Former beauty queen-turned-actress Ruffa Gutierrez has revealed that her daughters Lorin Gabriella and Venezia Loran are set to reunite with their father, ex-husband Turkish businessman Yilmaz Bektas in Istanbul, Turkey this weekend, after 15 years.
On Instagram on June 9, Ruffa wrote: "After 15 long years apart, a beautiful reunion will finally take place in Istanbul this weekend. #TogetherAgain "
Then she posted a series of childhood photos of her daughters.
Ruffa's daughter Venice liked her post with heart emoticons. The happy mom answered: "Please start packing na cutie."
When her other daughter Lolin liked her post, Ruffa asked her: "Are you packed? Come to my room."
Celebrity friends who were excited about the news include Almira Muhlach, Tim Yap, Jackie Forster, Marjorie Barretto, Vina Morales, Ana Roces, Jun Lalin, etc.
On Feb. 25, Ruffa took to social media to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the annulment of her wedding to Yilmaz.
“What a bittersweet journey it has been. I now realize that not everyone is going to stay forever, but I still have to keep on going, and thank them for the life lessons that made me the woman I am today. No regrets, just love," wrote Ruffa.
In an interview in Feb. 2021, Ruffa opened up about meeting her former husband to discuss co-parenting duties for their teen daughters Lorin Gabriella and Venice.
“Si Ylmaz naman, siya ang lalaki na iniiyakaan ko pa rin kasi may anak kami and yung sa amin ni Ylmaz malalim. May dalawa kaming anak, 7-9 years na magkasama kami, ang daming ganap in those years. Siya ‘yung klaseng pain na gusto mong kalimutan kasi iniwan ko sya na mahal na mahal ko pa sya pero mas mahal ko ang sarili ko. So naguusap kami ulit and na-realize namin na time is so precious and we’re getting old na,” Ruffa said.
That time, Ruffa said that Ylmaz wanted to spend time with his kids, so he was planning to visit Manila. But if the pandemic won’t allow it, Yilmaz told Ruffa and her children to visit him in Turkey.
“Let’s try to be co-parents first. Ako raw ang pinaka-greatest love niya. I told you, mahirap akong kalimutan. Masarap kasi akong magmahal. Gusto niya to try to make things right for the kids,” she said after her phone conversation with him.
Ruffa said that Yilmaz has been telling her that he would visit them in the Philippines for several years now, but he hasn’t kept his promise.
The former beauty queen has also called Yilmaz her greatest love, although it does not mean that he is her forever.
“There are different kinds of love – puppy love, first love. Si Ylmaz ang greatest love ko pero hindi ibig sabihin siya ang forever ko. Mas excited ako sa forever love ko na makakasama ko sa buhay. I’m excited for that chapter sino ang makakasama ko. Ang peg ko kasi parents ko. They’ve been together for 50 years through ups and downs. If it’s meant to be, it will happen.”
Ruffa can’t help but become emotional when she talked about Yilmaz.
“Pag nag-uusap kami, minsan mahaba at reminiscing the good times. Nag-aaway kami, nagsusumbatan. Everytime I talk to him, I end up crying. Yung pain sa aking heart andun pa rin.”
“Hanggang ngayon may fear pa rin ako. Mahirap. Alam n’yo naman ang story ko. Ayoko ng buksan muli. Hindi naman natin kagustuhan ito. Tuwing kausap ko siya bumabalik yung dati. Nag reconnect kami noong nasa lock-in taping ako for ‘Stay In Love.’ I think Yilmaz is ready to see us again. Let’s see what’s gonna happen,” she said.
Asked about the relationship of her daughters to their father, Ruffa said: “They welcome the fact that he would visit us. We’ve survived on our own. I was a mom and dad for both of them. Hindi naman ako pinanganak na bilyonaryo for them to have the best education. Gusto ko ipakita kay Yilmaz na kaya kong palakihin ang mga anak ko.”
Ruffa and Yilmaz got married in 2003. They split in 2007. Their marriage has been annulled. The actress said that she welcomes the idea of getting married once again, but she’s not excited anymore.