Let’s face it, no-one had heard of Oxford before Inspector Morse

Alan Partridge

Both in novels and on screen, I’m partial to crime fiction, which can open a window on the societies of diverse places and eras (some posts listed here). So my recent sojourns in Istanbul make The Turkish detective grist to my mill (whatever that is). A series of eight episodes is now on BBC i-Player.

The stories are adapted from the Inspector İkmen novels of Barbara Nadel, to which I should now return. Transferring to the screen tends to amplify clichés. Whereas in UK TV detective dramas enjoy a great vogue, in Turkey I gather that soap operas are more popular; this series is also Turkish-made, only with a wider global audience in mind—Ben Schiffer’s screen adaptation making inevitable compromises. I am less cynical about the mix of English and Turkish dialogue than this review by Rachel Aroesti—though I can hardly argue with her overall verdict:

downright ridiculous, in a good way… unbelievably bland in this cliché-stuffed book adaptation. And yet, its far-fetched plots and unguessable twists make it oddly comforting TV fare.

As an exotic location, Istanbul is unbeatable; but besides the usual scenic spots (the series is a boon for the Tourist Board) it also shows the city’s less picturesque side (let’s go for “dark underbelly” again—cf. The Lhasa ripper). Elsewhere, Italy has long made an alluring setting, such as Michael Dibdin’s Aurelio Zen, as well as Donna Leon’s Inspector Brunetti in Venice and Inspector Montalbano in Sicily.

As to the detectives, Montalbano is exceptionally virtuous and attractive. Eccentricity is par for the course (“maverick” being the cliché de rigueur), but fortunately in The Turkish detective Inspector İkmen (played by veteran actor Haluk Bilginer) doesn’t spend too long being merely wacky, soon becoming an avuncular patriarch—making a change from the default stereotype of the curmudgeonly and damaged cop, with variations on shambolic Columbo or grumpy Morse.

As another review observes:

It’s wise to have Mehmet [Suleyman] as centre of attention rather than the annoyingly volatile Ikmen. He’s a sort of Columbo of the Bosphorus who delights in inflicting his unpredictability on everyone around him

—although Suleyman’s bewilderment at Turkish ways is also somewhat annoying. İkmen is aided by detective Ayse, whom blurbs would characterise as “feisty”. The team is overseen by authentically-chic Prosecutor Selma Hanım. In this case I can live with the stereotypical treatment of both characters and Orientalist settings.

In some series, the tension builds with one theme throughout prompting constant red herrings and cliff-hangers. Less demandingly, and less compellingly, many series solve a different crime in each episode, but here too there are always recurring sub-plots—in this case the threads of Suleyman’s quest to identify the attacker of his London girlfriend, and his relationship with his father.

As this review comments:

Perfect summer viewing […] a lot better than Death in paradise, but definitely not up there with, say, Happy valley. […] The complexities of Turkish society, particularly the tensions between secularism and faith, make it richer and more interesting than all this would be if we were in Basingstoke.

The allusion to Death in paradise is apt, with its fatal feelgood air—far from the visceral impact of Spiral or The killing. But The Turkish dectective is no mere orientalist candyfloss. There’s room to gently explore İkmen’s domestic life, and the role of family hospitality; high and low life, trash collectors, street snacks, Islam, misogyny, domestic violence, and hints of political history. The important role of cats in Istanbul life is well featured.

As to the soundtrack (playlist), notably the playouts, rap is prominent (and forms part of the plot in Episode 3).

The opening track is Bir Şeyler by TurcodiRoma:

The final playout is Ezhel’s Bul Beni:

For other fine series made in Turkey without targeting the international market so clearly, do watch Ethos, and The Club. Cf. The Janissary tree, Sherlock Holmes and Ottoman Istanbul, and other posts under West/Central Asia: a roundup, including Landscapes of music in Istanbul. Like I’d know.