Valley of the Wolves (Kurtlar Vadisi)

Kurtlar Vadisi (Valley of the Wolves) is a Turkish crime and political action drama created by Osman Sınav and Raci Şaşmaz, produced by Sinegraf and Pana Film. It premiered on Show TV on 15 January 2003 under the slogan "This is a mafia series", with Sınav directing and Şaşmaz writing the screenplay.

The story follows Ali Candan, a Turkish diplomat in Kosovo who is in fact an undercover agent of the intelligence service KGT. Ordered by his superior Aslan Akbey to infiltrate and destroy the Turkish mafia, Candan undergoes surgery that changes his face and voice and assumes the new identity of Polat Alemdar. Climbing the underworld hierarchy step by step to reach the mafia's ruling council, he becomes the partner of the notorious mob gunman Süleyman Çakır, all while hiding his secret from his family and from Elif Eylül, the woman he loves. The series drew attention for its direct and indirect references to Turkish politics and the country's "deep state" debates.

The show ran for four seasons and 97 episodes. Its first three seasons aired on Show TV before the final season moved to Kanal D in a four-million-dollar transfer — a first in Turkish television history. The finale was broadcast on 29 December 2005.

Widely regarded as the most successful Turkish TV series of its time, it became a cultural phenomenon whose reach extended to the Arab world, Latin America and the Caucasus, and it aired in Serbia between 2012 and 2014. Guest appearances included Rauf Denktaş, founding president of Northern Cyprus, as well as Hollywood stars Andy García and Sharon Stone. The series later grew into a sprawling franchise comprising the sequel series Valley of the Wolves: Ambush and feature films such as Valley of the Wolves: Iraq, Gladio and Palestine.