 |
| Jalil Asgari, Faranak Bastanfar, and Kaan Urgancıoğlu |
Ayatay, a Joint Turkish-Iranian TV Series, Focuses on Azerbaijan
Iran and Turkey are collaborating on a TV series titled Ayatay, which depicts events in Iranian Azerbaijan during World War I and tells “a love story whose fame spread from Istanbul to Tabriz.”
According to Fars News Agency, preparations for this joint project between Iran and Turkey have been completed, and filming for Ayatay is set to begin in March 2015.
Mehr News Agency reported that the series’ producer, Jalil Asgari, has previously worked on joint projects with Turkish production companies.
Asgari stated that official approval for the project was obtained long ago, but due to various obstacles and opposition, preparations were delayed. He also mentioned that the Ayatay project has received support from the East Azerbaijan branch of Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, as well as the Tabriz Municipality.
"Ayatay will provide a glimpse into the situation of the Azerbaijani people during World War I, depicting a love story that gained fame from Istanbul to Tabriz. Even after a century, it remains unforgettable," Asgari was quoted as saying in Mehr.
The series is directed by Hossein Pursattar, with lead roles played by Kaan Urgancıoğlu from Turkey and Faranak Bastanfar from Iran. Filming will take place in Turkey, Iranian Azerbaijan, and the Republic of Azerbaijan.
According to Mehr, the Turkish partner in the project is the Aslı İslamoğlu film company, and the series will be broadcast on Turkey’s Show TV channel. Ayatay will consist of 24 episodes and will be distributed in Iran in DVD format.
Link to the original texts in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Türkiyə və İranın ortaq serialı - İstanbuldan Təbrizə bir eşq hekayəsi