The Best Turkish TV Series of 2018
The industry of Turkish TV series has been consistently growing for the last 2 decades. Since then, the television industry in Turkey has become the second biggest in the world after the USA. The growing popularity of TV series in Turkey has also influenced the tourism sector. Until the 1990s, TRT was the only one which was the state-run channel. However, with the wave of liberalisation for the private televisions in the last decade of the 20th century, the number of TV series incredibly increased.
After this short summary about Turkish TV series industry, we please you to read our list of best series of 2018. We have prepared the list according to the ratings on both televisions and social media. We hope you like it!
10- Elimi Bırakma — Don’t Let Go of My Hand
Genre: Drama
Main Cast: Alp Navruz, Alina Boz, Seray Gözler, Dolunay Soysert
Broadcast Network/TV Channel: TRT
Seasons and Status: 43 episodes and Still Continues
The story revolves around a girl Azra. She is studying abroad in America to be a professional cook like her father. She met Cenk, the grandson of Ferida Celen, on the plane and took his bag instead of hers at the airport by mistake. Cenk who was expelled from his university in America and struggling to choose his own destiny. He will get to witness the huge turn in Azra’s life when her father dies in a fire accident. Hence, Azra’s father left her and his autistic son with his greedy wife.
9- Çarpışma — Crash
Genres: Action, Drama, Thriller
Main Cast: Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ, Elçin Sangu, Onur Saylak, Alperen Duymaz
Broadcast Network/TV Channel: Show TV
Seasons and Status: 1 season, 24 episodes, ended
Crash (Çarpışma) is an action and drama tv show. Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ plays as Kadir Adalı who is a tough police officer but sadly he lost his wife and daughter in a terrorist act. Kadir feels guilty for the attack and is deeply suffering. He decides to commit suicide. While trying to end his life in a car accident, Kadir will unwittingly change the course of his life.
You can click here to read our article about Çarpışma – Crash Turkish TV Series.
8- Sen Anlat Karadeniz — Tell You The Black Sea
Genres: Drama
Main Cast: Ulaş Tuna Astepe, İrem Helvacıoğlu, Sinan Tuzcu, Öykü German
Broadcast Network/TV Channel: ATV
Seasons and Status: 2 seasons, 53 episodes, Continues
The story of Sen Anlat Karadeniz – You Tell The Black Sea is about Nefes Zorlu (played by İrem Helvacıoğlu), a young woman who was sold as a bride to marry a rich man. After 8 years of a nightmarish marriage, the only good thing in Nefes’s life is her boy Yiğit. Nefes tried to escape from her husband Vedat Sayar for many times but every escape attempt failed until she met with Tahir Kaleli (played by Ulaş Tuna Astepe).
Tahir Kaleli is a modest young man in a rich family. He is a hard worker and brave. He works in a sand ship owned by his family. Tahir’s life is changed forever when he went to İstanbul for a business contract and visited Vedat Sayar’s house. Tahir witnessed the violence on Nefes, then Nefes asked him for helping her to escape with her boy. Tahir decided to help Nefes and her boy and take them to Trabzon (a city located Nort East – Black Sea region of Turkey).
You can click here to read our article about Sen Anlat Karadeniz — Tell You The Black Sea.
7- Börü — Wolf
Genres: Action, Thriller, War / TV Mini-Series
Main Cast: Ahu Türkpençe, Serkan Çayoğlu, Emir Benderlioğlu, Fırat Doğruloğlu, Murat Arkın, Ahmet Pınar, Can Nergis, Armağan Oğuz, Bedii Akın, Ozan Ağaç, Gürol Tonbul
Broadcast Network/TV Channel: Star TV
Seasons and Status: 6 episodes, ended
Turkey in the spring of 2014. A time when the enemies are growing on the border, the circle of danger inside is becoming narrower. The Republic of Turkey faces the greatest threats of recent history. BÖRÜ tells the story of heroic heroes who are touched by love. They are the last castle.
6- Söz —The Oath
Genres: Action, Drama, War
Main Cast: Tolga Sarıştaş, Meriç Aral, Nihat Altınkaya, Görkem Sevindik
Broadcast Network/TV Channel: Star TV
Seasons and Status: 3 seasons, 84 episodes, Ended
A soldier, Yavuz Karasu (played by Tolga Sarıtaş) who is a lieutenant in the Special Forces Command, is brutally murdered by terrorists. After that, Yavuz, the Commander of the series, who is the hero of the series, decides to avenge all the terrorists. As a result, a special team is set up and this anti-terror team is set to work. The successful soldiers in the team, the fiercely-killed fiancee is the first lieutenant.
You can click here to read our artiicle about Söz —The Oath.
