One of the most underrated television shows in the world comes from Turkey. Turkish dramas, which have been made for decades now, are a staple across the Middle East and its diaspora, making the shows out of Turkey one of the most underappreciated television platforms in the English-speaking world (per The Guardian). These dramas began to pick up momentum during the 2000s, then exploded in the 2010s, officially making Turkey the second-highest exporter of TV productions. The first, of course, is the United States. Cinema and television shows from Southwest Asia have made ripples in the past couple of decades, showing how much of a powerhouse the Middle East could be in the entertainment world.

Like Korean or Spanish-language dramas, these shows feature high-quality productions often set in contemporary Turkey, as well as historical dramas revisiting some of the highlights of the region’s history. Certain tropes appear repeatedly in these shows, making them highly distinguishable within their respective genres and for fans all over the world. And, like the Korean Wave, the Turkish government has begun funding the local entertainment industry more to promote the country’s image through these mediums. Don’t know where to start with Turkish-language dramas? These are some of the best Turkish dramas released during the 2010s.

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7 Magnificent Century / Muhteşem Yüzyıl

     Tims Productions

Magnificent Century, better known by its Turkish name Muhteşem Yüzyıl, was released originally in 2011 and ran for three years on television. The series had 139 episodes during its runtime, each of which was packed with drama, action, and a dash of romance. The series tells the story of the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent as he ran the Ottoman Empire from the 1520s to the 1580s. The series begins with his rise to the throne after his father’s death and follows how he becomes the longest-ruling Sultan in the empire’s history, conquering foes and friends alike to consolidate his power.

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6 The Protector

     Netflix

5 Leyla and Mecnun

     TRT 1

The surrealist comedy Leyla and Mecnun graced television screens across the world in 2011, introducing citizens to the duo of Leyla and Mecnun. The two have been together since birth, as they were born in the same hospital and shared a crib there, and now they’ve grown up and Mecnun has fallen in love with Leyla. However, the two come from different class backgrounds, as Leyla is upper class and he is not, and the universe is set for him to not potentially get together with whom he deems the love of his life. After six seasons and 134 episodes, Leyla and Macnun becomes a wild, comedic ride through this young adult’s life journey.

4 Içerde

     Ay Yapım

Içerde initially received a mixed response from the critics when it originally aired on television in 2016, but one of the most impactful characteristics of the show is its leads. Çağatay Ulusoy and Aras Bulut İynemli star as two brothers who were separated at birth. One ends up becoming a police officer, and the other chooses a life of crime — however, they did not know each other growing up, and their paths are destined to meet in Istanbul’s seedy underside when gangs clash.

3 Diriliş: Ertuğrul

     Tekden Film

2 Çukur

     Show TV

Çukur began to air on television in 2017, and only recently concluded its run in 2021. Filmed across Turkey and Europe, the series tackles the subject of crime in the district of Çukur in Istanbul. One family controls the entire district: the Koçovali. Everyone in the area must follow their rules unless they want to face the consequences, but as new groups and gangs try to move into the area, they continuously begin to break these rules. The series ran for four seasons.

1 Kurulus: Osman

     Bozdağ Film

Perhaps one of the most iconic Turkish dramas of the decade, Kurulus: Osman returns, like many other dramas, to the Ottoman Empire. This series focuses on the life and stories of Osman I, the founder of the Ottoman Empire. Diriliş: Ertuğrul tells the story of Osman I’s father, Ertugrul, while Kurulus: Osman shows how Osman I expanded on the beginnings of the empire his father built and made it into something more. Across four seasons, the series broke records for Turkish shows, showing the power of this epic tale.