The Turkish series and dramas stand out among the alternatives available today to thrill you, distract you and disconnect you from reality. In this post, we recommend the best Turkish soap operas in English that you can watch for free in 2022.
Which Turkish series do you want to watch?
Recommendations of Turkish TV series in English to watch in 2022
The great audiovisual quality and content of its novels, make Turkey a superpower in audiovisual creation. The Turkish film sector has been doing a great job for years. For this reason, it is not surprising that the Turkish series are being visualized in half the world with a very good acceptance among the public. In this article, we provide you with a list of recent Turkish novels that you cannot miss.
Here is a list of the best Turkish romance and drama soap operas that have been translated and dubbed into English so far. So you will know where to watch or download these novels. Without more to say, we continue with a list of the best current Turkish series.
1. Forbidden Fruit (Yasak Elma)
This fascinating Turkish series from 2018 was produced by Med Yapim and aired at the time on Fox Turkey. Through the involvement of its characters, it shows how it is possible for people’s lives to be transformed when economic interests are involved.
Its plot is based on a pair of sisters identified under the names of Zeynep and Yildiz, who live with scarce economic resources while their greatest wealth is to fight for each other to get ahead. Although independent, each of them has her own personality and, therefore, different dreams.
Zeynep is hardworking, humble and unpretentious, while Yildiz longs to live in opulence, so she eagerly seeks a millionaire man who will give her everything she aspires to, but she makes many mistakes along the way, one of them being a relationship with Halit Argun, who is married to Ender, identified as the queen of Istanbul and who is not willing to lose her financial status.
The irony of the plot is that Yildiz will serve to prove Halit’s infidelity, leaving him bankrupt; while on the other hand, Zeynep will also enter this company to be involved in a series of events she never dreamed of.
2. Love is in the air
Love is in the air is another recommended Turkish TV series, which presents a romantic story about the life of a flower seller named Eda Yildiz, who must deal with a sentimental relationship that ties her to Serkan Bolat, a young and rich heir.
This Turkish soap opera, whose first part premiered on July 8, 2020, while the second part premiered on June 9, 2021, has not yet reached its conclusion but exceeded all audience expectations. The counter stopped at 7.8 million tweets, as its characters have kept many viewers hooked to find out what the plot twist will be.
The story shows a promising student who has the dream of becoming a landscape architect, paying for her studies thanks to the scholarships obtained. But she loses this financial benefit when she makes a deal with a young man to pose as his fiancée for a couple of months.
As a result, Bolat will have to cover her college expenses while maintaining a business relationship that changes over time to develop a love whose end has not yet been defined. We invite you to watch it to find out.
This is one of the series translated into Spanish that has had more acceptance among viewers.
3. A Woman Scorned (Sadakatsiz)
The Turkish series A Woman Scorned (Sadakatsiz) is produced by Medyapim and stars Caner Cindoruk and Cansu Dere, among other actors of great trajectory within the artistic world. In it, you will meet a successful doctor, identified as Asya, happily married to Volkan and with a son named Ali.
Her wonderful family begins to crumble when she suspects her husband’s infidelity, which she not only confirms but also discovers that his mistress is his partner’s daughter and is pregnant; so she faces the conflict of saving her marriage or taking gratifying revenge against her husband.
This Turkish telenovela has complete chapters subtitled in Spanish, which can be accessed online, where you will also know all the details of a plot based on the series “Doctor Foster” that you can not miss.
4. The Innocents (Masumlar Apartmani)
With the Turkish TV drama The Innocents, also known as “Apartment of Innocents” you will discover another Turkish series produced by GMO Pictures in 2020 and broadcasted on TRT 1, whose plot is based on the psychological state of four siblings who make life inside an apartment located in Istanbul.
Its protagonist is Han, a charismatic and successful young man in business who must take care of his sisters and his father. They have been deeply marked by a terrible past, which is reflected in this family group, leading them to live different traumas that prevent them from following a normal life.
