Nazan Eckes
“Papa has not recognized me for a long time”
Nazan Eckes’ thoughts are with her father, who is suffering from dementia.
© imago / Future Image
Emotional words: Nazan Eckes spoke in an interview about her father’s dementia and the upcoming Christmas holidays.
Christmas will be an emotional time for Nazan Eckes (45) and her family. The presenter spends the holidays with her husband Julian Khol and their two sons at their in-laws in Vienna. However, the moderator’s thoughts are with her father in Turkey, who is suffering from dementia. “When my father was healthy, he always dreamed of spending the rest of his life in Turkey”, she explains in an interview with the “Bild” newspaper. “When the time comes, he won’t even notice.”
At the beginning of 2021, Eckes took a break from her job to look after her father. He is currently “happy in his own little world,” she reveals. He reacts strongly to Turkish music, which apparently evokes childhood memories. For her and her family, however, it is sad to see it happen. “Papa has not recognized me and my sons for a long time,” said Eckes.
Family cohesion
She and her sister last traveled to Turkey in November to support their mother. For two years she insisted on “looking after our father himself”, explains Eckes. She is now ready to accept the help of her daughters. Eckes is currently finding love and strength primarily in her two sons. “I pull myself together for you. You catch a lot, always make me laugh.”