Mustafa İlbeyli, Director of Advertising & Sales at TRT Sales, joins us to reflect on the company’s record-breaking success in 2024 and a year of steady growth in 2025. He highlights the continued global impact of TRT’s historical dramas, the rising demand for children’s and film content, and introduces the company’s upcoming series Children of Paradise and Taşacak Bu Deniz (Deep In Love).
We last spoke ahead of DICM last year. As we come to the end of 2025, how has this year been for TRT Sales?
2025 has been a year of strategic consolidation and continued growth for TRT Sales. Building on the momentum of our record-breaking year in 2024, we’ve focused on strengthening our presence in key markets, expanding our catalog with new and diverse genres, and exploring new platforms and partnerships. While 2024 was about hitting a new peak, 2025 has been about solidifying our foundation and ensuring sustainable, long-term success. The feedback from our international partners has been incredibly positive, and we are proud to have maintained our position as a leading distributor of high-quality Turkish content.
You’ve mentioned that 2024 was a record-breaking year for TRT Sales. Could you tell us which titles and which regions stood out in terms of sales?
2024 was indeed a landmark year for us. The standout titles were undoubtedly our historical dramas. Fatih: Sultan of Conquests led the way, captivating audiences with its epic scale and compelling narrative. Another major success was Saladin: The Conqueror of Jerusalem, which continued to perform exceptionally well and solidified its global appeal.
In terms of regions, the MENA, Balkans, and Asia remained powerhouses, with a particularly strong appetite for historical epics. These markets showed significant growth, with buyers actively seeking out content that resonates with their shared cultural heritage. Latin America is a market where we are seeing growing interest. While our presence there is still developing, audiences have shown increasing curiosity toward Turkish dramas. We are working to strengthen our impact in the region by introducing new titles tailored to local preferences.
Furthermore, thanks to our diverse and established drama catalog, we continue to see strong demand for different types of series from various parts of the world.
We definitely observe regional preferences, and it’s something we take into account in our sales strategy. The MENA region and Central Asia have a very strong preference for our historical and epic dramas, as these stories often connect with their own histories and cultural values. In contrast, in Latin America and Balkans, while historical dramas are popular, there is also a very strong demand for our contemporary family and romantic dramas.
Beyond the numbers, how would you evaluate that success overall? What do you think were the key factors behind it?
The success of 2024 was not just about sales figures; it was about the growing international recognition of Turkish content as a whole. The key factors behind it, I believe, are threefold. First, the unparalleled quality of our productions. TRT is committed to producing dramas with high-quality scripts, cinematic visuals, and meticulous attention to historical detail. Second, our storytelling has a universal appeal. While our shows are rooted in Turkish culture and history, they explore themes of family, loyalty, ambition, and justice that resonate with audiences everywhere. Finally, our strategic approach to distribution and our strong relationships with our partners have been crucial. We work closely with broadcasters and platforms to tailor our content to their specific market needs, ensuring that our shows find the right home and reach the widest possible audience.
Turkish historical dramas continue to resonate strongly worldwide. How has the international journey of Fatih: Sultan of Conquests and Saladin: The Conqueror of Jerusalem evolved this year? Which territories have they reached so far?
Both Fatih: Sultan of Conquests and Saladin: The Conqueror of Jerusalem had an incredible journey this year. Both of our productions found their place in Asia, the Balkans, and the MENA region, continuing to expand their global footprint. The series found a strong fan base among viewers who appreciate historical depth, leadership, and nation-building themes. The story of both characters’ unifying leadership carries a powerful message that transcends borders and cultures, making it a true global hit.
Your catalog also includes a wide range of children’s content. How is the demand for these titles internationally, and in which markets are they performing the best?
The demand for our children’s content is robust and growing. We are seeing a significant interest in our animated series, which offer a safe, educational, and entertaining viewing experience for young audiences. Our children’s titles are performing exceptionally well in the MENA and CIS regions. The universal nature of animation, combined with our focus on positive values and cultural themes, makes them highly attractive to international buyers.
TRT Sales also has a growing film catalog. What kind of interest are you seeing in your films, and which regions or countries are particularly drawn to them?
Our film catalog, which attracts interest in the Balkans, Asia, and MENA, also draws new buyers interested in our documentaries and feature films that offer a unique perspective on Turkish culture and history. We are particularly proud of our documentary catalog, which covers a wide range of topics and has garnered great acclaim at international film festivals.
Could you tell us about your new projects or upcoming content for the new season? What can international buyers expect from TRT Sales in the year ahead?
The first one is Children of Paradise, starring well-known talents such as İsmail Hacıoğlu, Özgü Kaya, Melisa Şenolsun, Yurdaer Okur, and Zafer Algöz. This gripping drama follows İskender, a feared gangster betrayed and left for dead, who awakens in an Aegean town where he is mistaken for a missing family man. Torn between his violent past and a newfound life of love and belonging, he must face a devastating truth that could change everything.
The second one is Taşacak Bu Deniz (Deep In Love), featuring Ulaş Tuna Astepe, Deniz Baysal, Burak Yörük, and Yeşim Ceren Bozoğlu. Set on the stormy Black Sea coast, the story dives into a centuries-old blood feud between two rival villages. When a stolen daughter returns unknowingly as a doctor, she becomes the fragile bridge between vengeance and redemption, in a land where love and hatred flow as fiercely as the sea itself.
With these two dramas, we expect to strengthen our footprint across Europe and the Americas, as both titles align strongly with regional audience preferences for powerful, character-driven stories and visually stunning landscapes. Once again, the enchanting geography of Anatolia will be the greatest companion to these meticulously crafted scripts.
The success of 2024 was not just about sales figures; it was about the growing international recognition of Turkish content as a whole. The key factors behind it, I believe, are threefold. First, the unparalleled quality of our productions. Second, our storytelling has a universal appeal. Finally, our strategic approach to distribution and our strong relationships with our partners have been crucial.
And when it comes to your dramas, do you observe regional preferences? For example, do certain regions lean more towards historical dramas while others prefer family dramas?
Yes, we definitely observe regional preferences, and it’s something we take into account in our sales strategy. The MENA region and Central Asia have a very strong preference for our historical and epic dramas, as these stories often connect with their own histories and cultural values. In contrast, in Latin America and Balkans, while historical dramas are popular, there is also a very strong demand for our contemporary family and romantic dramas. Our family-oriented narratives, with their focus on emotional relationships and strong moral themes, resonate deeply with audiences of these regions.
We are here at MIPCOM, the most important content market of the year. What are your expectations from this year’s edition?
MIPCOM is a crucial event for us to connect with our partners and to showcase our new catalog. Our expectations for this year are to build on the relationships we have cultivated and to forge new ones. We want to demonstrate the depth and diversity of our content and to solidify our position as a go-to source for high-quality, globally resonant content. We are confident that our new titles will generate significant buzz and lead to successful deals in the coming months.
This exclusive interview with Mustafa İlbeyli was featured in Episode Magazine’s MIPCOM 2025 issue.
