For our MIPCOM 2026 issue, we spoke with Elif Tatoğlu, Distribution Strategy & Sales Director at Kanal D International.
Kanal D International is bringing a diverse catalogue to MIPCOM 2026, combining new titles, successful ongoing dramas and evergreen productions that have helped shape the global journey of Turkish drama. In this exclusive conversation, Elif Tatoğlu, Distribution Strategy & Sales Director at Kanal D International, discusses the international potential of new titles such as Dignity and Torn Apart, the second-season strategy for Sins and Roses, and the enduring value of the company’s iconic library. She also shares KDI’s approach to scripted formats, international partnerships and the evolving demands of buyers across Free-TV, Pay-TV and OTT platforms.
Kanal D’s catalogue brought to Cannes this year includes both strong ongoing dramas and new stories. Considering the content demands of global buyers this year, how would you summarize Kanal D’s MIPCOM 2026 strategy?
Our MIPCOM strategy this year is about bringing a strong mix of new stories, successful ongoing dramas and proven catalogue titles. We have an exciting slate, with Dignity joining the market, while Sins and Roses and Torn Apart continue their international journeys. Torn Apart is especially important for us as our summer hit in Türkiye, and we are now focused on bringing its strong local momentum to the international market.
At the same time, our established dramas and evergreen titles remain an important part of our offering. We see strong value in having both fresh stories and proven content in our catalogue. So, our focus at MIPCOM will be on introducing our new titles, building on the momentum of our successful dramas and finding new opportunities for our content across different markets and platforms.
According to recent analyses, youth dramas are among the most sought-after segments in the international market, both on OTT and Free-TV channels, for reaching Gen Z and creating multi-generational viewing habits. We also know that Turkish youth dramas have gained significant momentum in recent years, particularly in the LATAM and CEE regions. In this context, how do you assess the international potential of Torn Apart, which quickly became a phenomenon in Türkiye, in terms of its universal storytelling and adaptability as a format?
Torn Apart has rapidly established itself as one of the standout dramas of the summer season in Türkiye, with strong performance across both television and digital. It has ranked number one consistently, while also reaching around 400 million views on YouTube to date.
We are not positioning Torn Apart simply as a youth drama. At its heart, it is also a strong family story, built around universal themes such as love, family, secrets, revenge and difficult choices. This gives it the potential to connect with both younger and broader, multi-generational audiences.
We believe this combination of strong performance, digital engagement and universal storytelling gives Torn Apart significant international potential. At MIPCOM, we will be focusing on taking the momentum it has created in Türkiye to international markets.
One of the greatest strengths of Turkish dramas is their strong character arcs and high emotional intensity. In the second season of Sins and Roses, how is the evolution of the story being supported by a marketing strategy designed to maintain international audience engagement and retention?
Sins and Roses had a very successful first season, and for us, the key is to build on what audiences already loved about the series. The first season ended with important twists and surprises which created strong anticipation for what comes next.
In Season 2, we want to keep the same DNA—the emotional storytelling, the strong characters and relationships, and of course the chemistry between the cast while taking the story further with new developments, twists and surprises that will keep audiences engaged.
One of the new projects standing out in your catalogue is Dignity, which has already generated significant curiosity with both its cast and its central conflict. In this story, which brings the working-class yet proud Karliova family into conflict with the wealthy Tarman family, the impossible love between Doğukan Güngör (Mehmet) and Merih Öztürk (Simay) is joined by veteran actors such as Kerem Alışık, Reha Özcan and Nergis Öztürk. Could you tell us more about the story of Dignity, the depth this powerful cast brings to the project, and the core emotions the series aims to evoke in its audience?
Dignity is a very exciting project for us because it has all the elements audiences love about classic Turkish drama. At the heart of the story is the impossible love between Mehmet and Simay, two young people from completely different worlds. Their relationship brings the proud, working-class Karliova family face to face with the wealthy Tarman family, creating the central conflict of the story.
We also have a very strong cast. Doğukan Güngör and Merih Öztürk bring great energy to the central love story, while Kerem Alışık, Reha Özcan and Nergis Öztürk add real depth to the family and generational conflicts. There is also a very promising group of young actors whose own stories add different layers to the drama and give us the opportunity to introduce new talents to audiences. Together, this ensemble creates a rich world with different characters and storylines for viewers to connect with.
