designed and hand made by M. Kemal Saatçıoğlu
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The Short Story of Myself
I was born in Izmir Turkey on 27th June 1968. My father was a naval architect, so I grew up in the ship yards, design rooms, at the ports and as well onboard our small boat during summer holidays. He was a pipe and cigar smoker, a good cook, a handy-men and finally a person who truly enjoyed life with a significant gusto! and my mother was a house wife, love-full mother, a very strong woman and the most excellent cook I’ve ever seen! After my father passed away, she took over the responsibilities of my father, stood strong and opened all the opportunities in life and provided al the support that she can, for me and my sister to come to these days.
I’ve studied Economics in the university and with the push and support of my dear mother also completed masters’ degree on Maritime Administration and wrote my graduation thesis on Marina Management.
So, following my military service in Turkish Navy as a reserve officer, I’ve started my life-long career in Marina Management; my beloved profession and passion.
I’ve started my career in Setur Marinas Group of Koc Group of Companies as a Harbour Master in Setur Kuşadası Marina, a year later I got promoted to Marina Manager title and managed Çeşme, Kuşadası and Netsel Marmaris Marinas. Following the field duties, I’ve moved to the to the head office of Setur Marinas in Istanbul as the Director of Business Development, together with the management role of Setur Kalamış & Fenerbahçe Marina.
Meanwhile, I got married to my beloved wife Kubra and two years later became a father to our son Ruzgar. Our desire to go back to Aegean coast, resulted with accepting the offer from Camper & Nicholsons Marinas as the General manager of C&N/IC Çeşme Marina, where our daughter Çakıl joined our family.
Four years later, I’ve received the offer which I could not turned down; for taking over the CEO position of D-Marin Marinas which is the biggest marina chain in the Mediterranean. In May 2018, I’ve said farewell to D-Marin and as well to corporate life after over twenty-five years. Since then, I am acting as an international consultant for marina investments and operations, teaching Marina Management in the University and stepping in to the Cigar World which was my dream for a long time.
True Cigar Lover
My first real hand-made cigar was a badly kept, dry (which I did not care that time) Cuban Quintero Cigar, given by my brother-in-law. I can never forget… it was a beautiful summer evening, after work, a cool shower, well prepared glass of gin & tonic, newly purchased Buena Vista Social Club CD on, with the beautiful view of Kusadasi harbour from my terrace and the Cuban Cigar!... This was my first ever “real cigar” experience! It was an unforgettable joy and one of the remarkable turning points of my life!
One month later the same season, the captain of a mega yacht whom we became good friends with came to my office to say goodbye before their departure with a brand-new box of Vega Finas under his arm, which was my first box of cigars.
By the years passed by, my passion to cigars, my taste and my choices developed as well as my curiosity and interest to learn everything about cigars.
Soon after I quit corporate life, I finally found more time to read, investigate and understand about the magical journey of tobacco and the producing process of Cigars. I started to look for an education/training on tobacco and cigars and I got across with International Association of Cigar Sommeliers. I immediately got in contact with them and look for a close by location for their training programs. But the pandemic happened. While my hopes for a IACS training almost ending, as I’ve spoken with Miguel (Marcias), he informed me that they’ve created an on-line course program due to the covid conditions
I’ve immediately started to course, almost ate the lessons by passion, but had a hard time to pass both the written and verbal exams, because they’ve took their precautions to make the course a serious one under the web conditions. So, I finally passed all the necessary stages and became a IACS certified Cigar Sommelier.
Now I organise Cigar Courses, Cigar Tastings, Cigar & Spirit matching events, Cigar Talks etc… as I’ve been dreaming for a long time.
M. Kemal Saatçıoğlu
My Passion to Cigars
During my childhood, our house was filled with the lovely smoke of pipe and cigar tobacco. Those years, it was not easy to access either to good quality pipe tobacco or handmade premium cigars. Travelling abroad was not a common act. There were even restrictions for the amount of foreign currency you may bring along out of Turkey.
So, my father considered himself lucky if he could get hold of couple of packages of his beloved Clan or Amphora pipe tobaccos. Otherwise, he was mixing the existing two types of Turkish Monopoly pipe tobaccos and trying to aromatise them by spraying whisky and cognac and adding some pieces of apple peelings.
Regarding the Cigars, he was smoking Turkish Monopoly “Pazar” coronas. The only foreign cigars could be accessed (from the “smugglers’ market) were Dutch made machine cigars such as “King Edward” or “Dutch Master”. Spirits were also limited to Turkish Monopoly produced Gin, Vodka, Whisky and Cognac.
So, whenever I lite a premium cigar and pour a glass of malt whisky for my-self, I always remember him and the way he enjoyed these tastes within all these shortages of supply. But he always enjoyed his moments just like he had a Cuban cigar between his fingers and a malt whisky on a tea-table next to him. Therefore, I’ve inherited the legacy of enjoyment o life from him.
I started to smoke pipe first, during a winter weekend escape to Bodrum with friends during my first year in the university. When I returned from Bodrum, I’ve confessed my mother that I’ve experienced pipe smoking. I thought she was going to be angry. But in contrast, when I got back from school the same day, I’ve found the set of pipes of my father on my desk together with a fresh pack of Amphora pipe tobacco. She smiled sweetly and said “I trust that you’ll never exaggerate and enjoy tobacco the same way your father did…” I still smoke pipe, in winter mostly, that I believe is the most suitable weather and ambiance for pipe smoking.
Following my fathers’ legacy, I also smoked some cigars; started with Turkish Monopoly cigars, followed by some European machine-made cigars and cigarillos etc… as my budget allowed, during my years as a university student and the first years of my work life…