Netflix Produces Historic Turkish Series Named ‘Ottoman Rising’

Online streaming platform Netflix has ordered a new Turkish series based on the life story of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, also known as “Mehmed the Conqueror”, who ascended the throne at the age of 12, following recent reports of its first Turkish show about a superhero, according to the online magazine Deadline Hollywood.

The new production called Ottoman Rising will reportedly be a six-episode mini series. It will be co-produced by STXtv and Karga Seven Pictures.

The “hybrid docu-drama” is reportedly centering around the reign of Ottoman Empire’s seventh leader in the 15th century.

The executive producers behind the project are named as Sarah Wetherbee, Kelly McPherson and Emre Sahin, while STX holds first-window rights in China and Turkey.

It was not immediately clear when the shooting of the series would start or the release date.

Mehmed II came to power in 1444 after his father Murad II abdicated the throne to him, while the former was still a child. He “ordered” his father to return to his position as the head of the empire against Hungarian threat.

In response to his father’s refusal, Mehmed II wrote in a famously quoted letter:

“If you are the Sultan, come and lead your armies. If I am the Sultan, I hereby order you to come and lead my armies.”

Murad II then accepted his son’s call and led the Ottoman army in the 1444 Battle of Varna, which he won.

Mehmed II returned to the throne again in 1451 and became one of the greatest rulers in Ottoman history. Among his biggest victories is his conquest of Istanbul, which was called Constantinople at the time, in 1453.

It was announced last month that Netflix delayed the release of its first Turkish series, The Protector, which was originally scheduled for September, after some of the scenes were not found satisfying.

The Protector is described on the Netlix official website as:

“Given mystical powers by a talismanic keepsake, a young man embarks on a quest to fight shadowy forces and solve a mystery from his past.”

The series follows the epic adventure of Hakan (played by Hakan Ulusoy), a young shopkeeper whose modern world gets turned upside down when he learns he’s connected to a secret, ancient order, tasked with protecting Istanbul.

“At the story’s start, Hakan couldn’t be further from a hero — just an ordinary guy in this city of 15 million, where East meets West and past meets present. He must quickly learn that his hometown is under threat from the mysterious, mystical Immortals, and it’s his job to stop them. It’s a task he’s not only unprepared for, but resists — will he fulfill his destiny as the last protector?”