Her parents, with roots in Skopje and Mardin, moved frequently, which meant little Emel had to navigate through various primary and secondary schools in cities like Kayseri, Konya, and Edirne before finally settling in Istanbul for her teacher training. But education was just a side gig; music was where her heart truly lay, and it was this passion that led her to the stage at the tender age of 17 in Ankara.