We believe Dignity has very strong international potential because, in the end, it is about love, family, pride, loyalty and belonging. These are very universal emotions. We believe audiences anywhere in the world can connect with the characters and their choices.
Centering on themes of justice, ethics and personal reckoning, Dignity stands out as a title with a “premium drama” feel. Considering its narrative structure and universal themes, do you also aim to position Dignity as a format adaptation opportunity in addition to ready-made sales?
Of course, it has all the right ingredients for adaptation: strong characters, layered storytelling, a distinctive setting and, most importantly, universal themes and emotions that audiences across different cultures can relate to. While our first focus will be on ready-made sales, we definitely see strong potential for Dignity as a scripted format, with the story and characters offering plenty of room to be adapted to different local cultures while preserving the emotional core of the original.
As Turkish dramas continue to strengthen their position in the global market, co-productions and regional licensing models are increasingly coming to the forefront. As Kanal D, what kind of roadmap will you follow in the coming period in terms of international partnerships and market expansion?
As a broadcaster, our first priority is always to invest in content that is strong enough to perform on Kanal D and support our ratings and audience share. That remains at the heart of our content strategy. When a project meets those expectations and the financial model makes sense for all sides, we are absolutely open to exploring international co-productions and different partnership models. On the international side, our approach is to be as active as possible across markets, while continuing to deepen our relationships in key territories and explore new opportunities for expansion. We are always open to extending successful partnerships, whether through licensing, formats, co-productions or other models that create value for both sides.
In addition to new productions, one of the greatest strengths of the Kanal D catalogue is undoubtedly its “evergreen” cult dramas such as Fatmagul, Forbidden Love and Time Goes By. These titles continue to be sold to new markets and digital platforms, while also maintaining their relevance through format adaptations and local remakes. How do you assess the enduring interest of international buyers in these legendary library titles, and the sustainable contribution these projects make to Kanal D International’s global brand?
Our evergreen catalogue is one of the greatest strengths of Kanal D International. What is particularly valuable for us is that these titles are not simply being resold years after their original launch; they continue to find new audiences, new platforms and even completely new forms.
Fatmagul, for example, continues to reach new audiences through streaming, while its Spanish adaptation Alba demonstrated how strongly the story can travel and connect with audiences in a completely different market. Similarly, Time Goes By has found a new life through MBC’s adaptation Al Marsa. This tells us that the value of these titles goes far beyond their original broadcast cycle.
From a business perspective, they give us a catalogue that can continuously generate opportunities across different territories, platforms and formats. But they are equally important for the Kanal D International brand. Many international audiences and buyers first came to know Turkish drama through titles such as Fatmagul, Forbidden Love and Time Goes By. That recognition and trust also creates a strong foundation when we introduce our new productions.
So for us, the evergreen catalogue is not only our library; it is an important part of Kanal D International’s legacy and one of the pillars supporting the long-term value of our brand.
The Kanal D International catalogue offers a very broad range, from strong seasonal dramas such as Sins and Roses to youth projects like Torn Apart and major productions such as Dignity, which combine classic storytelling with a modern approach. Considering the diversity of buyers from different regions and different platforms, Free-TV, Pay-TV and OTT, at MIPCOM 2026, how does this broad content range respond to the evolving needs of global broadcasters?
I think one of KDI’s greatest strengths is that our catalogue really reflects the journey of Turkish drama. We have the iconic stories that were part of the first wave of Turkish dramas to travel internationally and made audiences around the world fall in love with the genre, but we also represent how Turkish drama has evolved since then.
Today, the storytelling is becoming more contemporary, the worlds are changing and new genres and formats are emerging, while that strong emotional core remains. You can see this journey across our catalogue—from our evergreen classics to established international successes like Sins and Roses, more contemporary stories such as Torn Apart, and Dignity, our major new drama. In that sense, our catalogue brings together both the heritage of Turkish drama and where it is heading next.
But for us, what really matters is understanding what each buyer is looking for and finding the right story for their audience and their platform. That’s also how we approach MIPCOM. We want to sit down with our partners, understand what they need and find the right content and the right way to work together.
