Century-Old Night (Series)

Asırlık Gece is a Turkish television series that explores the preparation process, critical stages, and resistance against the coup attempt of 15 July 2016, blending historical and dramatic genres. Produced as an adaptation of Professor Dr. Hüseyin Aydın’s work Asırlık Gece: Belgeler ve Deliller Işığında 15 Temmuz Darbe Girişimi, the series combines dramatic reenactments with testimonies from witnesses, forming a docudrama format. The series is directed by Cihan Sağlam and Ahmet Toklu and produced by Miray Yapım.

The series begins with the preparations preceding the 15 July coup attempt and unfolds the events of the coup in chronological order. The clandestine activities behind the coup, pivotal turning points in its progression, and the resistance mounted against it form the core narrative of the production.

Key locations such as the Presidential Complex, the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, bridges, and the TRT building serve as central settings for the drama. The series also examines public response to the coup attempt and the resistance movement led by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Rather than presenting the events through a single individual or institution, the series conveys military, political, and social developments through diverse characters and locations. Each episode focuses on a distinct phase or critical turning point of the coup attempt.

The screenplay is based on Hüseyin Aydın’s book, which analyzes the 15 July coup attempt through documents and evidence. The historical framework from the book is translated into the television narrative through dramatic scenes and witness testimonies.

In Asırlık Gece, individuals involved in the events are portrayed by actors, while interviews with witnesses of those events are also incorporated. This approach merges dramatic reenactment with documentary storytelling within the same episode structure. Producer Eyüp Gökhan Özekin explained that the characters are portrayed by actors, while real individuals contribute to the production through their personal accounts of that night.

Miray Yapım produced the series, with Eyüp Gökhan Özekin as producer. Cihan Sağlam and Ahmet Toklu serve as directors.

Filming took place in multiple cities, with some of the actual locations where the events occurred used as shooting sites. Due to the focus on different events and locations across episodes, production was not confined to a single filming center. The use of real locations served as one of the methods to establish a connection between dramatic scenes and witness testimonies.

Asırlık Gece premiered on TRT 1 as part of TRT’s special productions commemorating 15 July Democracy and National Unity Day. The first three episodes were released on 15 July 2026. The series is planned to consist of 15 episodes in total, each focusing on a different phase or critical turning point of the coup attempt.

The cast includes Seçkin Özdemir, Erkan Petekkaya, Gülsim Ali, Emir Benderlioğlu, Rüzgar Aksoy, Murat Aygen, Tolga Mendi, Erol Yavan, Burak Sergen, Yücel Erten, Yavuz Bingöl, Koray Karaca, Cem Kurtoğlu, Alper Türedi and Altan Akışık.

The actors and the characters they portray are as follows:

The identity of the character O.K., portrayed by Tolga Mendi, has not been disclosed in the production. It was reported that the actor was unable to access direct biographical information during character preparation and developed certain aspects of the role within the framework of the screenplay.