Yörük Kızı: Why the Kuruluş Osman Studio Is Betting on Nomads

The studio that sold Kuruluş: Osman to 110 countries is putting down the sword. Bozdağ Film, the Istanbul company behind Türkiye’s most exported historical epics, is preparing Yörük Kızı (“The Yörük Girl”), a contemporary family drama for the public broadcaster TRT1 about a nomadic family from the Taurus Mountains who move to Istanbul. This week the project added a heavyweight name: veteran actress Perihan Savaş has joined the cast, according to Turkish TV journalist Birsen Altuntaş. For buyers, distributors and brands, the question is simple: can the Bozdağ export machine work without battles and empires?

In brief

• Bozdağ Film, the producer of Kuruluş: Osman (exported to 110 countries), is making a modern family drama for TRT1.
• Working title: Yörük Kızı; Turkish media also report the name Güneşli Günler (“Sunny Days”). The final broadcast title is not yet confirmed.
• Director: Yunus Ozan Korkut. Writers: Sema Ali Erol, Mahir Erol and Türküler Özgül.
• Cast reported so far: Perihan Savaş, Mina Demirtaş, Onur Seyit Yaran, Ecem Çalhan, Genco Özak, Olgun Şimşek and others.
• The story follows a Yörük family from the Taurus Mountains who relocate to a wealthy Istanbul district after their daughter tops the national university exam.

What exactly is Yörük Kızı, and why does it matter?

It is a new prime-time family drama from Bozdağ Film for TRT1, planned for the 2026–2027 season. The premise, as reported by Milli Gazete, is a classic fish-out-of-water story with a strong cultural hook. A nomadic Yörük family living in the Taurus (Toros) Mountains moves to Istanbul because their daughter Güneş has placed first in Türkiye’s national university entrance exam. To support her studies, the family settles into an apartment in an affluent neighbourhood, and the series follows how they adapt to city life and to social circles very different from their own.

The Yörük are the historically nomadic Turkmen pastoralists of Anatolia, known for black goat-hair tents, seasonal migration between lowland winter quarters and high summer pastures (yayla), carpets and weaving. Putting that world into a modern Istanbul setting gives the series two things international buyers like: a universal family conflict (tradition vs. city, parents vs. ambitious children) and a distinctive visual and cultural identity that cannot be found in other markets.

Who is behind the camera and in the cast?

A director with a hit track record, a writing team of three, and a cast mixing young leads with a screen legend. Birsen Altuntaş reports that the series will be directed by Yunus Ozan Korkut, and that the scripts are by Sema Ali Erol, Mahir Erol and Türküler Özgül.

Perihan Savaş is one of the best-known faces of Turkish film and television, and her casting is a signal that TRT1 and Bozdağ are positioning the show as a broad, multi-generational family series rather than a youth drama. Other names, including Sara Yılmaz and Cem Bender, have also been linked to the project in Turkish entertainment press.

Why would the Kuruluş Osman studio switch genres?

Because a contemporary family drama is cheaper to make, easier to sell to more channels, and diversifies a catalogue dominated by historical epics. Bozdağ Film, founded by producer and writer Mehmet Bozdağ, became a global brand with Diriliş: Ertuğrul (TRT1, 2014–2019) and Kuruluş: Osman (ATV, 2019–2025). According to Mehmet Bozdağ, quoted by Daily Sabah, Kuruluş: Osman has been exported to 110 countries. Diriliş: Ertuğrul became a phenomenon in Pakistan and across the Muslim world.

But the company has already been testing other formats. Its credits include the religious-biographical series Yunus Emre: Aşkın Yolculuğu, the Uzbek co-production Mendirman Jaloliddin made at the request of the government of Uzbekistan, the drama Ateş Kuşları, Bir Sevdadır for TRT1 and Ibn-i Sina for the TRT streaming platform tabii. Yörük Kızı continues that diversification.

How big is the Turkish drama export market right now?

Above one billion dollars a year, with state cash now on the table for every episode sold abroad. Turkish officials said in 2026 that drama exports passed $1 billion in 2025 and that Turkish series reach around one billion viewers in roughly 170 countries, placing Türkiye among the world’s top three drama exporters alongside the United States and the United Kingdom. In February 2026, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced an incentive of up to $100,000 per episode broadcast abroad, plus easier filming permits and free access to state-owned locations. According to the ministry, productions aired in at least ten countries on three continents are assessed on export performance, ratings and digital viewing.

