Turkish television presenter, journalist and producer Müge Anlı's television program "Müge Anlı ile Tatlı Sert," ("Müge Anlı Sweet and Tough") has completely engrossed Turkish society since 2008. Alongside many jaw-dropping events we've witnessed so far, on Tuesday, May 14, for the first time, a reporter on a "live" TV program found a corpse, yes, while the cameras were rolling.

While believing that there is a larger following for the program among the fanatical audience, many also criticize the program for perpetuating cliches of daytime television and eventually leading to the degradation of societal values. However, there's one thing both these polarized groups have in common: watching this program breathlessly.

Even if you're not a regular viewer, it's virtually impossible to remain unaware of the program's topics, thanks to news articles and short viral videos circulating on social media. As a result, this program holds considerable sway over Turkish popular culture. But what exactly is happening?

The show on ATV – a TV station owned by Turkuvaz Media Group – brought her to the throne of daytime TV shows and introduced rival shows to work under the same theme: search for the missing and investigation of murders and other crimes.

Throughout the 15 seasons that aired until the end of 2023, the show indeed helped locate 4,091 people sought by their next of kin and helped the reunion of 993 broken families. With police help, experts and her fine investigative journalism, Anlı drew attention to 206 unsolved murder mysteries. The veteran journalist expanded her show to animals and helped locate 665 missing animals, ensuring their return to their owners.

With its ongoing 16th season and approximately 3,302 episodes, these occurrences persist, yet the complexity of the matter transcends mere statistics. We witness with disbelief as unexpected family dramas unfold live and murderers confess, and Tuesday marked one of the most chilling incidents in Turkish television history. The topic has become a Twitter trend, dominating conversations everywhere. A suspect confessed to a murder committed live on air, revealing the location, while the program's reporter, upon stumbling upon the live broadcast of the deceased body, let out a scream and promptly reported it to the authorities. It sounds too American talk show-like, I know.

Here's how the incident unfolded. Şaban Ataş, 52, who went missing on March 22 in the Seydikemer district of Muğla, was not heard from again. The missing person case was discussed in the program. As a result of Müge Anlı's approximately two-week pressure, Şaban Ataş's ex-wife, Emine Karabulut, confessed to the murder and revealed the location of the body on live.

Despite their divorce, Emine Karabulut, who continued to live in the same house with Şaban Ataş, confessed on the program, saying: "During breakfast, Burhanettin Öztürk (her boyfriend), Şaban (her ex-husband) and I were sitting together. They got into a fight. Burhanettin strangled Şaban with a rope, then hit him on the head with a stick. I burned all his belongings on the stove. Then Burhanettin, my son Murat, my mother and I took the body to the mountain road and dumped it. Then early in the morning, we went to where we had dumped it and covered the body with stones. I deeply regret it."

Following the confession, Şaban Ataş's ex-wife, Emine Karabulut, her sons Mert and Mustafa Ataş, her mother Durkadın Karabulut, and her boyfriend Burhanettin Öztürk were taken into custody. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.

‘Decayed’ morals

The events, as shocking as they may have been, shed light on a truth that perhaps isn't widely discussed in society.

Especially in Turkish society, where Anatolia is often referred to as the cradle of civilizations and held up as an example to urban dwellers with its ethical traditions, the incidents may indicate that, perhaps due to falsely perceived modernization and the misunderstanding of close-knit social structure, many moral values in Anatolia have largely collapsed.

Urban dwellers, often criticized for their virtual nature, are increasingly astonished as they witness events unfolding in the small villages of Anatolia, adding to their daily disbelief. In this context, we can see how the juxtaposed examples formed around these two concepts have crumbled.

From a father-in-law having a relationship with his daughter-in-law to a grandson killing his grandmother, we've seen many chilling details on the program. Of course, there are even deeper and more gruesome examples, but summarizing the events of a 16-season program is impossible and some details are truly devastating to one's psyche.

Real or well-executed roles?

