Kurtlar Vadisi first aired in Turkey in January of 2003. Director/producer Osman Sinav was well known throughout Turkey before creating Kurtlar Vadisi. The show tackled difficult political topics and featured thrilling action scenes. The series quickly gained popularity throughout Turkey. In 2006, a film based on the series named Kurtlar Vadisi Irak was released. With a budget of $10 million, this film was the most expensive Turkish film ever created.
Kurtlar Vadisi follows the story of an undercover agent named Ali Candan who is assigned to infiltrate the Turkish mafia. He befriends a mafia gunman, and together they climb the internal ranks. After working his way to the top, becoming the new Baron of the Turkish mafia, he faces American and Russian enemies, and finally destroys the mafia entirely, saving Turkey from corruption.
Kurtlar Vadisi Irak, or Valley of the Wolves Iraq, is the move spin-off of the television series. The film is set in Iraq during its U.S. occupation. The film includes references to Abu Ghraib and Blackwater. The film was a major success in Turkey, grossing nearly $25 million, and a minor success in Europe, raking in $3 million. The film was noted for its inclusion of Billy Zane portraying a U.S. officer, as well as plenty of anti-American and anti-Semite rhetoric.
Valley of the Wolves: Terror was a failed spin-off series based on the original Kurtlar Vadisi. Airing in February of 2007, the show focused on the same protagonist fighting Kurdish separatists in Turkey. Although the show was widely viewed upon its debut, political leanings and violence led to the series being cancelled after just one episode.
Valley of the Wolves: Ambush is yet another television series based on Kurtlar Vadisi. The plot of the series centers around Ali Candan helping a businesswoman whose father has been murdered by four families controlling the economy of Turkey. The show has received high ratings.