen – Galatasaray’s goal-getting duo – and now proudly displays the fifth star.
What started as a plasterer’s dream became a viral sensation after Icardi reposted the house to his 13.9 million Instagram followers, writing, “Minik aslanlar büyüyor” (“Little lions are growing up”).
Keskinkılınç later added Osimhen’s name after the Nigerian striker joined the team. “If I had 20,000 houses, I’d paint them all yellow and red,” he said. “I kept a promise I made to myself – Galatasaray would live on these walls.”
Yet beneath the paint and pride lies a deeper wish: a future for Silvan’s children. “We don’t ask for tickets anymore,” Keskinkılınç said. “Just give our kids a pitch. Call it Galatasaray Stadium. Let them dream too.”
To those who mocked his devotion online, his message was clear: “Respect starts at home. Don’t insult what you don’t understand.”
Content Source: www.dailysabah.com