Two feuding families, roughly 25 actors, and a handful of roles that changed hands before a single scene aired. Keeping track of who is who in Sevdam Karadeniz takes a cheat sheet, so here is one.
A quick note on sourcing. NOW’s own cast page only profiles Kuzey and Zeyşan so far. Everything else comes from press coverage, which sometimes disagrees with itself. I have marked the spots where it does.
Who plays who in Sevdam Karadeniz?
| Character | Actor | Quick take |
|---|---|---|
| Zeyşan Yeniceli | Meltem Akçöl | Lead; Istanbul-raised vet who returns home |
| Kuzey Alazlı | Erdem Adilce | Lead; heir of the Alazlı house |
| Hafize Alazlı | Ayşegül Günay | Alazlı matriarch |
| Durali Yeniceli | Şerif Erol | Yeniceli patriarch |
| Nafiye Yeniceli | Sema Keçik | Durali’s wife |
| Medet Alazlı | Deniz Hamzaoğlu | Hafize’s son (his tie to Kuzey is disputed) |
| Yusuf Alazlı | Erman Cihan | Kuzey’s uncle |
| Neslihan Alazlı | Berfe Sancak | Reported as Kuzey’s fiancée |
| İdris Alazlı | Hakan Aydın | Alazlı loyalist and a father |
| Fındık Alazlı | Gözde Çığacı | Üzüm’s mother |
| Üzüm Alazlı | Leya Kırşan | Fındık’s daughter |
| Mahmut Yeniceli | Mustafa Kırantepe | Durali’s son |
| Barva Yeniceli | Emre Bulut | Zeyşan’s hot-headed uncle |
| Bahar Yeniceli | Merve Ateş | Zeyşan’s sister |
| Şehnaz Yeniceli | Nur Yazar | Zeyşan’s mother |
| Volkan Yeniceli | Enes Demirkapı | Durali’s grandson |
| Nazlı | Selen Özbayrak | Family disputed (see below) |
| Eren Kırlangıç | Furkan Aksoy | Kuzey’s childhood friend |
| Yadigar Kırlangıç | Elif Çakman | Eren’s mother |
Smaller roles include Hatice Yeniceli (Senem Göktürk), Zehra Alazlı (Eylem Kaçalin), and Cevat Alazlı (Berfun Beşel).
Who are the two leads?
Zeyşan Yeniceli (Meltem Akçöl). Zeyşan grew up in Istanbul, left Trabzon at eight, and returns 17 years later because her sister, Bahar, needs her. She is a veterinarian, which NOW’s own interview with Akçöl confirms. Akçöl is known for Duy Beni (as Hazal), Gülcemal, and Kara Ağaç Destanı.
Kuzey Alazlı (Erdem Adilce). Kuzey is the Alazlı heir. His grandmother handed him the family’s future despite having three sons, which says a lot about how the house runs. He has reportedly loved Zeyşan since childhood. Adilce is best known for Aşk ve Umut and Delikanlı. Fun fact: he was originally cast as Barva, then switched to Kuzey.
Who is in the Alazlı family?
Hafize (Ayşegül Günay) runs the Alazlı mansion and never quite closed the book on her history with Durali. Günay’s credits include Hercai, Yer Gök Aşk and Kuruluş Osman, and she is back with Mia Yapım, the producer of Hercai. You will see her name spelled “Hafise” in some places, and an early report even called her character Germa. Hafize is the version that stuck.
Medet (Deniz Hamzaoğlu) is Hafize’s son. In episode 1, Hafize demands Bahar as his bride, and that demand kicks off the story. Some guides call him Kuzey’s father, but that does not align with NOW’s synopsis, so I am marking the relationship as unconfirmed.
Yusuf (Erman Cihan) is Kuzey’s uncle and the family’s strategist, always calculating who benefits.
Neslihan (Berfe Sancak) is reportedly Kuzey’s fiancée.
Fındık, Üzüm and İdris. Fındık (Gözde Çığacı) is Üzüm’s mother. Üzüm (Leya Kırşan) is Kuzey’s niece, and her quiet closeness to Volkan Yeniceli is the younger generation’s answer to the feud. Kırşan is a teenage actress with credits in Payitaht Abdülhamid and Kuruluş Osman, and her accent drew criticism online after the August promos. That is viewer reaction, not a verdict on her performance. İdris (Hakan Aydın) completes the Alazlı circle.
