Yılan Hikayesi (1999–2002)
Yılan Hikayesi is a Turkish drama, dark comedy series broadcast on Kanal D, first aired in 1999–2002. Zeyno comes to Istanbul to find Erkan, the man who abandoned her after their wedding, and crosses paths with police commissioner Memoli. Their stories intersect through investigations involving the criminal underworld and the blood feud that shaped Zeyno’s life.
Yılan Hikayesi cast: Memet Ali Alabora (Memoli), Süleyman Turan (Başkomiser Kemâl), Emre Kınay (Erkan Çolakoğlu), Nail Kırmızıgül (Komiser Cem), Şevket Çoruh (Yaşar), Ayten Gökçer (Belgin).
Detailed content was compiled from sources with AI; pending editorial review. Editor: Uğur Arı.
Plot
Yılan Hikayesi follows Zeyno, who leaves her village after Erkan abandons her on the morning after their wedding. Their marriage was shaped by a blood feud between their families, and Erkan’s abandonment was part of his family’s revenge plan. Zeyno travels to Istanbul to find and kill him, where she meets police commissioner Memoli. Memoli’s investigations, his personal loss and his reckless approach to police work intersect with Zeyno’s search for Erkan and Erkan’s links to criminal groups. The series combines this central conflict with police investigations and a darkly comic tone. Later in the story, Zeyno and Erkan decide to marry again, completing the series’ fictional treatment of blood feud and customary authority.
Origins of the story
Adaptation status
No reliable source found confirming an official adaptation from a literary, cinematic, television, theatrical or historical work. The available production records credit Tayfun Güneyer as the screenwriter.
Connection to reality
No reliable source found that connects the series to specific real events or real people. It uses blood feud and customary authority as social themes within a fictional crime narrative.
Inspirations and influences
Commissioner Memoli → Martin Riggs
Attributed interpretationIn Seval Şahin’s academic analysis, Memoli is interpreted as a police commissioner modeled after Martin Riggs from the Lethal Weapon film series. The analysis compares their reckless behavior and their responses to personal loss.
Attributed interpretation by Seval Şahin
Limit of the evidence: This is an academic interpretation, not a direct statement by the producer or screenwriter and not an official adaptation claim.
Trailer
Details
- Year
- 1999–2002
- Channel
- Kanal D
- Genre
- drama, dark comedy
- Seasons
- 3
- Episodes
- 90
- Rating
- 6.4
Cast
Character Map
Hero
- ↳ Zeyno / Zeynep — ally
- ↳ Erkan Çolakoğlu — enemy
- ↳ Commissioner Cem — ally
- ↳ Chief Commissioner Kemal — ally
- ↳ Erkan Çolakoğlu — spouse
- ↳ Chief Commissioner Kemal — ally
- ↳ Commissioner Cem — ally
Villain
Antagonist
Supporting
- ↳ Chief Commissioner Kemal — ally
What's in this series?
Blood feud and the fictional treatment of customary authority
An academic study states that the series addresses customary authority through the theme of blood feud. The conflict between Erkan and Zeynep’s families becomes part of the crime narrative after Zeynep is abandoned following the wedding and begins searching for Erkan. The study treats this storyline as a heavily fictionalized television narrative rather than a direct account of a documented social case.
Combining local customary themes with American crime conventions
Yılan Hikayesi combines police investigations with a local and traditional theme such as blood feud. In Seval Şahin’s analysis, Memoli is interpreted as resembling Martin Riggs, bringing an American crime-hero model into a Turkish narrative shaped by customary conflict. This is an academic interpretation, not a claim of official adaptation.
Its place in the late-1990s crime-series wave
Academic sources place Yılan Hikayesi among the Turkish television productions that centered on police work and criminal networks between 1999 and 2002. They also associate the series’ popularity with the increased visibility of crime series in Turkey, followed by productions such as Alacakaranlık, Hırsız Polis, Arka Sokaklar and Adanalı.
Production information and period success
Yılan Hikayesi is listed as a Yağmur Ajans production, written by Tayfun Güneyer and produced by Osman Yağmurdereli. Sources credit more than one director, with Nihat Durak among the principal names. An academic thesis reports that the series ran for three seasons and received Altın Kelebek awards in 2000 for best male actor, screenplay, director and series.
Frequently asked questions
How many episodes is Yılan Hikayesi?
Yılan Hikayesi has 90 episodes across 3 seasons.
When did Yılan Hikayesi air?
Yılan Hikayesi first aired in 1999–2002 on Kanal D.
Who is in the cast of Yılan Hikayesi?
The main cast includes Memet Ali Alabora (Memoli), Süleyman Turan (Başkomiser Kemâl), Emre Kınay (Erkan Çolakoğlu), Nail Kırmızıgül (Komiser Cem), Şevket Çoruh (Yaşar), Ayten Gökçer (Belgin).
Sources
- Televizyon Dizilerinde Töre Olgusu ve Kadın Temsilleri Üzerine Akademik Tez — İstanbul Üniversitesi
- Türk Televizyonunda Suç Dizileri ve Yerel-Küresel Tür Etkileşimi Üzerine Akademik Çalışma — Marmara Üniversitesi Kütüphane ve Arşiv Sistemi
- Yılan Hikâyesi 1. Sezon — SinemaTürk
- Türk Suç Dizilerinde Yerel ve Küresel Unsurlar Üzerine Akademik Çalışma — Seval Şahin
- Yılan Hikâyesi Oyuncuları ve Künyesi — Sinefil
