Turkish actors Özge Gürel and Serkan Çayoğlu, an off-screen couple who starred together in the series "Wolf" and "Cherry Season", appeared for an on-stage conversation on Sunday at Rimini's Italian Global Series Festival, where they were mobbed by fans afterwards. The discussion focused on why Turkish television dramas, known as dizi, have become a global phenomenon, with the pair attributing their international appeal chiefly to genuine emotional investment and universal feelings that resonate across cultures.

During the talk at Teatro Amintore Galli, the actors reflected on the changing prestige of television relative to cinema, noting that streaming platforms have narrowed the gap by allowing more flexible runtimes. Çayoğlu described Turks as heartfelt storytellers who share tales of their cities and diverse culture, while Gürel argued that in an increasingly digitised, fast-paced world, the shows help audiences reconnect with values such as love, friendship and family. Both expressed surprise at their popularity, recalling encounters with fans in countries including Italy and Argentina.