AGP Executive Report

Streaming: Turkish crime comedy Money Trap: The Karun Treasure joins Friday’s new releases. Live Music: Girl group Manifest is set to make its UK arena debut, hoping to launch a wider international career. Art: An Istanbul exhibition explores a modern synthesis of Ottoman traditions, while a Turkish art adviser is bringing two artists to a London exhibition. Music: Turkish pop legend Alpay has died at 91. A new feature also looks at the contrasting worlds of AI idols and Turkish rap. Film & TV: Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival has unveiled its 63rd edition. Turkish dramas have reached an estimated 1 billion viewers worldwide, helping spark interest in the Turkish language.

Visual Arts: An exhibition at Istanbul’s Palace Collections Museum brings Uğur Mine Tamay’s work into conversation with Turkey’s artistic heritage. In London, curator Destina Ecem Bulut is presenting works by Naleye Junior and GODS TDMK in a group show during Frieze week. Music: Turkish girl group Manifest is set for its first UK arena show at Wembley, promoting “Tralala,” a new single that blends global pop with instruments including the kemençe and darbuka. Veteran singer Alpay, a fixture of Turkish pop, has died at 91. Film & TV: The Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival has announced its 63rd edition. Turkish dramas now reach a reported one billion people worldwide, helping fuel interest in the Turkish language. Prime Video has also acquired global rights to the AI-made “Çukur: Vartolu.”

Film: Antalya unveiled the 63rd Golden Orange Film Festival, running Oct. 24–31 under the theme “Always.” Its program includes films from Iran, Palestine, Ukraine and Lebanon, with discounted tickets starting at 20 lira. Media: Police raided Halk TV, halted its broadcasts and appointed a state trustee to run the opposition-aligned channel; 11 people were detained in a corruption probe that the channel’s chairman called politically motivated. Fashion: Designer Bünyamin Aydın marked Les Benjamins’ 15th anniversary with “From Earth to Sky,” a Turkey-set fashion show created with digital design tools. Music: Turkish pop legend Alpay has died at 91. Stage: The ballet “Afife” is set to return to the stage after 28 years.

Media: Police raided opposition broadcaster Halk TV in Istanbul, halted its broadcasts and installed a government trustee, prompting fresh press-freedom concerns. Music: Turkish pop legend Alpay has died at 91. Fashion: Qatar Museums will open a retrospective of British-Turkish designer Erdem Moralıoğlu on Oct. 27, tracing 20 years of his work through more than 150 pieces. Television: Calinos has added daily drama Violet to its international slate; the series is due to premiere on Show TV in November. Books and art: Elif Shafak’s new novel turns its attention to Gustave Flaubert, while a new monograph explores Refik Anadol’s vision for AI art. Performance: The Afife ballet returns to the stage after 28 years.

Media Freedom: Police raided Istanbul’s opposition broadcaster Halk TV on Wednesday and appointed a government trustee to run the channel, the station said; its live broadcast was cut off during the operation. Film: Ilker Çatak won best director at Belgrade’s FEST for Yellow Letters, a German-French-Turkish production. Istanbul’s 14th Bosphorus Film Festival has also announced its documentary and short-film juries. Music & Heritage: Baku Jazz Festival wrapped with a finale at the Maiden Tower, while Türkiye has documented nearly 7,000 historic tombstones and inscriptions. Screen & Games: Istanbul’s Filmekimi festival opened with films by internationally known directors, and Prime Video has taken global rights to AI-generated Turkish series spin-off Çukur: Vartolu. Turkish indie studio Pokuch’s sci-fi survival game Blind Descent is set for Early Access on December 2.