Han isolates himself from any social activity until he meets Inci because of an accident, being the beginning of an attractive love story that must overcome many obstacles, especially those created within his family circle.
This is a Turkish series based on the novel by psychiatrist Gülseren Budaıcıoğlu, which shows the different psychological profiles associated with a love relationship.
5. Love, Logic and Revenge (Aşk Mantik Intikam)
You can watch online this famous Turkish recommended series, which tells the story of Esra Erten and Ozan Korfali, who get married when they are very young and because for different reasons end their relationship with a divorce.
Ironically, fate brings them together again when Esra starts working in Ozan’s company, which allows them to discover that their love is not completely lost, but they will have to overcome new obstacles, as two brothers, Çalğa and Çinar, come between them and complicate the path to their reconciliation.
It does not yet have a premiere date on open channels such as Divinity, but its plot is shaping up to be one of the best Turkish telenovelas in Spanish. We recommend you to stay tuned to see that where there was fire, ashes always remain.
6. Bitter Lands (Bir Zamanlar Çukurova)
Bitter Lands is one of the Turkish series that has swept in more than 30 countries, set in the ’70s and where an interesting love story between Züleyha and Yilmaz that overcomes all adversities, when his quiet life is shattered by sexual abuse and crime in the city of Istanbul is narrated.
All this situation leads them to hide in the lands of Demir, the city of Adana, who is a landowner who lives with his authoritarian mother Hükear; before which they pretend to be brothers, irremediably marking their future, dreams and hopes.
In this series, you will find passion, tyranny and evil. Yilmaz does whatever it takes to protect his family, even though he must hide at all times his legendary love for Züleyha, who is physically tied to a person he does not love.
8. The Boy (Çocuk)
If you like dramas with facets of mystery, don’t miss The Boy, one of the Turkish tv series that will keep you glued to its episodes until you find out what is the secret hidden about the eldest son of Ali Kemal and his wife.
You can watch online this series broadcasted on the screens of the Turkish channel StarTV Çocuk. Ali Kermal, personified by Serhat Teoman, is the heir of a wealthy family and is married to Sule, played by Ceyda Ateş, they both adopt Akça’s son; who gives him up to give him a better future.
Sule promises to take care of this little boy named Efe, but things change with the arrival of a son of her own, at which point she looks for him to suffer an accident.
As a result of this, Akca realizes that her son’s welfare is in danger and decides to recover him using all the weapons that her motherly love puts within her reach.
9. The promise (Yemin)
Turkish series are famous for telling stories that captivate television lovers and those who enjoy a form of entertainment to watch online in Spanish. Yemin, which when translated into English means oath or promise, offers an interesting plot that develops around the wealthy Tarhun family.
The father, named Hikmet, wants to find a wife for his son Emir, who has so far led an irresponsible life. To fulfill this purpose he chooses his niece Reyhan, young and beautiful, who although not inclined to marry a stranger, accepts to please her uncle because he is very ill.
Emir and his mother Cavidan treat Reyhan with contempt at first, who is characterized by being a country girl, raised in the traditional and very modest style; being at all times protected only by Hikmet, who takes her in after being orphaned.
As time goes by things change, Reyhan and Emir begin to see each other differently, falling in love with each other.
10. Strawberry Smell (Çilek Kokusu)
If you are looking for a really fun free English series, we suggest this teen comedy in which you will find conflicts of hate, love and coexistence. All this is part of the life of Asli, a charming young woman who works in a bakery and brings a strawberry cake for the birthday of one of her customers but suffers an accident with another car.
The cake is ruined and so she meets Burak, from a wealthy family and a womanizing man, who argues with Asli, vowing never to see her again.
The young woman loses her job because of the mishap with the cake and is taken by her friend Gonca to a large hotel to apply for a job in that place, discovering that its owner is precisely Burak, the man with whom she crashed the car and whom she swore she would never meet again.
