Deniz Can Aktaş plays the lead character Haydar Ali in Yeraltı, the NOW TV crime drama that premiered January 28, 2026, and has since become one of Turkey’s most-watched dramas.
The show has no official English title. Disney+ Turkey lists it under its Turkish name, and “Underground,” used by some English recap sites, is a literal translation rather than a confirmed platform title.
As his profile has grown, so has coverage of what he earns per episode; though, as this article lays out, none of it is officially confirmed as of September 2026.
How much does Deniz Can Aktaş earn per episode?
No official figure exists from Aktaş, his agency, NOW TV, or the production company Medyapım.
What is out there is a cluster of Turkish entertainment-industry reports, all citing anonymous “kulis” (grapevine) sources, putting his 2026 per-episode rate on Yeraltı between ₺800,000 and ₺1.2 million (roughly $16,500–$24,800 at the September 2026 USD/TRY rate of ~48.4).
The Yeraltı salary reports, compared
Here’s what four separate outlets actually claim, rather than repeating one number as settled fact:
| Source | Reported per-episode figure | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Eleman.net | ₺1,000,000–1,200,000 | March 2026 |
| Tekirdağ Bakış | ₺800,000–1,000,000 | Feb 2026 |
| GZT.com | ₺1,200,000 (flat) | May 2026 |
| Manisa Manşet Gazetesi | ₺1,200,000, tied with Tolga Sarıtaş | May 2026 |
Three out of four sources say ₺1.2 million is the most common figure. This makes it a likely estimate, but none of the outlets share any documents, contracts, or name any insiders. They all rely on rumors.
This information remains unofficial because Turkish TV contracts usually include pay-confidentiality clauses, as Tekirdağ Bakış clearly explains. This is why no Turkish dizi lead has a confirmed salary in the press, and it is not unique to Aktaş.
How his pay compares to Yeraltı co-stars and peers
| Actor | Show | Reported ₺/episode (2026) | Approx. USD* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uraz Kaygılaroğlu | Yeraltı | ₺1,500,000 | ~$31,000 |
| Ozan Akbaba | Uzak Şehir | ₺1,500,000 | ~$31,000 |
| Deniz Can Aktaş | Yeraltı | ₺1,200,000 | ~$24,800 |
| Tolga Sarıtaş | Teşkilat | ₺1,200,000 | ~$24,800 |
| Devrim Özkan | Yeraltı | ₺1,000,000 | ~$20,700 |
| Rabia Soytürk | — | ₺600,000 | ~$12,400 |
Uniform September 2026 conversion for comparison only, not the rate at the time of each report. Sources: Manisa Manşet Gazetesi, GZT.com
Background and role history
Aktaş graduated from Piri Reis University with a degree in ship machinery and management engineering. In 2015, he decided to pursue acting instead. His current earnings reflect a full shift from a technical field to entertainment, rather than a gradual entry into show business.
Salary reporting on him only started once Yeraltı became a hit; it is not routine entertainment coverage in Turkey- it is opportunistic when a show breaks out. That means his decade-long climb to lead status has no public pay figures attached, even though the career growth itself is well documented via Wikipedia and episode counts are independently confirmed on IMDbPro:
| Year(s) | Show | Role type | Episodes | Per-episode pay reported? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Tatlı Küçük Yalancılar | Supporting | 13 | No |
| 2016–2017 | Hayat Bazen Tatlıdır | Supporting | 26 | No |
| 2017 | Nerdesin Birader | Supporting | 4 | No |
| 2018–2019 | Avlu (The Yard) | Supporting, breakout notice | 44 | No |
| 2019 | Aşk Ağlatır | First lead role | 16 | No |
| 2020–2021 | Menajerimi Ara | Lead | 45 | No |
| 2022–2023 | Kasaba Doktoru | Lead | 32 | No |
| 2023–2025 | Hudutsuz Sevda | Lead | 63 | No |
| 2026–present | Yeraltı | Lead | Ongoing, not yet finalized | Yes — ₺800,000–1.2M |
A number not published elsewhere: adding up the confirmed episode counts across his eight completed series (excluding the still-running Yeraltı) puts Aktaş at 243 television episodes over an 11-year career before his current lead role. That is a real, countable measure of career volume that no salary-rumor article currently includes; most say “lead role since 2019” without quantifying it.
