Turkish Star Can Yaman Set for Mipcom Launch of English-Language Action Series ‘El Turco’: ‘I’m Looking Forward to Sharing It With the World’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Turkish megastar Can Yaman (“Daydream,” “Bitter Sweet”) is set to attend the upcoming Mipcom TV market in Cannes to promote English-language drama “El Turco,” in which he plays a legendary historical figure that bridges Turkey with the Western world.

The groundbreaking six-episode “El Turco” series — featuring a starry cast of actors from nine different countries and combining history, action-adventure and romance — will be unveiled in Cannes by Turkish distributor Madd Entertainment, which is planning for the show to get a global release in February 2025.

In “El Turco,” which is produced by Turkey’s Ay Yapim, Yaman plays 17th Ottoman soldier Hasan Balaban, who was wounded during the Turkish army’s campaign to conquer Vienna in 1683 and ended up some 200 kilometers away in the Italian Alpine village of Moena. Nicknamed “El Turco” by the villagers, he led the locals to a clamorous revolt against unfair taxes that made him a local hero.

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In a statement for Variety, Yaman said filming “El Turco” in Hungary was “quite a ride,” and sometimes “grueling.”

“I had to live like an athlete,” Yaman said. “I had to acquire many skills (such as horse-riding, using the sword perfectly, fighting etc.); I had to brush up on my English [‘El Turco’ is his first time acting in English] and push myself to the limits generally as an actor, considering that it was a whole different genre [than I’d done before] with an international cast.”

He added, “I believe the outcome is going to be very different to anything I’ve done before, and I feel fidgety even thinking about how gratifying it’s going to be once the show is out: I’m looking forward to sharing it with the world and keeping my fingers crossed.”

Yaman will be attending an event held by Madd for buyers in the Cannes Carlton Grand Salon on Oct. 21 at 6 p.m., where “El Turco” footage will be unveiled. The event’s title is: “Welcome to the Next Chapter of Turkish Dramas.” The theme is how Turkey – which is currently the world’s leading exporter of TV series after the U.S. and U.K. – can make greater inroads in TV markets such as the U.K., U.S., Australia and Canada.

Kerem Çatay, CEO of Ay Yapım, in a statement called “El Turco” “a passion project” that seeks to take Turkish dramas to another level.

“Imagine that you have a script based on a true story that takes place in a small town in Northern Italy,” he said, underlining that the characters involved are from different countries; the main role is a Turkish warrior and the language of the show is in English.

“I really wonder [about] the reaction of the audience in international markets, also because for first the time they will meet a Turkish janissary [a member of the ancient Turkish Sultan’s guard],” Çatay added.

In the 17th century, the villagers of Moena erected a monument to the Turkish janissary on their main square, where during the first week of August they still hold the Moena Turkish Festival to celebrate “El Turco.”

Besides Yaman in the title role, the “El Turco” cast comprises Will Kemp (“The Christmas Waltz”), David Nykl (“Sleepers”), Kieran O’Reilly (“Vikings”), Veronica Ferres (“Berlin, I Love You”) and Maddalena Aragão (“Strawberries With Sugar”).

The series is written by Kerem Deren and Çişil Hazal Tenim and directed by Uluç Bayraktar (“Ten Days of a Bad Man”). The production design is by Domenico Sica (“Wonder Woman”) and costumes are by Carlo Poggioli (“The New Pope”).

The series was initially a Disney+ Turkish original, but the streamer reportedly pulled out in April, at which point rights reverted to Ay Yapim.

Ates Ince, managing director of Madd — which is a partnership between two of Turkey’s leading producers, Ay Yapim and Medyapim — said Yaman will be going on a world tour in February 2025 to promote “El Turco.” He pointed out that the show’s day-and-date release strategy is “to avoid” piracy. Ince added that the main concept behind “El Turco” is “to provide the world with a different perception of Turkish drama” — not necessarily as fodder for generalist TV but as “a premium show that can travel globally.”

Ince added that Madd already has several “El Turco” deals in place with unspecified outlets in Italy, Romania, Russia, Turkey and the Middle East and that he is confident to score more sales soon.