When I went inside the studio and watched part of the program live, I can say I didn't encounter any fabricated events. However, as we all guess, reality TV shows claim to depict heavily mediated and manipulated real-life events for dramatic effect, blurring the line between reality and fiction. According to sociologist Jean Baudrillard's theory in "Simulacra and Simulation," the "reality" presented on such shows isn't an accurate reflection of actual events but rather a hyperreal simulation designed for entertainment.

Baudrillard argues that in a hyperreal society, truth itself becomes a simulated concept. On "Müge Anlı ile Tatlı Sert," while the intention may be to uncover the truth and solve mysteries, the reality presented on screen may not always align with objective truth. The narratives constructed through editing, storytelling techniques, and dramatic reenactments create a simulated version of reality that the audience consumes as truth, despite its inherent biases and distortions.

Moreover, Baudrillard argues that contemporary society is dominated by a culture of spectacle, where media images and representations hold more significance than the underlying reality they claim to represent. "Müge Anlı ile Tatlı Sert" thrives on the spectacle of human drama, suspense and sensationalism.

Another point is that such programs trigger our primal emotions, like fear, drama, adrenaline or revenge.

While questioning the reality of this program, one topic that many people especially wonder about is, "Why would a killer confess to a crime on a TV program?" It indeed sounds quite absurd when scrutinized. However, there's a situation at play here: When an individual goes missing and the program takes up their case, Müge Anlı's team meticulously examines everything from interrogation transcripts to phone records to identify the most likely suspects, inviting them to the show.

So, if the person is indeed guilty, they might come on the show to exonerate themselves and avoid suspicion. Because if they refuse to participate, Anlı and her team publicly question why the person hasn't joined the live broadcast, probing if they're hiding something. It's a significant risk either way. Through Müge Anlı's thorough interrogations and the evidence she presents, the culprit ultimately finds themselves inescapably trapped.

Turkish horror story unravels live

Just as Ryan Murphy's "American Horror Story" series is fictional, the events depicted in this program are equally chilling horror stories. Some of these incidents, which will leave you speechless, send shivers down your spine and linger in your mind for nights on end, are widely known by all members of society.

One particularly shocking moment unfolded when a 42-year-old man confessed live on air to the rape and murder of 3-year-old Irmak Kupal, sending shock waves throughout the country.

Another compelling storyline involved the Palu family, regular guests on a reality TV show dedicated to missing persons, who accused an individual named Ustael of heinous crimes. They alleged that Ustael had extorted money from them and manipulated them with the assistance of jinns, supernatural beings in Islamic belief. These accusations gained widespread attention, with millions of viewers tuning in as the family's claims went viral online. In a previous hearing, Meryem Tahnal's sister also accused Ustael of sexual assault.

In another tragic turn of events, Dilek, seeking a divorce from her husband, had her two young children, Miray and Elif Mina, tragically murdered by their father.

Described by host Müge Anlı as one of the most challenging cases she's faced, the Gazi Akbıyık incident unfolded as a heartbreaking family tragedy. A 17-year-old girl inadvertently killed her father while attempting to protect her mother from his violent actions.

Among the most discussed cases from the 2023 season was the Sinan Sardoğan case, which gripped the nation as the disappearance of Arife Gökçe led her family to seek assistance from Müge Anlı. This investigation revealed sensational revelations that shocked the entire community, with Sardoğan emerging as a central figure, even unsettling Müge Anlı and her team.

The death of 9-year-old Şiar Kılıç in a house fire prompted suspicions from his father, leading them to seek assistance from Müge Anlı. Through their investigation, Müge Anlı and her team uncovered evidence suggesting foul play rather than a tragic accident.

When Mehmet Elbay vanished, his children turned to the program in search of answers. Despite insufficient evidence, the truth surrounding his disappearance remained elusive until Zeynep Ergül's unexpected appearance on the show three years later, shedding light on the reality behind the mystery.

Unfortunately, these are just a few of the real stories.

Of course, one might wonder why these matters aren't resolved through the justice system. However, publicizing an issue to the entire population increases the amount of information available. Often, eyewitnesses calling into the program over the phone accelerate the process significantly. Despite the reluctance to emphasize this, the slow pace of the judiciary and trials lasting for years or ending without results compel these families to turn to this program.