5- Ufak Tefek Cinayetler — Small Murders
Genres: Action, Drama, Crime, Mystery
Main Cast: Gökçe Bahadır, Aslıhan Gürbüz, Mert Fırat, Bade İşcil, Yıldıray Şahinler
Broadcast Network/TV Channel: Star TV
Seasons and Status: 2 seasons, 45 episodes, Ended
Three girls in high school made a prank on the fourth girl and caused her to expel from high school with her teacher. After 20 years they got together in a high society environment.
4- Avlu — The Courtyard
Genres: Action, Drama, Crime, Mystery
Main Cast: Demet Evgar, Ceren Moray, Nursel Köse, Çağdaş Onur Öztürk, Ayça Damgacı
Broadcast Network/TV Channel: Star TV
Seasons and Status: 2 seasons, 44 episodes, Continues
Demet Evgar (acted as Deniz Demir) is married to Hakan, who didn’t show up again after the 1st episode, and has a daughter. Her name is Ecem. Deniz Demir’s occupation is architecture and she is too far from any kind of crime. One night Hakan, who has behavioural problems, tries to shoot his wife and his daughter with a gun. During that time, Ecem tries to defend herself and her mother. But unfortunately, she shoots her father by mistake. At the same time, Deniz takes the whole responsibility to protect her daughter. Because of this crime, Deniz enters the prison, where she finds another atmosphere and tries to be familiar with it.
Deniz (played by Demet Evgar) has been violent for a long time. One night the cries from the house stop like a knife with the sound of a handgun. Deniz is arrested for allegedly shooting her husband Hakan during the fight.
You can click here to read our article about Avlu — The Courtyard.
3- Diriliş: Ertuğrul – Resurrection: Ertugrul
Genres: Action, Adventure, Drama, War, History
Main Cast: Engin Altan Düzyatan, Hülya Darcan, Cengiz Coşkun, Nurettin Sönmez, Celal Al
Broadcast Network/TV Channel: TRT
Seasons and Status: 4 seasons, 150 episodes, Continues
Diriliş – Ertuğrul (Resurrection – Ertuğrul) is a very assertive project to have the same success of Magnificent Century.
The story based on the Seljuk ruler Ertuğrul Gazi’s life in the 13th century. Ertuğrul Gazi is the father of Osman Gazi who is the founder of the Ottoman Empire…
The series has a very high budget and aims to reach the popularity of Magnificent Century. Engin Altan is playing as Ertuğrul Gazi and his performance is very good. Action, history, politics and love…
You can click here to read our article about Diriliş: Ertuğrul – Resurrection: Ertugrul
2- Çukur – The Pit
Genres: Action, Crime, Thriller
Main Cast: Aras Bulut İynemli, Dilan Deniz Çiçek, Erkan Kolçak Köstendil, Ercan Kesal, Öner Erkan
Broadcast Network/TV Channel: Show TV
Seasons and Status: 3 seasons, 67 episodes, Continues
Çukur “The Pit” is one of the best Turkish tv series in recent years. The series became so successful that “The Pit” become a social phenomenon. Çukur – The Pit brought a fresh concept to Turkish Tv Series and Drama, action, drama, comedy and mystery in a whole presented in a very fast and fluent stream.
Çukur – “The Pit” of the most dangerous and neighbourhoods of Istanbul. But it’s not just a neighbourhood its a pit, and the pit that İstanbul falls into! Moreover, the ghetto is ruled by a strong family, the Koçova family. İdris Koçova is the Godfather of the hood and he has certain rules that no one can pass even in their business which is related to crime.
Similarly, the most important rule is the prohibition of drugs. Furthermore, drugs cannot be produced, used or sold in Çukur. However, one day a man, whose name is “Vartolu”, has returned to Çukur and he determines to break the “Drug ban” of Koçova Family. Firstly, Vartolu tries to negotiate with the Koçova’s but when his request is rejected he attacks the neighbourhood and the family with his power. Just as he thinks that he has put the family on their knees something unpredicted comes up. In conclusion, Yamaç is a little member of Koçova family. And now, he is in the hood, too!
You can click here to read our article about Çukur – The Pit.
1- Erkenci Kuş — Early Bird
Genres: Comedy, Romance
Main Cast: Demet Özdemir, Can Yaman, Öznur Serçeler, Cihan Ercan
Broadcast Network/TV Channel: Star TV
Seasons and Status: 1 season, 51 episodes, Continues
The story of Early Bird (Erkenci Kuş) is about a girl Sanem Aydın (played by Demet Özdemir) working in her father’s small store and she opens the store in the early morning due to her father’s illness. With this purpose, every morning she opens the store and works until her father’s arrival then she starts dreaming about her life and working on the book she’s trying to write. However, the ordinary life of Sanem has changed when she met with Can Divit (played by Can Yaman), a handsome businessman who runs an advertisement agency.
You can read our article about Erkenci Kuş — Early Bird by clicking here.
