64 minSeason 1 • Episode 13
LatestAmidst the ravages of WWI and the conflicts within the country, Akif tries to keep his family together and encourages the youth to unite against the enemy. With his pen mightier than the sword, he writes the National Anthem of the new Türkiye.
Acting
Fikret Kuşkan's trembling restraint while worlds crumble.
Production
WWI-era Istanbul recreated with mud, ash, and exhausted beauty.
Writing
Making bureaucratic poetry feel like armed combat.
Creator
Uğur Uzunok
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Mehmet Akif Ersoy refused payment for the anthem, making it public domain — a detail the series weaponizes for maximum emotional devastation.
The real anthem was written in 1921 during the Turkish War of Independence; Ersoy was already famous for 'Çanakkale,' his WWI elegy that opens the series.
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