Bitter Lands

Züleyha grew up without a father and takes work as an auxiliary weaver to support her gambler brother. After one ordinary night she and Yilmaz fall in love, but their romance quickly unravels into a dark, dangerous situation that overturns their plans and forces them to leave Istanbul. Their path eventually brings them to the Yaman family's estate, where power imbalances, secrets and old resentments complicate everything. In the first episode Züleyha and Yilmaz start work on the estate, and a single lie from Züleyha sets off a chain of events that reshapes every life around them.

Bitter Lands premiered in 2018, created by Ayfer Tunç and directed by Faruk Teber. It stars Hilal Altınbilek and Kerem Alışık, and was produced for Turkish television primetime slots.

Audiences have given Bitter Lands a solid user rating of 7.73/10 from 215 votes, showing steady viewer engagement. Critics and fans often point to the show's period feel, intense interpersonal conflict and moral gray areas, while some note a deliberate pace and occasional melodrama. Major themes include class division, gender expectations, family obligation and how a single falsehood can have wide consequences. Hilal Altınbilek and Kerem Alışık are frequently singled out for emotional, layered performances.

The series helped keep interest alive in Turkish family dramas set in rural estates, and the Yaman property became a focal point for viewers who like stories about power and social hierarchy. Social media discussion and fan theories around characters and motives kept the show in regional conversation, and subtitled versions expanded its reach to international audiences interested in Turkish television drama. Actors' portrayals, especially Züleyha's conflicted choices, remain central to fan discussions and local press attention.