If the thought of online dating in a majority-Muslim country inclined to conservatism seems strange, you should get over it. Although the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK) finds that only 0.1% of 603,751 marriages in 2012 happened after couples met first in a digital environment, compared to 41% tying the knot with people introduced through their family circles, the real story is a little bit more complicated.

“I don’t take TUIK’s findings seriously on this issue,” said Haluk Akin, co-owner of PembePanjur, a dating-for-marriage site with nearly 2 million visitors, who sign up for a fee of less than $10. “There is a negative perception about finding your partner online, and couples usually end up lying about it if they end up in a working, long-lasting relationship potentially and hopefully ending with a marriage.”

Ersan Ozer, owner of popular online dating sites such as Istanbul.net, Ankara.net and Izmir.net, agreed, asking, “How can one trust TUIK’s findings when people’s perception about online dating is so negative? They either consider it a sign of desperation, or simply a lowly act to do. So, when they’re asked, don’t expect people to tell you the truth about it.”

Cansu, 34, who asked that only her first name be used, concurred. She told Al-Monitor, “I found my boyfriend online, and we have been together for seven years now and — knock on wood — we’re very happy. But even our families do not know that we met online. We made up our own story as to how we met, and have been telling that to people when asked.” She did not provide any explanation as to why she lies about it.