MISTCO’s Aysegul Tuzun Talks Mehmetcik: Kûtulamâre

Aysegul Tuzun, the VP of sales and marketing at MISTCO, talks to World Screen about what’s on the company’s slate for MIPTV, including the new TRT epic Mehmetcik: Kûtulamâre.

WS: What are some of the key titles MISTCO will be presenting at MIPTV?
TUZUN: At MIPTV this year, we are launching TRT’s new epic drama Mehmetcik: Kûtulamâre. Created by the same producer as Resurrection: Ertugrul, the series is based on the heroic story of a young man who would sacrifice his own life to save the country and people who are in need of help. TRT is the biggest investor in epic dramas in Turkey, and they have the most extensive know-how in this genre. What makes this series successful is the know-how of TRT, alongside high production quality and fascinating storylines.

Another highlight is our prestigious drama The Last Emperor. With our new deal in Albania, we continue to expand its sales in new territories. The series has a unique story based on Abdulhamid Han, the strongest Ottoman Empire of the 19th century. We witness how he struggles against the traitors even inside of his own family. Thanks to its great production quality and strong plot, The Last Emperor contains all the elements that make a TV show successful. Airing in its second season at the moment, it is doing very well in terms of ratings and audience feedback all around the world. 

The Prisoner of Love is a modern-day drama with a very romantic story. In the beginning, we see a contractual marriage between a rich man who has no trust in women and a poor girl who desperately needs money for her father’s surgery. We witness how their hatred turns into real love as the story goes on. The Prisoner of Love also recently sold to Africa, and we are very glad to have entered into a new market for Turkish dramas with such a successful [series]. Also, we have recently sold The Prisoner of Love to Imedi TV in Georgia and Astana TV in Kazakhstan.

WS: Why do you think these titles will have appeal for global buyers?
TUZUN: Not only for TRT but also for all Turkish productions, our experience and storytelling method make our content globally attractive. As the public broadcaster, TRT is dedicated to providing a higher quality, and the storylines are stronger. As a result of such concentration, all the content they have created so far has become hits in Turkey. For instance, Resurrection: Ertugrul is currently airing in its fourth season and it is still the number one show on Wednesdays. With new territories in LatAm such as Chile and Bolivia, and the U.S. Hispanic market, we are expanding [the reach of] TRT’s content all around the world. We have also opened new territories with our recent deals in Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Tunisia and Iraq.

WS: Is there anything else you’d like to note about MISTCO’s MIPTV agenda?
TUZUN: We’d like to mention that, as the biggest Turkish TV network, TRT is not only producing high-quality drama series, it is also creating the best animated series for kids, documentaries in various genres, as well as TV movies with huge casts. So, for every market, we have many new launches.

TRT is always producing the best family dramas, and we are very satisfied with the worldwide feedback from our partners. This year at MIPTV, we are launching two new family dramas: Let’s Go and Lion Family. They are both very entertaining dramas. Lion Family is about the members of a family whose lives totally change one day when the spoiled but charming landlady arrives and starts to live with them. We believe this series will be a great choice for family slots. Let’s Go is a very successful title with an interesting plot, in which the protagonists go bankrupt, leave their luxurious city life and start to live in a village. The series is doing great in its Saturday ratings.

As the exclusive sales agent for all TRT titles, we will be located at the TRT booth, P-1.N51, to meet with global partners who want to learn about the details of our new releases and strong library content.