Film & Screen: The 14th Bosphorus Film Festival has announced its documentary and short-film juries. Filmekimi has also opened in Istanbul with works by internationally known directors, while Prime Video has acquired global rights to AI-made Turkish series spin-off Çukur: Vartolu. Music: Turkish girl group Manifest has released its first English-language single, “Tralala.” Heritage & Letters: Five Turkish press and writers’ organizations are asking the Justice Ministry to review the 1948 killing of novelist Sabahattin Ali and locate his remains. Türkiye has also documented nearly 7,000 historic tombstones and inscriptions. Stage: The Anatolia Opera and Ballet Festival is set to bring performances to four towns in November.

Football: Galatasaray host Barcelona in Istanbul tonight, with Victor Osimhen fit and coach Hansi Flick warning his players to expect a fierce RAMS Park atmosphere. Motorsport: Istanbul Park is set to return to Formula 1 in 2027, alongside Portugal’s Portimão circuit. Film and TV: Prime Video has secured global rights to Çukur: Vartolu, an AI-made spin-off of the hit Turkish series The Pit. Stage and Screen: Istanbul’s Filmekimi festival has opened with films by internationally renowned directors, while the Afife ballet returns after a 28-year break. The Anatolia Opera and Ballet Festival will also tour four towns in November. Music and Fashion: Turkish girl group Manifest has released its first English-language single, “Tralala,” and Southeast Asian modest-fashion brand Buttonscarves has entered Türkiye. Istanbul Arts: Dolapdere’s shift from auto shops to art spaces is drawing attention to the neighborhood’s creative revival.

Artists & Society: Kurdish artist Dîlan Cûdî Saruhan says art can preserve memory and connect artists with society. Her Istanbul exhibition, “A Sky of Possibility,” traces life before, during and after prison. Street Art: Istanbul collective OK Labs transforms overlooked city fixtures into playful installations, bringing color and pop-culture touches to urban spaces. Film: Filmekimi has opened in Istanbul with works by acclaimed international directors. Prime Video has also acquired global rights to AI-generated Turkish spin-off “Çukur: Vartolu.” Stage: The “Afife” ballet returns after 28 years, while the Anatolia Opera and Ballet Festival is set to bring performances to four towns in November.

Screen: Prime Video has acquired global rights to Çukur: Vartolu, an AI-generated spin-off of the hit Turkish series. Stage: The Afife ballet returns after 28 years, while Istanbul’s Filmekimi festival has opened with films by acclaimed international directors. Arts & Access: “Accessible Theater” enters its fourth season, and Turkey’s State Opera and Ballet plans performances in Anatolian districts. Music: Turkish DJ Mahmut Orhan has reached No. 42 on DJ Mag’s Top 100 list. Fashion: A Qatar exhibition looks back at designer Erdem Moralıoğlu’s creative journey. Culture & Controversy: Diyarbakır is preparing to host the Culture Route Festival, while a Turkish singer faces an obscenity charge over a video featuring men dancing.

Turkish Screen: Prime Video has acquired global rights to Çukur: Vartolu, an AI-made feature spin-off of the hit Turkish crime series The Pit. Reports say it was made almost entirely with AI; cast details remain unconfirmed. Stage & Cinema: Afife ballet returns to the stage after 28 years, while Istanbul’s Filmekimi festival has opened with films by internationally acclaimed directors. Music: Turkish girl group Manifest has released its first English-language single, “Tralala,” and DJ Mahmut Orhan has climbed to No. 42 on DJ Mag’s Top 100. Istanbul’s Arts Scene: Dolapdere’s former auto-repair strip is evolving into a hub for contemporary art, education and hospitality, with workshops still sharing the streetscape with galleries. Archaeology: Excavations have resumed at Niğde’s Roman Baths in ancient Tyana after a 20-year pause, with researchers seeking earlier structures and signs of pre-Roman activity.

Film: Filmekimi has opened in Istanbul with films by internationally renowned directors. Prime Video has also acquired global rights to Çukur: Vartolu, an AI-made spin-off of the Turkish hit series The Pit. Stage: The Accessible Theater program is entering its fourth season, while the Anatolia Opera and Ballet Festival is set to bring performances to four towns in November. Music: Turkish girl group Manifest has released its first English-language single, “Tralala.” Cinema & Identity: Director Yüksel Aksu says Turkish films have often portrayed Kurdish issues through a militarist lens, and argues that cinema can help question that dominant perspective.

