Turkish star Engin Altan Duzyatan, who played the lead role in historic drama series Dirilis: Ertugrul or Ertugrul Ghazi, have won the hearts of millions of fans across the world with his outstanding performance.

In a brief encounter with BBC, the Turkish star praised the Pakistani audience for making Ertugrul a massive hit. “When we were filming, we knew from the beginning that it was going to be a memorable series,” Engin Altan Düzyatan, who plays the titular character in the popular show, told BBC in a recent interview.

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“However, even this much attention? Even I didn’t imagine. We are very grateful.”

Talking about how the fans are now intrigued to visit Turkey after watching the show, Düzyatan shared he knows the positive impact Diriliş: Ertuğrul has had on the country’s tourism.

“We know for a fact that Turkish popularity increased after the TV series, which is great news. We are really glad,” he continued.

“I think both Turkish people and Pakistani people love well-crafted stories. Turkish series are successful at conveying a touching sense of drama to the audience,” he said.

He further added: “I love Ertuğrul Ghazi’s vision, strength, purpose in life and all of his values. He is an admirable person. I’m really happy that I could portray his life.”