Turkish TV series wins International Emmy Award for first time

NEW YORK – The Associated Press

Turkish drama series “Kara Sevda” (Endless Love) won Best Telenovela at the 45th International Emmy Awards on Nov. 21.

The series, produced by Ay Yapım, has become the first ever Turkish production to win the prestigious award.

The TV series’ director Hilal Saral, scriptwriter Burcu Görgün Toptaş and Ay Yapım CEO Kerem Çatay attended the award ceremony in New York.

Starring Burak Özçivit, Neslihan Atagül and Kaan Urgancıoğlu, Kara Sevda gained significant popularity all over the world.

The TV series has also been dubbed into many languages, including Italian, Persian, Spanish, and Arabic.

The 74-episode series premiered in October 2015 and ran until June 2017. It was broadcast in more than 60 countries.

Meanwhile, Kenneth Branagh won the Best Actor award, while Anna Friel won the Best Actress award at the 2017 International Emmy Awards.

The awards are presented annually by the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, which represents more than 60 countries and 500 companies from all sectors of TV, including internet and mobile technology.

The evening was hosted by Iranian-American comedian-actor Maz Jobrani, who co-stars on the CBS sitcom “Superior Donuts.”