Anatolian Eagles (Anadolu Kartalları) (translated)

To mark the centenary of the Turkish Air Force, the action drama Anadolu Kartalları (Anatolian Eagles) was released on 28 October 2011. Directed by Ömer Vargı, it is described as the second big Turkish film about aviation, after the 1963 cult film Şafak Bekçileri. It sold 1,179,190 tickets, grossed over 10 million lira and was the sixth-biggest hit of the 2011 Turkish box office, though the press kept its distance.

The story follows five young officers who dream of becoming pilots: Ahmet Onur (Çağatay Ulusoy), Ayşe Dinçer (Özge Özpirinçci), Mustafa Hızarcı (Alpay Kemal Atalan), Tunç Sözeri (İsmail Filiz) and Fatih Karakuş (Alper Saldıran). Training hardships, longing, rivalry and friendship shape their path. Major Kemal Tanaçan (Engin Altan Düzyatan) guides them, and the International Anatolian Eagle Exercise becomes the experience that changes all five lives. Hande Subaşı, Şevket Çoruh and Ediz Hun are also in the cast.

With Air Force cooperation, filming took place at the Konya 3rd Main Jet Base, İzmir Çiğli, Eskişehir and Foça. A Bluebox Studio, 75 metres long and 20 metres high, was set up in a Konya maintenance hangar, a first in Turkish cinema. The Türk Yıldızları and Solo Türk teams flew some aerial scenes. Ozan Doğulu wrote the music.