Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir targeted a Turkish actor in a video message after the actor criticized a new Israeli law imposing the death penalty on Palestinians convicted of fatal attacks, prompting reactions in Turkey.
Görkem Sevindik, who stars in the popular Kanal D series, “Eşref Rüya,” shared a social media post opposing what he described as executions of Palestinian detainees.
“The execution of 12,000 Palestinian prisoners has been approved. Four thousand of them are children. … If humanity will not rise up today, when will it?” he said.
Israel’s parliament has recently approved legislation making the death penalty the default punishment for Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks, a move that has sparked criticism from European countries and human rights groups.
In response, Ben-Gvir, one of the bill’s strongest backers, posted a video message addressing the actor directly.
“Kadir, you will never be a father in your lifetime. You’re living in a Turkish TV series, but we live in Israel. The death penalty for terrorists is now in force,” he said, referring to Sevindik’s character in the series.
İsrailli aşırı sağcı Bakan Ben-Gvir'den Eşref Rüya dizisinin 'Kadir' karakteri Görkem Sevindik'e tehdit dolu sözler: Hiçbir zaman Kadir Baba olamayacaksın. Ancak Türk filmlerinde olabilirsin. Biz İsrail'de yaşıyoruz. Burası İsrail pic.twitter.com/p5XUhNJb7k
— CNN TÜRK (@cnnturk) April 7, 2026
Oktay Saral, a chief adviser to the Turkish president, criticized the remarks, calling them “a clear sign of helplessness and a repressive mindset.”
“Threats cannot suppress the truth or silence conscience,” Saral said, adding that Sevindik had taken “a humane stance.”
Sevindik later said he shared the post after seeing footage of prisoners saying goodbye to their children.
“As a father, I empathized. As someone with a conscience, I oppose such injustice,” he said.
He added that he stood by his remarks and that “anyone with conscience and morality should be against war.”
Turkish dramas’ global reach
Turkish television dramas have attracted strong international audiences in recent years, expanding far beyond domestic markets. Academic research shows they have reached hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide and become a significant cultural export.
Some productions have achieved particularly wide reach. The historical drama “Magnificent Century“ is estimated to have reached more than 500 million viewers globally, while earlier series such as “Noor” attracted over 80 million viewers in the Arab world, according to industry studies.
Turkish dramas have also built a steady audience in Israel. Research indicates that series such as “Bride of Istanbul“ gained strong popularity and helped expand the presence of Turkish productions on Israeli broadcasters and streaming platforms.
Israeli media has described Turkish dramas as “addictive” for local audiences, reflecting their continued appeal despite political tensions between the two countries.
Experts say the global success of Turkish series is driven by high production quality, relatable storylines and cultural proximity, as well as their role in projecting Turkey’s soft power abroad.
Ziyech also criticizes Ben-Gvir
Meanwhile, Moroccan footballer Hakim Ziyech, a former Galatasaray player, also exchanged remarks with Ben-Gvir over the same legislation.
Ziyech criticized the legislation on social media and questioned whether it would be described as self-defense.
Ben-Gvir responded by calling him “an antisemitic player” and said Israel would apply the death penalty to armed individuals, adding that Ziyech “and all antisemites will not escape.”
Ziyech later replied, “We are not afraid of Zionism.”