Turkish Screen: Prime Video has acquired global rights to Ay Yapım’s AI-generated film Çukur: Vartolu, a new story spun off from hit series The Pit. Film Festivals: Istanbul’s Filmekimi opened on Oct. 9, bringing films by Pedro Almodóvar, Asghar Farhadi, Werner Herzog and other acclaimed directors to Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Mersin. Accessible Arts: Türk Telekom’s Accessible Theater is back for a fourth season, offering audio descriptions, stage tours and surtitles for audiences with visual or hearing impairments. Music in Izmir: Italian ensemble Micrologus performed medieval music, including St. Francis’s Canticle of the Creatures, at a concert marking the saint’s anniversary. Cinema and Identity: Director Yüksel Aksu says filmmaking can challenge dominant portrayals of Kurdish issues and help support peace and equal citizenship.

Turkish Music: Girl group Manifest has released its first English-language single, “Tralala,” while DJ Mahmut Orhan has climbed to No. 42 in DJ Mag’s Top 100. Stage Arts: The Anatolia Opera and Ballet Festival will bring performances to four towns in November, taking productions beyond the country’s major cultural centers. Fashion: Qatar Museums is presenting an exhibition on designer Erdem Moralıoğlu’s creative journey, with a separate anniversary exhibition also spotlighting his work. Archaeology: Newly found 3,400-year-old Hittite tablets in Turkey describe a deadly epidemic and the death of an infant princess. Arts and Justice: The daughter of singer Güllü has been sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for her killing.

Music: Turkish girl group Manifest has released its first English-language single, “Tralala,” while DJ Mahmut Orhan has climbed to No. 42 on DJ Mag’s Top 100. Stage: The Anatolia Opera and Ballet Festival will bring performances to four towns in November, taking opera and ballet beyond major cities. Fashion: Qatar Museums will open a retrospective of British-Turkish designer Erdem Moralıoğlu on Oct. 26, featuring more than 150 garments, sketches and archival pieces. Heritage: Newly uncovered Hittite tablets in Sivas recount a deadly epidemic, a royal infant’s death and urgent pleas for military reinforcements some 3,400 years ago. Arts and justice: A court sentenced Tuğyan Ülkem Gülter to aggravated life imprisonment for the killing of her mother, singer Güllü. Craft: Ankara bookbinder Mehmet Karsli reflects on nearly six decades restoring books by hand.

Free Expression: Prosecutors are seeking an obscenity charge against queer singer Mabel Matiz over a music-video scene of two men dancing. He says the scene is art; if convicted, he could face up to three years in prison. Fashion: Qatar Museums will open a retrospective of British-Turkish designer Erdem Moralıoğlu on Oct. 27, bringing together more than 150 garments, sketches and archival pieces. Music and Stage: Istanbul’s ENKA Sanat has announced a new season of music and theater, while Diyarbakır prepares to host the Culture Route Festival. Turkish DJ Mahmut Orhan has also reached No. 42 on DJ Mag’s Top 100. Film: The Adana Golden Boll Film Festival has announced its winners.

Festivals and Film: Diyarbakır is preparing to host the Culture Route Festival, while Adana’s Golden Boll Film Festival has announced its winners. Music: Turkish DJ Mahmut Orhan broke into DJ Mag’s Top 100 at No. 42. Yasmin Levy says Ladino music belongs in the living culture, not a museum. Stage and Style: ENKA Sanat unveiled a new season of music and theater, and Ankara is set to host a children’s fashion show on October 10. Heritage: Yozgat’s historic mosques showcase Baroque and Rococo influences, while Anatolian masterpieces are going on display internationally.