For months, Red Roses has been the talk of Türkiye. It’s the most-watched show in the country, with scenes shared all over social media, sparking conversations after every episode. For our MIPCOM 2024 issue, we sat down with actor Mert Yazıcıoğlu to talk about his portrayal of Cüneyd and the series.
Cüneyd is a character who lives a life that’s quite distant for most of us, even a bit extreme, and he has his own traumas. At first, it might seem like it would be hard for the audience to relate to him, yet Cüneyd become very well-liked. Why do you think the audience is drawn to him?
Mert Yazıcıoğlu: As you mentioned, Cüneyd is someone who lives on the edge. I believe the audience’s curiosity and desire to follow him stems from his unique combination of religious and scientific education, the environment he grew up in, and his perspective on the situations he faces. As you know, there aren’t many people today who develop and discipline themselves to that level. We’re essentially talking about a character who has received an education similar to that of a prince in a traditional school and is now trying to survive in today’s modern society. Naturally, the way he reacts to situations and his attitudes are different from those of people in today’s modern world, and that sparks curiosity in the audience.
Your chemistry with Mina Demirtaş has been widely appreciated, and your scenes with Özcan Deniz and Erkan Avcı are shared a lot on social media. What would you like to say about your co-stars?
Mert Yazıcıoğlu: As you know, I’ve known Özcan Deniz for ten years. He’s always been a disciplined actor who takes great care in his work, but above all, he’s a genuinely good person. I’m so happy and comfortable working with him again. I met Erkan Avcı through this project, and from the very first day, it felt like we’d known each other for years. It’s impossible not to have fun working with him. Mina is very smart, easy-going, passionate about her work, and a talented actress. If she chooses, I believe she can go far beyond where she is now in the future.
What has your journey with Cüneyd been like? What has Cüneyd taught Mert?
Mert Yazıcıoğlu: While preparing for the role of Cüneyd, I had the chance to research many historical figures. I tried to understand how they viewed the world, how they thought, and how they lived. The first ones that come to my mind are Ibn Sina, Abdulkadir Geylani, the lives of prophets, Fatih Sultan Mehmet, and the lives of many important Ottoman sultans. I also researched the lives and perspectives of people today who live in environments similar to Cüneyd’s. We then blended all this knowledge to shape Cüneyd’s character.
Throughout this process, I owe a great deal to our talented screenwriter Necati Şahin, our wonderful director Ömür Atay, all my colleagues on set, as well as my close friends and creative collaborators Can Atak and Burak Dakak. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank them as well. Cüneyd taught me a lot. Aside from academic and religious knowledge, he helped me adopt a calmer perspective on events. In short, I can say he taught me patience and gratitude.
What do you think Red Roses is really about? What impact do you hope it will have on the audience?
Mert Yazıcıoğlu: For me, Red Roses is all about struggle. No matter your background, education, or the society you come from, and no matter what happens to you, it’s about never giving up the fight for what you believe in. The emotion I hope to evoke in the audience is empathy and the spirit of perseverance.
Even though Red Roses might seem like a very local story, it also has a universal narrative. What do you think Red Roses will mean for international audiences?
Mert Yazıcıoğlu: I believe that any work that contains genuine human emotions can resonate with viewers, regardless of their religion, language, or race. Life becomes easier when we understand the people we criticize. Cinema has a unifying power, and we should never forget that. As Mustafa Kemal Atatürk said, “Cinema is such a discovery that, one day, it will be seen that it changes the face of world civilization more than the discovery of gunpowder, electricity, or continents. Cinema will ensure that people living in the most distant corners of the world learn to love and know one other. Cinema will erase the differences in views and thoughts between people and provide the greatest help in the realization of the ideal of humanity. We must give cinema the importance it deserves.”
This interview with Mert Yazıcıoğlu was featured in Episode Magazine’s MIPCOM 2024 issue.
