Scripted

Turkish drama "Arafta" is quickly establishing itself as one of the industry’s most talked-about breakout titles, reaching 1 million YouTube subscribers in only 43 days and triggering a surge of interest from international buyers eager to secure licensing rights.

Premiering as a YouTube-first release in November 2025, "Arafta" marks a bold step forward in Turkish drama distribution—and early results confirm the effectiveness of the strategy. Even as production remains ongoing, the series has already been licensed in Turkey, Israel, Romania, India, Indonesia and Latvia, underscoring how strong digital traction is translating directly into commercial momentum. In its home market, the drama also began airing on Kanal 7 in December 2025.

Audience engagement has been exceptional. Total views have now exceeded 200 million, while the opening episode alone has attracted more than 18 million views. The on-screen chemistry between leads Emin Günenç and İlsu Demirci has sparked widespread activity across social platforms, with fan edits and reaction content helping keep the series highly visible and trending. YouTube operations are managed by Turning Red Media.

"Arafta" brings together two major players in Turkish drama: GoQuest Media, the distributor behind the hit series "Kuma" (The Other Wife), and Rains "Pictures", whose production slate includes internationally popular titles such as Rüzgarlı Tepe (Winds of Love) and Kan Çiçekleri (Vendetta).

The story centers on Mercan (İlsu Demirci), a woman navigating the tension between survival and self-sacrifice, and Ateş (Emin Günenç), a wealthy man burdened by unresolved secrets. Together, their intertwined journeys explore the fragile boundary between love and revenge.

“With Arafta, GoQuest Media builds on the success of Kuma’s digital-plus-licensing model,” said Vivek Lath, Managing Director of GoQuest Media. “Episode 1’s strong start, crossing the 18 million views mark, and early international deals affirm the demand for premium Turkish content and signal our next phase of creative ambition beyond borders.”

Sevda Kaygısız of Rains Pictures added: “From the outset, Arafta has been positioned as a standout project through its compelling story, strong cast performances, and high-pace production model. The remarkable level of engagement achieved on YouTube in such a short period of time stands as a clear testament to the deep emotional connection audiences have formed with the series; as Rains Pictures, we see this success as going beyond digital metrics, reflecting strong confidence in Arafta’s long-term vision and sustainability, and we believe that the creative partnership established with GoQuest Media marks the beginning of a new chapter in the global journey of Turkish drama.”