ATV to broadcast new docudrama on Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror
A portrait of Sultan Mehmed II, 1480, by Gentile Bellini, oil on canvas, 69.9 by 52.1 centimeters.


ATV, a Turkish free-to-air television network owned by Turkuvaz Media Group, is set to broadcast a new made-for-TV movie revolving around the life story of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, also known as Mehmed the Conqueror.

One of the most influential emperors of all time, Sultan Mehmed II conquered the then-Byzantine capital Constantinople, which earned him the immortal title of "conqueror." Following his triumph, he transformed Istanbul into the biggest European city of the time, reviving it through reconstruction. Known as the Grand Turco (Great Turk) in Europe, Sultan Mehmed achieved in having his name highlighted as one of history's most influential intellectual geniuses.

ATV's newest film about the sultan will be directed by Ekrem Arslan and Halil Caner Çetiner. The scenario of the production was written by Murat Kaman. The movie opens with a scene from the Second Battle of Kosovo, fought between the Hungarian-led Crusader army and the Ottoman Empire. The story, which progresses in parallel fiction, is told to the grandchildren of Sultan Mehmed II by Ottoman historian Aşıkpaşazade. Korkut, Ahmet and Selim listen to the details of the story of victories written by their ancestors in history.