I totally recommend staying with Merve! What a wonderful hostess. First, her location is just perfect. It's a great spot in a very safe neighborhood with lots of lovely shops for eating and necessities. It's super close to the tram line T1, just 2 blocks away less than 5 minutes. There's a line of taxis right there all the time when you need one. The WIFI is excellent, great hot water, and laundry,....all the things you need for a month + staying.
For me Merve was SUPER helpful and a real saviour as I fell down very early in my trip. I hurt my wrist, knee and ankle. So badly that I needed to go to the hospital. She was super quick, dropped everything and helped me immediately. She went to the hospital with me (I don't speak any Turkish) to navigate the process of getting Xrays, speaking to the doctors, and then, afterwards, going to various pharmacies, and medical stores to buy braces and needed equipment. What a lifesaver who went above and beyond!
She also often shared coffee or snacks and taught me how to order food delivery on my phone which was a huge help. She suggested places I could go and not just tourist places, but very specific markets like neighborhood weekly pazars that specialized in lace (which I bought a ton of!!) Places I never would have known of without a local hostess' knowledge.
Overall I give this location an A++ and say I will be sure to stay with Merve again when I return to Turkey. I feel I made a friend after staying there just over 5 weeks.