10 Best Turkish Shows and Movies on Netflix

Popular streaming platforms like Netflix allowed us to check out tv series and movies we usually wouldn’t watch. This certainly can be applied to foreign projects that are of exceptional quality. Turkey produced some memorable films and movie series, especially dramas, that took our breath away. The popularity of Oriental culture skyrocketed in the last two decades, and fictional media helped immensely in that regard. Turkey is branded as a country of great tv series and movies that usually deal with life in Turkey and stories of ordinary people that most people can relate to.

We will list the current ten best Turkish tv shows and movies on Netflix and provide you with details for each Turkish project. If you are interested in this topic, stay with us until the end. We will split the list into two halves – the first will include tv series while the second half will be dedicated to films. Without further ado, let’s start!

10. Ethos/Bir Baskadir (2020)

We start this list with a mini-series called Ethos or Bir Baskadir. The series stars Öykü Karayel, Fatih Artman and Funda Eryigit. Ethos follows the story of a random group of people from entirely different cultural and social backgrounds who meet each other for different reasons. The show’s main protagonist is Meryem, a cleaner from a conservative family who experiences health issues that bring her to a psychiatrist named Peri, who has a particular opinion about Turkish conservative society. 

Few other characters appear from totally different life backgrounds, and it showcases which people live in the illustrious and historic city of Istanbul. Great series, definitely worth watching.

9. The Gift/Atiye (2019-2021)

We continue this list with great picks, and The Gift is one of those shows that will glue you to your screen. The series cast includes Baren Saat, Mehmet Günsür, and Metin Akdülger. The Gift follows the story of a painter in Istanbul who goes on a personal journey as she discovers a mysterious Anatolian archaeological site that will change her life forever.

The show has three seasons available on Netflix, and the performances of famous Turkish actors Baren Saat and Mehmet Günsür will prompt you to watch the show even more. One of the better Turkish projects that have come out in recent years.

8. Innocent/Masum (2017)

Masum is probably one of the best Turkish projects on this list. It stars great Turkish actors like Haluk Bilginer, Nur Sürer, and Ali Atay, and they truly give life to this riveting story. This mini-series follows the story of Cevdet and his wife, who, after retirement, relocate their lives to a small, rural farm, but the idyll of a peaceful life is stopped when their son comes back to their lives with awful news.

The show loves going back and forth between the past and present and shows us the lives of a retired police officer and his family, that face something he always wanted to avoid in his line of work. The great and quality show is something different from the usual Turkish genre.

7. Love 101/Aşk 101 (2020-2021)

Love 101 is a different TV series on this list, and deals with more carefree topics. Anyway, Love 101 stars, popular Turkish actors, including Alina Boz, Mert Yaziciougl, and Kubilay Aka. The series follows a group of teenagers in Turkey during the 1990s. When they discover that their beloved teacher is planning on leaving their high school to teach somewhere else, they make it their mission to make him fall in love, which will make him stay.

Despite the light theme on the surface, the teenagers in the 1990s are presented as a troubled youth that needs guidance in the sensitive part of their life.

6. Fatma (2021-)

This next entry includes more severe topics and crime elements which some fans will appreciate. Fatma, as in previous entries on this list, has established Turkish actors, including Burcu Biricik, Uğur Yücel, and Hazal Türesan. The show follows the story of Fatma, a cleaner whose husband, Zafer, mysteriously disappears from the premises. Her recently released husband disappears, and Fatma tries to discover what happened and accidentally commits murder that will put her against underground criminals connected to her husband.

A truly complex and exciting story with one season, but we certainly expect more episodes in the future. Fatma is currently one of the most-watched Turkish shows on Netflix; anyone should check it out.

5. Black Money Love/Kara Para Aşk (2014-2015)

To round up our picks for the tv series, we will leave the best for the last and present you with Black Money Love. The series stars notable actors from Turkey, including Engin Akyürek, Tuba Büyüküstün, and Erkan Can. The series follows the story of two people meeting in unfavorable situations – Omer’s fiancé suddenly dies, and her body is found next to the body of a dead rich man. Omer follows the trail and meets Elif, a daughter of a dead man found next to his fiancé, which prompts them to find out what happened to their loved ones.

The chemistry between lead actors, story, great acting, and soundtrack that will make you not skip the final credits every episode are significant factors for you to check out this series. Black Money Love is certainly one of the most popular tv series that emerged from Turkey in the last decade or so, and for a good reason.

4. Miracle in Cell No. 7/Yedinci Kogustaki Mucize (2019)

We are moving to Netflix movies and opening up with the heartwrenching story of Miracle in Cell No.7. The cast includes Aras Bulut Iynemli, Nisa Sofiya Aksongur, and Deniz Baysal. The movie follows the story of the mentally impaired Mehmet “Memo” Koyuncu, who lives his life contently with his young daughter Ova. However, the nightmare begins when Memo is falsely accused of killing a little girl who died in the accident and ended up in jail. Throughout the movie, we see the struggles of Memo, who, with the help of his inmates, tries to prove he is innocent and return to his daughter.

The film is a remake of the original Korean movie of the same name, released in 2013. Still, the performances of Aras Bulut and Nisa Aksongur bring something special to this beautiful and tragic story.

3. My Father/Babam (2017)

Next, we have a movie from 2017 called My Father. The film stars Çetin Tekindor, Melissa Senolsun, and Berker Güven. My Father follows the story of Yusuf, a canned sardine manufacturer whose wife’s death makes him think about his life decisions throughout the years. However, when Yusuf meets Feride, a young, hardworking woman, he finally notices his mentally impaired son Arif, who helps him put his life back on track.

A truly emotional story of a broken family that is put together with the help of an outsider, who shows them the way of living.

2. My Mother’s Wound/Annemin Yarasi (2016)

We continue with Turkish dramas and present you My Mother’s Wound. The cast includes famous Turkish actors like Meryem Uzerli, Ozan Güven, and Okan Yalabik, while the story is set in Bosnia and Herzegovina. My Mother’s Wound follows the story of an eighteen-year-old Salih, an orphan trying to find his parents. Young Salih embarks on a journey that will uncover his mysterious past and the truth about a man that raped his mother.

My Mother’s Wound is one of the movies on this list that shows how war-ridden countries will suffer the consequences of it for years to come and remind us how people suffered through it. Great cast and an emotional film that will move you to tears.

1. Only You/Sadece sen (2014)

Finally, we end this article with another tear-jerker on this list, Only You. Once again, the movie is ridden with great Turkish stars, including Belçim Bilgin, Ibrahim Celikkol, and Kerem Can. Only You follows the story of a former boxer whose life is far from content. His boxing lifestyle tired him; however, one day, he meets a blind woman whose optimism and positive outlook on life despite the handicap will change his life.

Of course, the old underground life will come back and hunt Ali, but this time, it impacts the love of his life Hazal. One of the biggest tear-jerkers on this list, Only You is one of the “older” movies on this list but still attracts fans worldwide.

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