A Turkish teenager dating a British gran said ‘age doesn’t matter’ because he sees a long ‘future’ with her.
Sefkan Güzel, 19, is head over heels for his Scottish girlfriend Rachel McIntrye, 35, after the couple met during her two-month holiday in his native Marmaris, Turkey.
While some may balk at their love affair – and 16 year age gap – the hotel waiter said his relationship is far from just a holiday romance.
Sefan told MailOnline: ‘It doesn’t matter to me about age, I love her so much and she is so beautiful, and that is all I care about.
‘I didn’t know she was older until she told me her age. I was shocked.
‘We love each other very much and I see a future together. It’s very hard not seeing her everyday, and having her with me everyday, but we always speak.
‘All my friends and family like her so much and everyone is happy for me.’
Sefkan Güzel, 19, has exclusively told MailOnline that his relationship with Rachel McIntyre, 35, from Edinburgh , is ‘solid’ (The couple pictured together)
Rachel met him while on a two-month holiday in Marmaris, Turkey, in June
Rachel said she noticed him ‘right away’ due to his good looks, but ‘backed off’ when she found out how old he was
Rachel’s 19-year-old Bethany has her own daughter and was initially ‘freaked out’ by her mother’s new romance
Sefkan, who’s Kurdish, met Rachel while he was working as a waiter at the hotel they were staying at.
Rachel said she noticed him ‘right away’ due to his good looks, but ‘backed off’ when she found out how old he was.
Rachel also said she was hesitant since a Turkish waiter she dated in September 2023 ‘was clearly after a visa’.
She was also unsure about Seskan’s age as at 19, he is in the same school year as her daughter.
However, the young Lothario’s ‘persistent’ flirting eventually won her over and the two gradually fell in love.
The mother-of-one from Edinburgh described her toyboy as ‘kind, clever, gentle, funny, and a wonderful lover’.
But not everyone was bowled over straight away,
Rachel’s teenage daughter Bethany is the same age as her boyfriend and had some serious reservations about her mother’s new love.
She told MailOnline: ‘Bethany was a little bit freaked out by the whole situation at first and said it couldn’t happen.
‘But after a very short period of time she came round and just wants me to be happy – and plus she gets on with Sefkan.’
Sefan said he loves his new family even if his role of ‘step-grandad’ takes some getting used to.
He said: ‘It is very funny that I am a stepdad and step-grandad at my age, I didn’t think that would happened, but it is good and I love Bethany too and the baby. We are all very good and happy.’
After Rachel returned to the UK in August, the couple strengthened their relationship by video calling regularly.
In September, Rachel returned to Turkey with her daughter Erika, 11, who she took out of school – which ‘doesn’t get fined’ in Scotland – to go on the holiday.
The couple spent their time together going on long bike rides and hikes, which helped to strengthen their relationship – however Rachel has already informed him she doesn’t want anymore kids.
Sefkan said it was her youthful looks that attracted him to her, he added: ‘I just kept looking at her, this beautiful woman, I liked her as soon as I spotted her and now we are so strong together. When we are together we always have fun and I like that. It makes us stronger.
Rachel said she was hesitant about getting into a relationship with Sefkan since things with a Turkish waiter she dated in September 2023 ended on a sour note.
She went on to say: ‘But Sefkan is different – he’s kind, clever, gentle, funny, and a wonderful lover.
‘He never asks me for money and usually pays when we go out. It’s a controversial situation, but it’s made me happier than I could have ever imagined.’
Rachel said she ‘backed off’ when she found out how old Seskan is since her daughter Beth is the same age
Rachel claims that she and Bethany look so similar they are often mistaken for twins
Rachel welcomed her first grandchild (pictured together) at the end of July 2023
Rachel and Seskan are also planning a trip together to Thailand in December
‘Bethany is actually away to Turkey at the minute to see her boyfriend over there, and she’s staying at Sefkan’s hotel.
‘I’ve never gone with someone this young before, my previous partners have been ages with me or a little bit older. But age is just a number and as long as you’re happy that’s all that matters.
Rachel has also revealed to us that since going public with her toyboy, she’s received a message from a local 19-year-old man asking to be her boyfriend.
However, she says she’s not interested in anyone else and Sefkan is the one for her.
Rachel said that’s she’s going over to see Sefkan next month, and their dream is to move abroad together – but not Scotland.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk