Popular Turkish TV series under scrutiny over alleged FETÖ ties

ISTANBUL

Turkish prosecutors have launched an investigation into the popular television series “Kurtlar Vadisi: Pusu” (“Valley of Wolves: Ambush”), over suspicions that it was used to promote the ideology of the FETÖ terrorist organization, local media reported on Sept. 16.

A panel of experts has been tasked with watching all 300 episodes of the series and examining its scripts, dialogue and content for what prosecutors describe as possible subliminal messages or references linked to FETÖ.

In a statement on Sept. 16, prosecutors said they had received reports alleging multiple links between the series and FETÖ.

They also pointed to what they described as another potential clue: Vehicles featured in the show frequently carried license plates beginning with the letters “FG,” which prosecutors said corresponded to the initials of Fethullah Gülen, the U.S.-based leader of FETÖ, who died in 2024.

“Valley of Wolves: Ambush,” which premiered in 2007, ran for 10 seasons before ending in 2016. It was a sequel to “Valley of Wolves,” which aired from 2003 to 2005.

The series, centered on the intertwined worlds of organized crime, politics and intelligence, frequently featured characters believed to have been inspired by real political and public figures. Its storylines also fueled speculation that some of the events portrayed on screen were based on, or foreshadowed, developments in real life.

The latest scrutiny was triggered by the show’s screenwriters being summoned to testify over the 2011 death of former intelligence officer Kaşif Kozinoğlu.

Kozinoğlu was arrested that year as part of the Ergenekon investigation, a case that was later found to have relied on fabricated evidence and allegations by FETÖ, which sought to purge military officers by accusing them of plotting a coup.

He died in prison on Nov. 12, 2011, shortly before he was due to testify in the case. His death was officially attributed to a heart attack, but questions were subsequently raised over whether he had received adequate and timely medical treatment. Allegations that he may have been poisoned also fueled controversy.

The investigation into Kozinoğlu’s death was recently reopened.

The prosecutors’ inquiry into “Valley of Wolves: Ambush” has also focused on similarities between Kozinoğlu and a fictional character in the series, “Kazım Kaşifoğlu,” an intelligence operative who was killed off in the show only weeks before Kozinoğlu’s death in real life.

Raci Şaşmaz, one of the series’ co-creators and three screenwriters who testified in Istanbul on Sept. 14, rejected allegations that the show had been used to target critics of FETÖ.

At the same time, Şaşmaz acknowledged that unnamed “forces” had attempted to influence the show’s scripts. He suggested that Osman Sınav, the series’ original director and another co-creator, eventually left the production amid pressure and threats from individuals seeking to dictate its storylines, which often bore similarities to real-life events.