The best Turkish dramas you must watch include Leyla ile Mecnun, Behzat Ç., Ezel, Ethos (Bir Başkadır), İçerde, Siyah Beyaz Aşk, Halka, Masumlar Apartmanı and Uyanış: Büyük Selçuklu. For a newer pick on Netflix in India, The Tailor is the easiest place to start.
Turkish shows, called dizi, have built a large fan base in India, helped by long story arcs, family drama and strong romantic leads. This list mixes comedy, crime, romance and history. Ratings are approximate IMDb user scores and can shift over time.
Best Turkish dramas: quick facts
| Show | Years | Genre | Approx. IMDb |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leyla ile Mecnun | 2011 to 2013 | Comedy | 9.1 |
| Behzat Ç.: Bir Ankara Polisiyesi | 2010 to 2013 | Crime | 8.8 |
| Halka | 2019 | Action drama | 8.7 |
| Ethos (Bir Başkadır) | 2020 | Drama | 8.6 |
| Ezel | 2009 to 2011 | Crime, revenge | 8.6 |
| Bizi Ayıran Çizgi | 2021 | Drama | 8.5 |
| Siyah Beyaz Aşk | 2017 to 2018 | Romance, crime | 8.1 |
| İçerde | 2016 to 2017 | Crime | 8.0 |
| Masumlar Apartmanı | 2020 to 2021 | Romantic drama | 8.0 |
| Uyanış: Büyük Selçuklu | 2020 to 2021 | Historical | 8.0 |
10 best Turkish dramas you must watch
1. Leyla ile Mecnun
This cult comedy gives the old Layla and Majnun love story a strange, modern spin in Istanbul. Mecnun and Leyla’s story is just the excuse; the real fun is the absurd humour, running jokes and an eccentric group of friends.
It is the highest-rated Turkish show on many fan lists. The humour is very local, so it works best once you have watched a few dizi and know the culture a little.
2. Behzat Ç.: Bir Ankara Polisiyesi
Based on the novels of Emrah Serbes, this crime series follows Behzat Ç., a rough, troubled police officer who heads a homicide team in Ankara. Erdal Beşikçioğlu plays the lead.
It is darker and more realistic than most Turkish TV, with cases that often end without neat answers. Fans of gritty police dramas will like it.
3. Halka
Halka is an action drama about a secret criminal organisation and two young men who were separated as babies and grow up on very different paths. Their stories slowly meet as the organisation’s plans come to light.
It ran for a single season, so it is a quick watch compared with the 100-episode epics Turkish TV is known for.
4. Ethos (Bir Başkadır)
Created by Berkun Oya for Netflix, Ethos follows Meryem, a young woman from a conservative family who works as a part-time cleaner and starts seeing a secular psychiatrist. Through her, the show links characters from very different parts of Turkish society.
It is slow and thoughtful, and many critics called it one of the best Turkish series ever made. It streams on Netflix, including in India.
5. Ezel
Ezel is a revenge drama loosely inspired by The Count of Monte Cristo. A young man is betrayed by his closest friends and the woman he loves, and sent to prison for a crime he did not commit.
Years later he returns with a new face and a new name, Ezel, played by Kenan İmirzalıoğlu, to take revenge. The show was a big hit in Turkey and abroad.
6. Bizi Ayıran Çizgi
This 2021 drama deals with love, loss and the long shadow of trauma. It has a smaller following than the big network hits, but viewers who found it rate it highly for its emotional writing.
7. Siyah Beyaz Aşk
Known in English as Black and White Love, this show starts with a dark setup. Aslı, a doctor, is forced to marry Ferhat, a man who works as a hitman for his uncle’s crime family. Birce Akalay and İbrahim Çelikkol play the leads.
It mixes romance and crime in classic dizi style, with plenty of twists and slow-burn chemistry.
8. İçerde
İçerde, meaning “Inside”, follows two brothers separated as children. One grows up to be a police officer who goes undercover in a crime family, and the other is raised by that same crime family. Çağatay Ulusoy and Aras Bulut İynemli play the brothers.
Our earlier list gave the year as 2019; the show actually aired from 2016 to 2017. It is one of the best entry points for Indian viewers who like cop-and-gangster stories.
9. Masumlar Apartmanı
This romantic drama is about a successful businessman and a woman who looks after her siblings, one of whom lives with a mental illness. It treats family trauma and obsessive behaviour with more care than most TV romances.
10. Uyanış: Büyük Selçuklu
This historical adventure series tells the story of the Seljuk Turks under Sultan Malik-Shah I, played by Buğra Gülsoy. It comes from the same school of big-budget historical TV that made Diriliş: Ertuğrul popular in India.
Expect battles, palace politics and long episodes.
Newer Turkish dramas to add to your list
- The Tailor (Terzi), 2023: A Netflix original starring Çağatay Ulusoy as a famous Istanbul tailor hiding a painful family secret. It streams on Netflix in India.
- Kübra, 2024: Another Netflix original with Çağatay Ulusoy, about a man who starts receiving messages he believes come from God.
Where to watch Turkish dramas in India
Netflix is the most reliable option for Turkish shows in India, with originals like Ethos, The Tailor and Kübra. Many older network shows are uploaded by their channels on YouTube, though subtitles vary by episode. Availability changes, so check the app before you start a long series.
For more international picks, browse our series section and our listicles.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the best Turkish drama of all time?
On IMDb user ratings, Leyla ile Mecnun and Behzat Ç. rank near the top. Among streaming shows, Ethos (Bir Başkadır) is the most praised by critics.
Which Turkish dramas are on Netflix India?
Ethos, The Tailor and Kübra are Netflix originals available in India. Netflix’s wider Turkish catalogue changes from time to time.
Are Turkish dramas available in Hindi?
Some Turkish shows have been dubbed in Hindi for Indian TV and streaming, but most are watched with English subtitles. Check the audio options on each title.
Is İçerde a good Turkish drama for beginners?
Yes. Its cop-versus-gangster brothers story is easy to follow and fast-paced, which makes it a good first dizi.
Sources: Wikipedia: Ethos (TV series), Wikipedia: Ezel, What’s on Netflix: The Tailor.