But fate moves capriciously, so their paths cross again for you to enjoy this Turkish TV series released in 2015 under the production of Faruk Turgut and that you can watch online in the English language.
11. My Little Girl (Kızım)
My Little Girl is another Turkish TV series produced by Med Yapim. Its protagonist is an eight-year-old girl named Öykü who is under the care of a friend of her mother whom she recognizes as her aunt, but who is facing a disease called Niemann-Pick, of genetic origin, so she decides not to take care of the little girl anymore.
She leaves her where her biological father Demir lives to take care of her, but he is an irresponsible delinquent with few arrests and knows nothing about the girl’s existence. Soon she begins her apprenticeship thanks to Candan, a young woman who knew how to be the mother that little Öykü needed so much.
The series has 34 episodes that you will undoubtedly enjoy, especially watching how this professional swindler raised in an orphanage takes care of his daughter to get out of jail; which changes drastically when he discovers that she suffers from health problems that cause progressive forgetfulness in her mind.
12. The Game of My Destiny (Kaderimin Oyunu)
This is an interesting Turkish soap opera that tells the story of Asiye, played by actress Öykü Karayel, a woman of strong character who at 30 years old is facing the upbringing of two children she had when she was very young with Cemal.
She was raised by her stepmother, she must face many economic problems and a difficult day-to-day life with her children Nergis and Umut, as her husband leaves her for a rich woman; but soon she meets Mahir and things begin to change.
Its plot is emerging as one of the best in the Turkish series, after its premiere on December 3, 2021, on Star Tv, getting thousands of comments on social networks during its second episode thanks to the excellent work of the actor Akin Akinözü who personifies Cemal.
In this series, you will learn the fate of Asiye who lives with his daughter Nergis, who is abused by a stranger who ends up dead and they flee together with little Ugur. Later, they are helped by Mahir, who has an accident that leads them to impersonate his family and live an involving plot.
13. My left side (Sol Yanim)
A disturbing plot based on the secrets of the Kutlusoy family, which began to be broadcasted in November 2020. Its dynamics is based on the happy life model of a mother and her daughters, who after enjoying all the comforts must learn to defend themselves in a modest neighborhood.
Among its characters you will meet Serra, who learns to fend for herself and take care of her mother; there is also Selim, a young heir to a large fortune.
The story unfolds around the relationship of these two young students with different sources of income. Serra is on scholarship and holds a secret that threatens to destabilize the life of Selim’s prestigious family; enjoy this Turkish telenovela completely free.
14. Anne (Mother)
This Turkish series has shown great expectations of success worldwide, it has been co-produced by Med Yapim and MF Yapim. It is based on a Japanese drama titled Mother and was originally written by Yuji Sakamoto.
Here you will meet a young substitute teacher named Zeynep who protects one of her seven-year-old pupils, Melek, who is abused by her family, and subsequently abandons her.
Zeynep, played by prominent actress and model Cansu Dere, makes the decision to become the mother of this little girl who is starred by Beren Gökyıldız. You will surely love it for its funny witticisms, thanks to which it is one of the most-watched series in both Europe and Latin America.
When it premiered in Turkey in 2016 and 2017 it managed to achieve a 6.72 rating. With this, you can have an idea of what it will represent for your entertainment.
15. Call my agent – The agency (Menajerimi Ara)
For lovers of series based on talent scouting, we recommend this original Turkish soap opera directed by Ali Bilgin, which you can enjoy initially on TV and later watch online for free. It is based on a similar plot to the French series Call my agent, popular on Netflix.
This Turkish series has among as protagonists Kiraç personified by Baris Falay and Feris, in charge of Canan Ergüder; who are prestigious members of a talent agency in the film industry and live complicated situations in which their professional and private lives are mixed, while discovering what the wild world of celebrities is like.
All its chapters subtitled in Spanish are really interesting, besides having in each one of them an important TV star as a guest. Without a doubt, you will enjoy the situations faced by managers, employees and artists of the magical world of cinema.
