The guest of this episode of Eylül Aşkın ile, hosted by Eylül Aşkın and broadcast on the Türkiye Haber Portalı website and YouTube channel, is the multi-talented Turkish-Italian actress and presenter Yasemin Sannino. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Ms. Yasemin for welcoming us into her home with such warmth and sincerity in this episode, which was filmed in Rome.

She Spent Her Childhood in Libya and Australia!

Musician and actress Yasemin Sannino, the daughter of an Italian father and a Turkish mother, has revealed the truth about her upbringing, contradicting many online sources that state she grew up in Istanbul before moving to Italy. While it is true that she was born in Istanbul, she lived in Libya until the age of 7 due to her father’s work transfer and then spent around four more years in Australia. Yasemin Sannino moved to Italy at the age of 11, explaining, “The first languages I spoke were Turkish and English because my parents communicated in English. I learned Italian later, after we settled in Italy, through lessons.”

“My father would always place my hands on the piano when I was little. I took piano lessons throughout my childhood.”

“My father was a lawyer. He founded Alitalia, but he was also a conservatory graduate, in both vocal performance and piano. My father had 14 siblings, and they were all educated and musicians. Music was very strong in his family. The first song I sang was with my father when I was about five years old.”

“I had no idea how this career worked. I enrolled in the chemistry department.”

“Conservatories in Turkey now offer university degrees, and this has been the case for the past 10–15 years. Before that, it was only a middle or high school qualification.” Yasemin Sannino explained, “I joined a small a cappella group and began to enjoy music. I had my first stage experience with this group during university.” Sannino first earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, adding, “I worked at the CNR (Italy’s National Research Council) until I was 30. I even went to the Max Planck Institute in Germany to work.” Graduating university with top honors, the multi-talented musician and actress said, “I also repair faucets very well. My husband says, ‘You can do anything wherever you lay your hands.’” The talented artist also holds a degree in acting.

“Performance was calling me.”

After taking her final exam in the chemistry department, Yasemin Sannino went to Germany to appear in a Levi’s commercial, marking the start of her acting career. “I still remember,” she said. “My mother said, ‘I don’t know why I put you through school.’ I don’t know why, but art, performance, was calling me.”

“The Turkish audience is open to you. Italians are a bit more reserved.”

In response to Eylül Aşkın’s question, “What differences have you observed between Turkish and Italian audiences?” Yasemin Sannino commented, “In Turkey, almost everyone came backstage after the concert to thank or meet me. The European audience is more shy.”

“Haydi sete gidelim dedi, gittim. Ferzan Özpetek karşımda!”

Yasemin Sannino shared the story of meeting the renowned Turkish director Ferzan Özpetek, who directed her in his film Cahil Periler where she performed two songs, one in Turkish and one in English. She said, “I was still in university at the time. I had a desire to meet Ferzan Özpetek, which I sent out to the universe. It was the year 2000, and I was still a research assistant at the university. A director friend of mine asked if I could sing a Turkish song because a musician needed it. I said yes, but I didn’t know whose film it was. I met Andrea Guerra, the son of Tonino Guerra, who wrote Fellini’s films. He said, ‘Let’s go to the set,’ so I went. And there was Ferzan Özpetek in front of me! I couldn’t believe it!”