ALBAWABA - The first photo of Cihangir Ceyhan and Burcu Özberk together from the set of Anne Yarısı has increased excitement around NOW’s highly anticipated new drama.
Produced by NTC Medya and led by producer Mehmet Yiğit Alp, the series brings Ceyhan and Özberk together for the first time as its leading actors. Ceyhan plays Ali Altay, while Burcu Özberk portrays Zeynep, an idealistic teacher whose life changes dramatically after a devastating family loss.
Anne Yarısı takes its name from the Turkish saying “teyze anne yarısıdır,” meaning that an aunt is considered half of a mother. The phrase directly reflects the emotional center of the story, which revolves around Zeynep and her niece Ege.
According to Turkish media reports, the story begins in Germany with a tragedy that changes the lives of several characters. Zeynep loses her sister Zeren and becomes responsible for her young niece Ege. She eventually travels with the child to Cappadocia, where she becomes caught in a major conflict involving the powerful Altay family.
Ceyhan’s character, Ali Altay, is part of the prominent Altay family in Cappadocia. Ali has also experienced a devastating loss and is eventually reunited with his daughter after years apart. Ege has been raised by her aunt Zeynep, making their eventual meeting the source of a complicated emotional and family conflict.
The story is expected to focus heavily on family relationships, secrets, loss and the struggle surrounding Ege, while also introducing a long-running conflict between families in Cappadocia.
The Altay family forms a major part of the drama. Turkish reports say Ali’s relatives live in neighboring mansions with another branch of the family, while an old dispute involving inheritance has created lasting tension between them.
The cast surrounding Cihangir Ceyhan and Burcu Özberk is equally extensive. Esra Dermancıoğlu plays Meryem, while Selen Uçer portrays Altın and Fatih Gühan plays Kadir. Merve Şen appears as Sibel, Yeliz Korkmaz as Nazlı, and Dilşah Demir has joined the cast as Fidan, Ali’s sister. Cansu Fırıncı plays Fidan’s husband, Asım.
Young actress Melisa Duru Ünal takes on the role of Ege, Ali’s daughter and the child at the center of the story. Umut Kaplıca plays Osman, Kadir’s son. Other announced cast members include Berkay Akdemir, Mert Denizmen, Deniz Gürkan, Abdurrahman Yunusoğlu, Ürüncan Keskin, Selin Dumlugöl and Ali Tarık Fındık.
The series is directed by Semih Bağcı, with the screenplay written by Melis Civelek, Zeynep Gür and Merve Göntem. The three writers are also known for their work on Kızılcık Şerbeti, adding further interest to the new project.
Production was scheduled to begin on August 1, with initial filming taking place in İzmir before the production moves to Cappadocia. Turkish reports said the cast held its script-reading rehearsal in late July ahead of the start of filming.
With the first images of Cihangir Ceyhan and Burcu Özberk now emerging from the production, anticipation is growing for their on-screen partnership. The combination of a family-centered storyline, a large ensemble cast and Cappadocia’s distinctive setting has already made Anne Yarısı one of the new Turkish dramas attracting attention ahead of the 2026–27 television season.
