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Did you know that Turkiye ranks second in the world for TV series exports, after the US? Yes, this might come as a surprise to you, but Turkish TV series are currently watched in over 170 countries.

There is particularly strong interest in Turkish TV series in South America, the Middle East and the Balkans, but also in European countries such as Spain and Italy.

A question I often hear from guests I’ve shown around Istanbul is what series I’d recommend if they want to start watching Turkish TV series. Of course, this list is entirely shaped by personal taste and consists solely of series I’ve watched myself. So, I haven’t included the name of any series that many people recommend and enjoy but which I haven’t watched.

The first major series to make Turkish TV series popular is undoubtedly ‘Magnificent Century’, which tells the story of Sultan Suleyman’s life. This series stands out for its realistic portrayal of historical events, as well as its drama, romantic elements, battle scenes and witty humour, making it a must-watch. You can access the series via its official YouTube channel and watch it with subtitles in various languages.

Click the link below to reach official YouTube Channel of ‘Magnificent Century’: (please watch via auto-translate)

All Episodes – Magnificent Century

Another historical period filmed as a sequel by the producers of ‘Magnificent Century’ is the series titled ‘Magnificent Century: Kösem’. This series also tells the story of Kösem Sultan, the most powerful woman in the Ottoman Empire. You can also watch this series via its official YouTube channel.

Click the link below to reach official YouTube Channel of ‘Magnificent Century: Kösem’: (please watch via auto-translate)

All Episodes – Magnificent Century: Kösem

I would also highly recommend watching the series ‘Kurt Seyit and Şura’, which, as far as I know, failed to achieve the expected success in Turkiye but, in my personal opinion, is one of the most successful series. Set during the Russian Revolution, this story tells of the love between Kurt Seyit—the son of a Crimean Turk family who, like his father, served in the Imperial Russian Army’s Guards Regiment—and a Russian girl named Şura, and how the Bolshevik Revolution affected their lives. I think it’s definitely a beautiful series worth watching, and you can watch it on the official YouTube channel as well.

Click the link below to reach official YouTube Channel of ‘Kurt Seyit and Şura’: (please watch via auto-translate)

All Episodes – Kurt Seyit and Şura

Apart from these series, I’d like to share with you the titles of various other series I’ve watched and enjoyed on Netflix.

‘Midnight at the Pera Palace’, ‘The Gift’, ‘The Protector’, ‘Lovers Anonymous’, ‘The Museum of Innocence’ and ‘Do Not Disturb’ are among the series I’ve watched and would recommend.

In addition to these, ‘Hot Skull’ – which likely didn’t reach the expected viewership figures and therefore hasn’t had a new season filmed – is a series with a unique storyline that’s well worth watching. I hope Netflix films a new episode of this series and at least brings the story to a conclusion.

‘Layers of Istanbul’, on the other hand, is a documentary rather than a fictional series like those I’ve mentioned above, and it brings to light some of Istanbul’s lesser-known historical treasures. I definitely think it’s a series worth watching.

I hope this blog serves as a starting point for you to explore Turkish series. Enjoy watching!

You can watch the trailers for Netflix series via the links below.

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