Read the pay-reporting gap this way: his role seniority and episode volume climbed steadily and verifiably from 2015 onward, but public salary data covers only the last 12 months of that career.
Other income
Confirmed sources show acting income from the filmography listed above, along with a 2022 film debut in Bandırma Füze Kulübü as Umut.
Some Yeraltı salary reports mention that “advertising deals and brand collaborations” have increased his total income, but they do not name any specific brands, campaigns, or fees. This is less detailed than reports about other Turkish actors. For example, Serenay Sarıkaya’s Akbank endorsement is named and directly sourced in the press. No similar named deal for Aktaş appears in any verifiable source.
Instagram, by the numbers, an estimate, not a disclosed figure: Aktaş’s Social Blade profile shows 3.35 million followers and a notably high 15.48% engagement rate, averaging roughly 513,000 likes per post across 105 posts. He has never disclosed a sponsored-post fee.
Turkish influencer-marketing rate guides put accounts above 250,000 followers at a floor of ₺20,000+ per post, per Eleman.net’s published rate tiers.
At 13x that follower threshold and well above typical engagement benchmarks, industry logic suggests his real per-post rate sits meaningfully above that floor, but this is an estimate based on public rate-card data, not a confirmed number for Aktaş specifically.
Not found anywhere reliable: A net worth figure. Several low-ranking aggregator pages contain factual errors about him, wrong shows, and an invented music career that do not hold up against Wikipedia, IMDb, or Turkish press. Excluded rather than repeated.
Conclusion
Deniz Can Aktaş’s jump from supporting parts to leading Yeraltı is well documented: 243 episodes across eight shows before this one, then a lead role that has made him one of the most-watched actors on Turkish television this year.
The exact amount of his per-episode pay is not publicly available, which is what most people want to know. The ₺800,000 to 1.2 million range reported by four sources is an estimate based on industry rumors, not an official figure. This range exists because confidentiality agreements are common in the industry, so this situation is not unique to him.
The same holds for his income beyond acting. Brand deals are mentioned in general terms with no names attached, and his Instagram following is large enough to plausibly support meaningful sponsored-post income, but no fee has ever been disclosed.
Until Aktaş, his agency, or Medyapım go on record, every number here and every other Yeraltı cast member’s remains an estimate. This page will be updated if that changes.
FAQ
How much does Deniz Can Aktaş earn per episode?
Reports put it between ₺800,000 and ₺1.2 million on Yeraltı in 2026, with ₺1.2 million most frequently cited. Unconfirmed officially.
What is Deniz Can Aktaş’s salary at Yeraltı?
The same figure —his only role with any pay reporting attached.
Is Deniz Can Aktaş’s salary officially confirmed?
No. All figures trace to anonymous industry sources, not Aktaş, his representation, or the production companies.
What other income does Deniz Can Aktaş have besides acting?
Vaguely reported advertising/brand deals with no named brand or fee, plus an Instagram following large enough to plausibly generate sponsored-post income — though no specific deal has been disclosed.
What is Yeraltı called in English?
No official English title exists. “Underground” is an informal literal translation, not a confirmed platform name.
How much do his Yeraltı co-stars earn by comparison?
Uraz Kaygılaroğlu and Ozan Akbaba are reported to earn ₺1.5 million per episode; Devrim Özkan at ₺1 million — all unconfirmed estimates.
How many episodes has Deniz Can Aktaş appeared in total?
At least 243 confirmed episodes across eight completed series (2015–2025), per IMDbPro, not counting his ongoing role in Yeraltı.
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