FORMER Kurdish refugee Kemal Ciftci is today the proud owner of a chain of stylish barber shops, including a new store in Solihull – 21 years after fleeing Turkey on the back of a lorry.
The Midlands entrepreneur escaped from Turkey with his partner and six-month-old baby in 1999 in fear of his family’s life and sought refuge in the UK.
The Mayor of Solihull Stuart Davis has officially opened his fourth shop, Golden Scissors in Solihull town centre, where he met Kemal in person.
A spokesman for Golden Scissors said: “Kemal risked his and his families’ life to avoid a dangerous and hostile situation, and due to political unrest and war, his only option for safety was to flee.”
When he first moved to Birmingham, Kemal missed the Turkish approach to barbering – so he did the next best thing and opened his own. He launched Birmingham’s first and original Turkish barber shop Golden Scissors, in Smallbrook Queensway.
Kemal is third generation barber who has since opened stores in Kings Heath and Shirley. Later in 2020 he will be opening two more new barber shops in Wylde Green and in Perry Barr’s One stop Shopping Centre.
As part of Kemal’s opening celebrations, he is donating proceeds from the Solihull’s launch day to local charity, Breast Cancer Haven, whose centre at St Bernard’s Road in Solihull offers emotional, physical and practical support to anyone affected by breast cancer in the West Midlands region. A team of counsellors, therapists and health professional offer personalised programmes of support.
The Mayor of Solihull Mr Davis said: “I was delighted to attend the opening of Golden Scissors and congratulate Kemal Ciftci for the opening of another new branch.
“The donation of the first day’s proceeds to the Breast Cancer Haven charity in Solihull is phenomenal and I’m sure I speak for all of Solihull when I say how grateful we are.
“The Breast Cancer Haven is the main charity I have chosen to work with during my year in office, so I’m very glad that these funds will now go towards vital lifesaving work”.
