Koca Yusuf in Turkey

“Koca Yusuf in Turkey” project is about a 19th century Turkish wrestler called Koca Yusuf (known as Terrible Turk or Yousouf Ishmaelo in Europe and USA)

With this project, our team will chase after Koca Yusuf’s marks in Europe and USA where he had more than 100 matchs with wrestlers from all over the world and have not been defeated between 1895 and 1898.

Koca Yusuf died during the accident of the French Liner La Bourgogne and Ireland ship Cromarthyshire in 60 miles south of Sable Island on 4th of July 1898.
One of the speculations about his death is that his collapsed body reached to Azores Islands after the accident and he had been buried to the garden of one of the churches in the islands by a priest.

“Koca Yusuf in Turkey” expedition team will search the archives and realize some experimental researches with the help of some professionals to find the truth about all his life. The first researches showed that whatever the result will be, the expedition will present new findings about this world famous wrestler as well as the European and American wrestling history.

Key findings about his wrestling life are, the realities about his oil wrestling matchs and the sultan’s approach to wrestling, his matchs in Paris (Folies Bergeres, Casino de Paris), New York, Chicago, Washington, Clevaland (Madison Square Garden, Metropolitan Opera House, London Theatre) as well as the countless newspaper clipings from 1895 to 1898. (Le Petit Journal, Le Figaro, Le Journal, New York Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Daily Tribune, Daily Nor'Wester, West Coast Times, Evening Post, Evening Wisconsin…etc.

Who are we?

Koca Yusuf research and documentary Project is executed by TiviMedya Production and its solution partners.

Our company which was founded in 2007, with the synergy of professional and experts from different areas, aims to make distinctive works in cinema and commercial sectors with its designs and productions.

TiviMedya as a new generation company has the mission to bring new ideas and other innovations with its synergy-based approach along with our solution partners.

Terrible Turk Movie - The Crew

Writer and Director: Sinan Haliç

Producer: TİVİMEDYA

Executive Producer: Şennur Karagöz (Edirne)

Director of Photography: Eyüp Boz

Assistant Director: Bessy Adut

Director of Art: Can Sübiler

Music: Cihat Atlığ

Sound: Anıl Ceylan - Çağrı Fırat

Editing: Berkan Dirim (Offline)

Costume: Tolga Can Saygılı

Make-up: Dilek Peker

Production Assistant: Feyza Gökpınar

Camera Crew: Barbaros Engin - Ahmet Açıkkol - Murat Bozkuş - Akay Özkoç

Legal Consulting: Müge Canpolat Erol

“Koca Yusuf in Turkey” research and documentary project & movie crew (2009/2010)

• Müge ÇALIŞ (Executive Producer – General Coordinator)
• Öner ARSLANEL (Executive Producer)
• Hasan SERİN (Assistant Director)
• Umut SEVİNDİK (Director of Photography)
• Cihat Atlığ (Teaser Music)
• Özgür AYTEN (Archieve supervisor)
• Helin GÜÇER (Archieve)
• Ardan ERGÜVEN (Graphic Design)
• Aslı HALİÇ (Web Design & Administrative coordinator)
• Müge CANPOLAT (Legal Consultant)
• Serkan / Kenan HALİÇ (Finance)

Thank you for all your support...

Sinan Haliç