The same programme encourages producers to show Türkiye’s landscapes, heritage and cuisine on screen. A story that moves between the Taurus highlands and Istanbul fits that brief almost perfectly.

What does the series offer international buyers?

A family drama with a clear hook, a known producer brand and a public-broadcaster launch. For distributors in the Middle East, Central Asia, the Balkans, Latin America and South Asia, several elements stand out:

• Family-safe tone. TRT1 is a public channel; its dramas are generally suitable for prime-time family audiences, which eases sales to conservative markets.
• A recognisable producer. Buyers who carried Ertuğrul or Osman already know the Bozdağ name.
• Universal premise. Rural family, gifted daughter, big-city class clash: a story that travels without heavy historical context.
• Cultural identity. Yörük costume, music, food and craft add visual distinctiveness.
• Remake potential. Contemporary family dramas are easier to adapt as formats than historical epics.

Is there a tourism and brand angle?

Yes: Yörük culture is already a tourism product, and the series could amplify it. Yörük migration routes, highland festivals, black tents and handwoven textiles are part of the tourist offer in the Mediterranean provinces around the Taurus range. Turkish dramas have a documented effect on travel interest: officials have linked series popularity to visitor flows from the Gulf, Latin America and Central Asia. Regional tourism boards, craft and textile brands, and food producers could find natural placement opportunities in a story that celebrates Yörük heritage. Bozdağ also runs its own large studio complex in Beykoz, Istanbul, which it has opened to visitors; that shows the company already treats its productions as tourism assets.

When will it air, and what is still unknown?

TRT1 has not yet announced a premiere date, slot or final title. Turkish press reported that shooting was targeted to begin in early November 2026 in Istanbul. Locations for the Taurus scenes, the number of episodes and the international distributor have not been made public. We will update this page as TRT1 and Bozdağ Film confirm details.

Our take

For buyers: put Yörük Kızı on the watch list now. A Bozdağ family drama on TRT1 combines a proven export brand with a lighter, more flexible genre, and early first-look talks are usually cheaper than bidding after strong ratings.

For brands and regions: the Taurus and Mediterranean provinces, Turkish textile and craft brands, and food companies have an obvious storytelling fit. Product and location partnerships are easiest to negotiate before shooting moves forward.

For producers: the move confirms a wider trend. With up to $100,000 per episode in export support and a ratings market that cancels shows quickly, Turkish studios are spreading risk across genres, channels and streamers.

FAQ

What is Yörük Kızı about?

A nomadic Yörük family from the Taurus Mountains moves to Istanbul after their daughter Güneş tops the national university exam, and the family adjusts to life in an affluent district.

Which channel will show Yörük Kızı?

TRT1, Türkiye’s public broadcaster. It is planned for the 2026–2027 season.

Who produces the series?

Bozdağ Film, the company of Mehmet Bozdağ, which produced Diriliş: Ertuğrul and Kuruluş: Osman.

Who is in the cast?

Reported names include Perihan Savaş, Mina Demirtaş, Onur Seyit Yaran, Ecem Çalhan, Genco Özak, Olgun Şimşek and Lara Aslan.

Is the title final?

No. Turkish media also use the name Güneşli Günler; TRT1 has not confirmed the broadcast title.

Who are the Yörük?

Historically nomadic Turkmen pastoralists of Anatolia, known for seasonal migration, black goat-hair tents and weaving traditions.

Sources

• Birsen Altuntaş: Perihan Savaş “Yörük Kızı” dizisinde (5 November 2026)
• Birsen Altuntaş: Ecem Çalhan “Yörük Kızı” dizisinde (4 November 2026)
• Milli Gazete: Güneşli Günler: cast and characters
• Daily Sabah: Famous film studio home to historical Turkish series opens doors
• Wikipedia: Mehmet Bozdağ
• Xinhua via The Star: Türkiye offers cash incentives to boost overseas sales of its TV dramas
• Yeni Şafak: Türkiye highlights global reach of Turkish TV series exports

This article is for information only. Cast, title and broadcast details are based on press reports and may change before the premiere; TRBW Creative will update the page when TRT1 and Bozdağ Film confirm them.