Güneşin Doğduğu Yer (Where the Sun Rises) – Turkish Series Synopsis, Story & Cast
Güneşin Doğduğu Yer, which can be translated into English as Where the Sun Rises, is one of the biggest new Turkish series arriving for the 2026 television season. Starring Burak Özçivit in the leading role, the new ATV drama brings together love, family, loyalty, tradition and powerful relationships in a story that begins in Germany before moving to the dramatic landscape of Adana in southern Turkey.
Burak Özçivit plays Kenan Kozan, a man whose life is about to change completely when he meets Leyla, played by Beyza Gümülcine.
Their meeting begins what promises to be a powerful love story.
But falling in love is only the beginning.
Kenan belongs to the Kozan family, one of the important families of Çukurova, where family ties, traditions and old relationships carry enormous weight.
When love enters this complicated world, Kenan will discover that following his heart may come at a very high price.
What Is Güneşin Doğduğu Yer About?
Güneşin Doğduğu Yer follows the story of Kenan Kozan, played by Burak Özçivit.
The story begins away from Kenan's family home, in Germany.
It is here that Kenan meets Leyla, the woman who will become the love of his life.
Their connection is powerful enough to change the direction of both their lives.
But this is not simply a romantic story about two people meeting and falling in love.
Kenan comes from a very different world.
His roots are in Adana and Çukurova, a region where family, land, reputation and tradition can be deeply connected.
Eventually, the story moves from Germany to Adana, taking Leyla and the audience into the world of the Kozan family.
What begins as a love story soon becomes connected to something much larger.
Kenan must balance his feelings for Leyla with the responsibilities and expectations that come with his family.
The choices he makes will not affect only himself.
They could change the lives of everyone around him.
Kenan Kozan – Burak Özçivit Returns in a New Role
At the centre of Güneşin Doğduğu Yer is Kenan Kozan.
The character is played by Burak Özçivit, one of the most internationally recognised stars of Turkish television.
Kenan is connected to the powerful Kozan family of Çukurova.
He is educated, confident and comes from a family with deep roots in the region.
But Kenan's life changes when he travels outside the familiar world of Adana.
In Germany, he finds something he may not have expected.
Love.
Meeting Leyla forces Kenan to look at his future differently.
The life that may once have seemed clearly planned suddenly becomes uncertain.
Does he follow the path expected of him?
Or does he follow the woman he loves?
That conflict appears likely to become one of the emotional foundations of Güneşin Doğduğu Yer.
Kenan may be strong enough to face his enemies, but the more difficult battle could be between his heart and his responsibilities.
Kenan and Leyla – A Love That Changes Everything
Leyla, played by Beyza Gümülcine, is the woman who turns Kenan's world upside down.
Kenan meets her in Germany, far away from the land and family that have shaped his identity.
Their relationship develops into a love powerful enough to change both of their lives.
But when that relationship becomes connected to Kenan's family world in Adana, everything becomes more complicated.
Leyla is not simply entering a relationship with Kenan.
She is potentially entering the world of the Kozan family.
And in a family where traditions, loyalties and relationships run deep, a new person can change the balance.
The question is whether Kenan and Leyla's love will be strong enough to survive what waits for them in Çukurova.
The beautiful beginning of their relationship in Germany could become the start of a much more difficult journey.
Because loving someone is one thing.
Fighting for that love against family expectations, personal loyalties and an entirely different way of life is something else.
From Germany to Adana
One of the most interesting aspects of Güneşin Doğduğu Yer is its change of setting.
The story begins in Germany before moving to Adana, giving the series two very different worlds.
Germany represents the beginning of Kenan and Leyla's relationship.
Adana represents Kenan's roots.
When the story reaches Çukurova, viewers enter the environment that has shaped Kenan and the Kozan family.
This is a world of strong personalities, family connections and traditions.
The landscape itself is expected to become an important part of the series.
Adana and the wider Çukurova region have provided the setting for some memorable Turkish television dramas because the area naturally lends itself to large family stories.
Wide agricultural lands, historic homes, hot summers and close family communities create a distinctive atmosphere.
Güneşin Doğduğu Yer uses this environment to tell a modern love and family story.
The Kozan Family
Kenan's relationship with the Kozan family looks set to become one of the central elements of the series.
Among the most important characters is Celadet Kozan, played by Sibel Taşçıoğlu.
Celadet is described as a powerful female figure within the family world.
The cast also includes İhsan Kozan, played by Muharrem Türkseven, Gül Kozan, played by Bahar Süer, and Münise Kozan, played by Nazlıcan Demir.
These characters help create a large family around Kenan.
There is also Ceyhun, played by Görkem Sevindik, another important character expected to play a significant role as the story develops.
The Kozans are not presented simply as background characters.
Their relationships, loyalties and disagreements will help shape Kenan's journey.
When Kenan returns to this world carrying a love that began somewhere else, the balance within the family could begin to change.
Celadet Kozan – A Powerful Woman in the Family
One of the characters international Turkish drama viewers will immediately notice is Celadet, played by Sibel Taşçıoğlu.
Celadet is an important and powerful figure in the Kozan family.
She represents the strength, authority and traditions surrounding the family.
This could place her in an interesting position when Kenan's personal choices begin affecting the people around him.
