"Valley of the Wolves" Writer Arrested in Turkey Over Plot Similarity to Death
A Turkish court, investigating the mysterious 2011 death of a security officer, has ordered the arrest of Bayram Özbek, one of the writers for the popular series "Valley of the Wolves." This action follows Özbek's testimony in a new inquiry into the death of security officer Kâşif Kuzgunoğlu in an Istanbul prison in 2011. Previous investigations had concluded the death was natural, before the case was recently reopened. The arrest is attributed to a significant similarity between events depicted in the series just two days before Kuzgunoğlu's death, where scenes showed a security officer dying under mysterious circumstances. Notably, the dramatic character bore a very similar name: "Kâşif Oğlu." In a subsequent episode, the death of the "Kâşif Oğlu" character was portrayed in a manner that initially appeared natural, only for it to be revealed later that he was murdered by air injection into his arm. Other writers of the ten-part series also provided statements in the renewed inquiry, and the court summoned the actor who played the "Kâşif Oğlu" character. However, the arrest warrant specifically targeted Özbek, whom the court believes participated in writing that particular part of the series. Özbek faces serious charges, including "creating or leading an armed terrorist organization and incitement to premeditated murder," due to the scenario attributed to him in the show, and investigations into the case are still in their early stages. Recent arrests have also included other individuals close to Kâşif Kuzgunoğlu, who were with him in prison where he was detained on another security-related charge. Furthermore, Kuzgunoğlu's grave has been exhumed, and samples were taken for examination as part of the ongoing death investigation. "Valley of the Wolves," which premiered in 2003, is known for its plot revolving around intelligence agencies and international gangs, achieving widespread success inside and outside Turkey after being translated and dubbed into several languages.