Who is in the Yeniceli family?
Durali (Şerif Erol) is the stern patriarch whose unfinished love with Hafize hardened into a feud. Erol is best known as Enver Sarıkadı in Kadın.
Nafiye (Sema Keçik) is Durali’s wife. Keçik is best known for Muhteşem Yüzyıl.
Mahmut (Mustafa Kırantepe) and Barva (Emre Bulut) are both Zeyşan’s uncles. Mahmut is Durali’s son and the family’s muscle. Barva is the most combative of them, and he is the one Nazlı runs off with in episode 1. Bulut appeared in Hudutsuz Sevda (on NOW) and in Halef: Köklerin Çağrısı.
Bahar (Merve Ateş) and Şehnaz (Nur Yazar). Bahar is Zeyşan’s sister, and her fear of being married off is why Zeyşan comes home. Şehnaz is their mother, a cosmopolitan woman stuck between family tradition and protecting her child. Ateş is known for Beş Kardeş and Yargı.
Volkan (Enes Demirkapı) is Durali’s grandson, a young Yeniceli with that quiet link to Üzüm.
Nazlı (Selen Özbayrak) is the messy one. One guide lists her as a Yeniceli, while the episode 1 synopsis and most press coverage treat her as an Alazlı girl who elopes with Barva. NOW has not said, so I have not picked a family for her. One more detail from a single source: Özbayrak is reportedly from Maçka, the district where the show is filmed.
Who are the Kırlangıç characters?
Eren (Furkan Aksoy) is Kuzey’s childhood friend and right-hand man. Aksoy played Fatih Kaleli in Sen Anlat Karadeniz, so he is no stranger to Black Sea dramas.
Yadigar (Elif Çakman) is Eren’s mother. She reportedly sheltered in Hafize’s mansion while pregnant 25 years ago and has kept a secret ever since. I will not guess how that plays out.
Who are the Kırlangıç characters?
Eren (Furkan Aksoy) is Kuzey’s childhood friend and right-hand man. Aksoy played Fatih Kaleli in Sen Anlat Karadeniz, so he is no stranger to Black Sea dramas.
Yadigar (Elif Çakman) is Eren’s mother. She reportedly sheltered in Hafize’s mansion while pregnant 25 years ago and has kept a secret ever since. I will not guess how that plays out.
Why did the cast change before the premiere?
One outlet counted six departures before the first episode aired. Here is how the roles moved.
- Zeyşan went through three actresses: Aslıhan Malbora first, then Damlasu İkizoğlu, then Akçöl. İkizoğlu left after the Istanbul scenes were already shot.
- Akçöl was reportedly the producer’s first choice but was tied up with a film. That comes from one journalist’s report, which two outlets repeated, so it is reported, not confirmed.
- Kuzey and Barva swapped. Adilce moved up to Kuzey, and Bulut took Barva.
- Şehnaz passed from Ece Dizdar, who left on September 19, to Nur Yazar.
- Nafiye and Bahar went to Keçik and Ateş late in the process. One guide says so without naming who was attached before.
No one involved has given any reasons for this, and I will not guess.
What does NOW’s interview with Meltem Akçöl tell us?
NOW published a Q&A with her, and a few details are worth passing on. She describes Zeyşan as stubborn but caring, and the Kuzey–Zeyşan story as a love that grows out of enmity. She says the two feel a pull at their first meeting even though neither recognizes the other. She has two cats, says colleagues felt she looked like a real vet in the clinic scenes, and says she feels better in her Trabzon routine than in Istanbul.
Conclusion
Sevdam Karadeniz has a big, tangled cast. The two leads are Meltem Akçöl and Erdem Adilce, and most of the supporting cast comes from other Turkish dramas, with a few from Black Sea shows. The cast changed a lot before it aired, and several family relationships remain murky until the episodes sort them out.
FAQ
Who plays Zeyşan in Sevdam Karadeniz?
Meltem Akçöl.
Who plays Kuzey?
Erdem Adilce.
Who plays Bahar?
Merve Ateş.
Who plays Hafize, the grandmother?
Ayşegül Günay.
Who replaced Ece Dizdar?
Nur Yazar, who plays Şehnaz
Is Selen Özbayrak really from Maçka?
One guide says so, and I found no second source.
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