Changes in the management of Netflix Turkey
Pelin Diştaş
Information from the Ranini website: The leading entertainment service Netflix has announced a change in the management of its content team in Turkey. Pelin Diştaş, who has been the director of Turkish content at Netflix since 2019, has decided to leave the company to focus on personal projects. Her work at Netflix will conclude on July 1, 2024, when the changes will be finalized. The new head of the series department will be Özge Bağdatlıoğlu, who has played a significant role in the same team since 2020 and will now perform the duties of the director of Turkish series at Netflix.
Netflix’s Vice President for Turkey, Central and Eastern Europe, and Benelux, Michael Azzolino, said: “In her five years at Netflix, Pelin has achieved successes that cannot be ignored. She has created a catalog of series in Turkey from practically nothing to a global level. She worked not only with experienced professionals but also discovered new talents, supported them, and helped create works that caused a sensation in the industry. As a colleague, she became a true friend to each of us. I believe that in the future we will continue to collaborate with her in various fields.”
Azzolino continued: “The successes we have achieved in Turkey so far are largely thanks to Özge’s efforts. Since 2020, she has successfully carried out key tasks in each of our productions. During this period, she became an indispensable partner both for our partners in the creative industry and for colleagues at Netflix. I am confident that under her leadership, our series team will continue to achieve success and create projects that will resonate around the world.”
Özge Bağdatlıoğlu, who is proud to lead the Netflix Turkey series team, said: “Working for the last four years with inspiring leaders like Michael and Pelin has been a great experience and an important opportunity for me. As in this period, so in the future, our goal will remain unchanged. We will tell the stories of Turkey to our most creative names and members around the world. I am also excited about the opportunity to shape the future of Netflix in Turkey together with a wonderful team. I already thank all our colleagues in the team for their support and the trust they have placed in me.”
Netflix has created 25 series in Turkey since 2018. These series, translated into more than 30 languages and broadcast worldwide, have been included in the Top 10 lists in more than 75 countries.
P.S. Birsen Altuntaş, who decided to spite Pelin Diştaş because she never considered her a journalist and did not invite her to official events, gossiped that Pelin was fired due to problems with content and favoritism. However, this information is not true. Pelin Diştaş left on her own, as she has more ambitious plans than working for others all her life. She was replaced by Özge Bağdatlıoğlu, who was her closest assistant, having produced series such as “The Protector” and “Atiye”. The entire old team remains in place. The content policy of the Turkish branch fully satisfies the platform’s management, as was officially stated.