Will Celadet support Kenan?
Will she accept Leyla?
Or will protecting the Kozan family come before Kenan's happiness?
These questions have not yet been fully answered, but Celadet's position within the family suggests that she will be an important part of the drama.
Sibel Taşçıoğlu is particularly well suited to this kind of strong character, and her scenes with Burak Özçivit could become one of the highlights of the series.
More Than a Love Story
Although Kenan and Leyla's relationship is at the heart of Güneşin Doğduğu Yer, the series appears designed as a much larger family drama.
The story will explore the relationships surrounding the Kozan family and the consequences of the choices made by its members.
That gives the series several themes international viewers of Turkish dramas will recognise:
Love versus responsibility.
Family versus individual happiness.
Tradition versus change.
Loyalty versus personal freedom.
Kenan may know what his heart wants.
The more difficult question is whether the world around him will allow him to have it.
Love and Family in Çukurova
Çukurova is an ideal setting for this kind of story.
Family is likely to mean much more than simply the people living inside one house.
The Kozan name carries history.
Relationships between family members have been built over many years, and every character enters the story with their own experiences and loyalties.
When Kenan's life begins changing, those relationships could be tested.
The arrival of love can sometimes heal a family.
It can also expose problems that have been hidden for years.
As Kenan and Leyla's relationship develops, viewers can expect their decisions to have consequences far beyond the couple themselves.
That is what could make Güneşin Doğduğu Yer particularly interesting.
It begins with two people.
But their love could affect an entire family.
Güneşin Doğduğu Yer Cast
Burak Özçivit plays Kenan Kozan, the central character whose life changes after meeting Leyla in Germany. His journey takes the story from Europe back to his family roots in Adana.
Beyza Gümülcine plays Leyla, the woman Kenan meets in Germany and falls deeply in love with.
Sibel Taşçıoğlu plays Celadet Kozan, one of the most powerful figures within the Kozan family.
Görkem Sevindik plays Ceyhun, another major character in the story.
Devrim Yakut also joins the main cast, bringing another highly experienced Turkish actress into the production.
The wider cast includes Hilal Anay, Muharrem Türkseven, Bahar Süer, Nazlıcan Demir, Ali Erkazan, İlker Yavuz, Kenan Ciniviz and several other established and younger Turkish actors.
With Burak Özçivit leading the series and a strong supporting cast surrounding him, Güneşin Doğduğu Yer is one of ATV's major new productions for the season.
Who Is Behind Güneşin Doğduğu Yer?
Güneşin Doğduğu Yer is produced by TİMSBİ Productions.
The producers are Timur Savcı and Burak Sağyaşar, two well-known names in Turkish television production.
The screenplay is written by Yıldız Tunç, while Çağrı Vila Lostuvalı and Çiğdem Bozali share directing duties.
The series is being filmed in locations connected to Adana, helping create the authentic Çukurova atmosphere required for the story.
With a large cast, an ambitious production and Burak Özçivit returning in a completely new character, expectations for the series are understandably high.
Why Güneşin Doğduğu Yer Could Be One of the Big Turkish Series of 2026
The biggest attraction for many international viewers will naturally be the return of Burak Özçivit.
After becoming one of the best-known Turkish actors internationally, seeing him leave the historical world behind and return as a modern-day character makes Güneşin Doğduğu Yer especially interesting.
Kenan Kozan is very different from the historical characters many international fans associate with Özçivit.
This time, the battles are personal.
His world is built around family, relationships, loyalty and love.
The story also has the ingredients that international audiences have traditionally enjoyed in Turkish dramas: a powerful family, a strong central romance, beautiful locations, complicated relationships and characters forced to choose between what they want and what their families expect from them.
Most importantly, there is a simple emotional story underneath everything.
A man meets the woman he loves.
He wants a future with her.
But the world he comes from could make that future far more difficult than either of them imagined.
When Does Güneşin Doğduğu Yer Start?
Güneşin Doğduğu Yer premieres on Thursday, 17 September 2026 on ATV in Turkey.
The series is one of ATV's major new dramas for the 2026 television season and will introduce viewers to Burak Özçivit as Kenan Kozan.
The story begins in Germany before travelling to Adana and the passionate world of Çukurova.
Watch Güneşin Doğduğu Yer With English Subtitles
International viewers looking for Güneşin Doğduğu Yer English subtitles, Where the Sun Rises English subtitles or Güneşin Doğduğu Yer Episode 1 English subtitles can follow the series on Turkflix.
Watch Güneşin Doğduğu Yer with English subtitles at:
www.turkflix.com
With Burak Özçivit, Sibel Taşçıoğlu, Görkem Sevindik, Beyza Gümülcine, Hilal Anay and Devrim Yakut among its leading cast, Güneşin Doğduğu Yer has all the ingredients of a major new Turkish drama.
At its heart is Kenan Kozan.
He comes from a powerful family and a world shaped by its own rules and traditions.
Then, far away in Germany, he meets Leyla.
She becomes the love of his life.
That love changes everything.
When their story leads back towards Adana, Kenan will have to discover whether a man can choose his own future without turning his back on the people and the land that made him who he is.
Because sometimes finding the love of your life is the easy part.
The real challenge is finding a way to keep it.