16. The Pit (Çukur)
This Turkish TV series features production by Ay Yapım and 131 episodes that you can watch online for free. It runs over 4 full seasons, ending in June 2021.
It tells the story of the Koçovalı family, which is dedicated to organized crime within one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the city of Istanbul.
One of their youngest sons named Yamaç decides it is time to live away from crime, but when he discovers a new world next to Sena whom he has recently married, he must return to the bosom of the family after the loss of his brother Kahraman.
Yamac is personified by Aras Bulut İynemli and the father of this family is Idris Kocovali, played by actor Ercan Kesal who together with Sultan Koçovalı (the mother) directs the destiny of all the members of this clan that even has an illegitimate son by the name of Salih Koçovalı. You can’t miss all the intrigues that weave the outcome of each of its characters.
17. Yargi (Trial)
A murder investigation crosses the paths of Ilgaz and Ceylin, leading them to work together to star in an action-packed, drama-filled plot that will keep you on your toes as each episode unfolds.
IIgaz Kaya is played by Kaan Urgancıoğlu, while in the role of Ceylin Erguvan you’ll find the lovely Pinar Deniz; both bring their artistic talents together in this court drama filmed by Ay Yapim.
When the talented prosecutor Ilgaz who is also the son of a police commissioner begins to investigate the murder of a young woman, he discovers that his younger brother Metin is one of those involved and is defended by the talented lawyer Ceylin, who by this time is living with her mother and sister.
Everything gets complicated when another crime takes place that touches Ceylin’s feelings, changing everyone’s life until they manage to prosecute the culprit.
Why watch a Turkish soap opera?
Analysts recommend viewers or lovers of online transmissions to take advantage of this type of international fiction that engages quickly by having colorful scenarios and plots based on universal feelings, based on love, romance, sadness, hatred, revenge, money and more.
As you can appreciate, diverse themes have served as inspiration for the creation of Turkish series that are very popular around the world and through which the warmth and hospitality of the Turkish people are shown. Being their lives so interesting, they generate empathy in many of their viewers and you will surely find your favorite story.
On the other hand, if you have already had the opportunity to watch Turkish love series or telenovelas in Spanish, you probably noticed that in Turkish series they practically never kiss. You may have noticed that there is an absence of caresses, kisses or sexual scenes, because in this Middle Eastern country there is a regulation on them by the High Council of Radio and Television of Turkey, which prevents the manifestation of these acts on screen.
However, they are still really captivating; take a look at our catalog and choose the TV production you like the most. You will find from the most famous and successful series to the newest and most recent ones that even few people know about.
The secret to the success of Turkish TV series
The great acceptance of the Turkish series is a worldwide phenomenon, they have not only triumphed in Spain or Latin America. The Turkish audiovisual machinery sells its series to more than 150 countries like the United States. They are series designed and produced for prime time, the most popular time slot.
Even though in our country they are not broadcasted at peak time or on main channels, in Turkey they are usually broadcasted at prime time. For this reason, in these soap operas, attention is paid to the smallest detail.
We can say that they are luxury productions worthy of Hollywood itself. They do not skimp on locations and have magnificent indoor and outdoor scenery, and the viewer notices and appreciates this.
Another important factor is the economic recession that Turkey has suffered in the last years, and that makes the western countries can acquire the rights to emit these series at very profitable prices. Luxury series at low cost. Undoubtedly, it a good business for the television channels of our country.
Channels to watch free Turkish telenovelas subtitled in English online
If you are passionate about this type of soap opera, you can watch online for free all the complete seasons of these series and many others. Either dubbed into English or subtitled. It is highly recommended to watch them in the original version because you will enjoy much more of the performances of the actors. So go ahead and search in our catalog for the TV series you like the most.
Tell us what you think Turkish series in English or an original version with subtitles? Leave us a comment with your opinion. We will be glad to read it.
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