Authorities have ordered an expert review of episodes of the popular Turkish TV series “Kurtlar Vadisi Pusu” (“Valley of Wolves: Ambush”) as part of a reopened investigation into the 2011 death of former National Intelligence Organization (MIT) official Kaşif Kozinoğlu in prison.
The Silivri Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said Wednesday that an expert panel would examine claims concerning the series after reports and findings in the investigation file were evaluated. The review will focus on allegations that the show portrayed a character resembling Kozinoğlu as a traitor before killing him, featured vehicles with license plates containing the letters “FG,” believed to refer to Fethullah Gülen, the leader of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), in some scenes and content that may have constituted propaganda, covert messages or organizational instructions in favor of the group.
The prosecutor’s office stressed that the expert review is intended to clarify the allegations and that the investigation is continuing.
The development follows the questioning of three screenwriters of the “Valley of Wolves" franchise earlier this week. Raci Şaşmaz, Bahadır Özdener and Cüneyt Aysan gave statements as people with knowledge of the case. Şaşmaz later denied claims that the series was used to implicate critics of FETÖ and said the death scene of the fictional character Kazım Kaşifoğlu was a coincidence. He also said the scene was written after Kozinoğlu’s death, rejecting claims that the fictional plot preceded and foreshadowed the real-life killing.
Şaşmaz nevertheless acknowledged that unnamed “forces” had attempted to intervene in the series’ script and implied that original director and co-creator Osman Sınav left the show following pressure and threats.
Kozinoğlu died on Nov. 12, 2011, while being held at Silivri prison. His death was initially attributed to a heart attack, and an initial investigation ended with a decision not to prosecute anyone. The case was reopened on Aug. 26, 2026, with authorities detaining 10 people who worked at the prison where Kozinoğlu was held.
