Filming a Documentary film in Turkey
Now it is easier to get filming permission for filming a documentary film in Turkey. According to the regulation, it is
obligatory to have at least one Mihmandar (Fixer) during the filming who is a citizen of Turkish Republic.

General news and Special events, like conferences, sport events, meetings etc.
If you are planning to come to Turkey for news or an special event, you need to get a temporary press card to work in
Turkey.
For getting temporary press card.
You need to have a letter from your company saying that you are working for that company and what you will be doing in
Turkey.
A letter from your country's consulate or embassy in Turkey saying that you are a citizen of that country and a media
member.
Photocopy of your passport  
You need to give those letters and passport copies to Prime minister office in Ankara or Istanbul with 3 passport size
pictures. Diyarbakir office also gives temporary press cards.

Filming in east and southeastern Turkey
Kurdish is spoken language in southeastern Turkey and most of the people speak Turkish as well but some people especially
older people and ladies don't speak Turkish. If you are planning to film a documentary or a news story in southeastern
Turkey, it is better if you have a fixer or translator who speak Kurdish, it also will make people you want to talk to feel more
comfortable.
About me
I have been working as a freelance fixer
for foreigner media in Turkey since
1999. I am based in Istanbul and
Diyarbakir but  can work anywhere in
Turkey and in Northern Iraq. I speak
Kurdish, English, Turkish, German and
Persian. I also can arrange camera crew,
equipment and transportation and can
help you to get filming permission.

