Actress questioned in Turkey over role in French TV thriller

Turkish actress Melisa Sozen was recently questioned by Istanbul police on suspicion of "promoting terrorist propaganda" due to her role in the 2017 French TV thriller The Bureau. In the series, Sozen, 39, portrayed a double agent combating Islamist militants.

Her character, Esrin, wore a uniform resembling that of the YPG, a Kurdish militia group linked to terrorism by Turkey, sparking backlash on social media. Sozen reportedly provided a statement to authorities upon returning to Turkey from abroad but was not detained, as reported by DHA news agency.

Melisa Sozen has reportedly told police that she was unaware her character's costume in The Bureau resembled a uniform linked to a terror group and emphasized that the series was not aired in Turkey. In response to criticism on social media last August, she posted a statement on Instagram denying any support for "terror organizations" in the show. She pointed out that, had this been the case, it would have been raised over the seven years since the series first aired.

"I do not accept the false accusations thrown at me," she asserted, adding that The Bureau was a well-known, widely viewed French crime series. Sozen, who has been acting for 25 years, explained that she had developed a tough skin from years of experience, but acknowledged it can be difficult for younger people with less life experience to handle such online harassment.

Sozen’s career began in Turkish television and film, and she gained international recognition for her role in Winter Sleep, which won the Palme d'Or at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.