If you are planing to film a documentary
or a news programme in Turkey and
would like to know more about filming
in Turkey, please don't hesitate to
contact me. I will be happy to write you
back.
Memet Aksakal
Mobile Phone: +90 533 334 77 96
memet@memetaksakal.com
HOME
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Work
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Filming for Bloomberg tv, Istanbul April 2008
Interview with Deputy Prime Minister Mrs. Edibe
Sozen for BBC Scotland, Istanbul May 2007
Working for Bloomberg tv on Turkey-Iraq border,
Habur-Silopi, November 2007
Interview with known Turkish journalist Mr. Mehmet
Barlas for BBC Scotland, Istanbul May 2007
2008
Latest developments in Diyarbakir about Kurdish problem
Date: October 2008 Location: Diyarbakir Company: GPD Dutch news agency,
Journalist Jessica Mass
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The Mega builders (A documentary about istanbul Marmaray project)
Date: August 2008 Location: Istanbul Company: Barna-Alper Productions, Toranto
Broadcaster:
Discovery channel
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Guns in Turkey and shootings at the weddings
Date: July 2008 Location: istanbul Company: BBC Scotland
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Rehabilitation project for Gypsy neighbourhood Sulukule in istanbul
Date: July 2008 Location: istanbul Company: BBC Scotland
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Photo Journalism in Northern Iraq
Date: July 2008 Location: Diyarbakir, Erbil, Sulemani Company: Photoghraper
Andrew  Nelles
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Welcome to my world (Documentary)
Date: July 2008 Location: Istanbul and Zonguldak Company: Looshorse.
Broadcaster: Irish TV
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Foreign investment in Turkey
Date: April-May 2008 Location: Istanbul, Ankara, Kayseri Company: Bloomberg TV
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Turkish government lifted headscarf ban
Date:
February 2008 Location: Istanbul Company: BBC Scotland
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2007
Turkey's threat to invade northern Iraq
Date: November 2007 Location: Istanbul, Ankara, Diyarbakir, Cizre, Silopi Company:
Bloomberg
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Photo journalism project in southeastern Turkey and Northern Iraq
Date: November 2007 Location: Silopi,  Zakho, Erbil (Northern Iraq Company:
Russian Journalists
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Kurdish conflict
Date: October 2007 Location: Istanbul, Diyarbakir Company: Canadian Journalist
Christopher Frey
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Ancient city of Miletus
Date: October 2007 Location: Miletus Company: Scottish Television
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Welsh men in Gallipoli war
Date: August-September 2007 Location: Gallipoli (Canakkale) Company: Welsh
Television
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Turkish Parliament Election
Date: July 2007 Location: Istanbul Company: Bloomberg TV
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Raising Nationalism in Turkey
Date: May 2007 Location: Istanbul, Ankara, Trabzon Company: BBC Scotland
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2006
Prisoners hunger strike in Turkey (Documentary)
Date: April 2006  Location: Istanbul, Gaziantep Company:  Wildfire Films, Dublin
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Turkish journalists trials
Date: January 2006 Location: Istanbul Company: BBC Scotland
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Pope's Turkey visit
Date: November 2006  Location: Istanbul Company: BBC Scotland
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2005
Milan-Liverpool champions League final game
Date: May 2005 Company: ITN Location: Istanbul
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Turkey's possible EU membership
Date: December 2005 Location: Istanbul Company: BBC Scotland
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2004
Honour killings and women rights in Turkey
Date: December 2004 Location: Istanbul, Ankara Company: BBC Scotland
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MRSA Virus in Turkey hospitals
Date: September 2004 Location: Izmir Company: BBC Scotland
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Putting the Fun into Fundamental, search of the remains of Noah's Ark.
(Documentary)
Date: August 2004 Company: Stempede, London Location:  Istanbul, Erzurum,
Dogubeyazit
Broadcaster: Channel 4
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Buildings safety in Istanbul
Date: February 2004 Location: Istanbul Company: BBC Scotland
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2003
Attacks on British Consulate and HSBC bank in Istanbul
Date: November 2003 Location: Istanbul Company: BBC
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Turkey-UK national teams football game
Date: October 2003 Location: Istanbul Company:  BBC
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Possible US troops deployment in Turkey
Date: February-March 2003 Location: Istanbul Ankara Company: BBC Scotland
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2001
King Midas' Feast, a documentary film about King Midas and the food of the time.
Date: 2001 Company: Yap films Leeds Location: Ankara, Polatli  Broadcaster:
Channel 4
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Funeral of a Kurdish refugee has been killed in Glasgow and Kurdish refugees
Date: August-Steptember  2001 Company: Location: Istanbul, Gaziantep, Diyarbakir
Company:
BBC Scotland
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GLADIATRIX, ( A documentary about women warriors)
Date: January 2001 Company: Yap films Leeds Location: Terme, Giresun
Broadcaster:
Channel 4
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Refugees trail, Maggie O'Kane and film maker Fiona Lloyd-Davis followed the
refugee trail.
Date: May 2001 Company: Guardian Newspaper,
(Winner of a European Online Journalism award for the best investigative
reporting using video and audio in 2001)
Location: Dogubeyazit in Eastern Turkey, Turkey-Iran Border, Istanbul
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2000
Besiktas-Leeds United football game
Date: September 2000 Location: Istanbul Company: BBC
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Struma, a 90 minutes documentary film by Simcha Jacobovici  about a sunken
refugees ship in Black sea
Date: August 2000 Company: Yap films Toronto Location: Istanbul, Black sea
Broadcaster: Chanel 4, HBO, History channel
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Galatasatay-Leeds United football game
Date: April 2000 Location: Istanbul Company: BBC
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1999
Earthquake in Turkey
Date: August 1999 Location: Istanbul,  Adapazari, Yalova, Golcuk, Izmit, Cinarcik
Company:
Channel 4
Interview with mayor of Fatih Mr. Mustafa Demir about
Sulukule project for BBC Scotland. August 2008
Filming in Sulukule for BBC Scotland. August 2008
Moqoble Kurdish camp in northern Iraq, July 2008
This camp is near moqoble village between Zakho
and Duhok near smel town. The Kurds who live in this
camp have ran away from Syria in  March 2004 when
Syrian government troops killed more than 50 Kurds.  
Known Canadian documentary film maker Simcha
Jacobovici during filming Struma documentary.
Istanbul 2000.
Experienced freelance fixer in Turkey for news stories and documentary films
Kirkuk stadium in Northern Iraq where Kurdish
refugees live. March 2009