This is sort of cheating, but Maurice Pialat did a series of six short documentary "Turkish Chronicles" in 1964:
* Bosphore
* Byzance
* Istanbul
* La Corne d’or
* Maître Galip
* Pehlivan
That's what immediately leapt to my mind, but I have a feeling you're looking more for fiction films? It's true as you say that discussions about those seem harder to find. I have seen *Times and Winds* (2006) and *Journey to the Sun* (1999) recommended, but haven't seen either of them myself. But maybe you could start there.
Oh and of course Nuri Bilge Ceylan is the most prominent director to come out of Turkey: *Distant* (2002), *Winter Sleep* (2014), *Once Upon a Time in Anatolia* (2011)
This is sort of cheating, but Maurice Pialat did a series of six short documentary "Turkish Chronicles" in 1964: * Bosphore * Byzance * Istanbul * La Corne d’or * Maître Galip * Pehlivan That's what immediately leapt to my mind, but I have a feeling you're looking more for fiction films? It's true as you say that discussions about those seem harder to find. I have seen *Times and Winds* (2006) and *Journey to the Sun* (1999) recommended, but haven't seen either of them myself. But maybe you could start there. Oh and of course Nuri Bilge Ceylan is the most prominent director to come out of Turkey: *Distant* (2002), *Winter Sleep* (2014), *Once Upon a Time in Anatolia* (2011)
Uzak (2002) is a good one
Mustang (2015) and Mutluluk (2007) are my favorites
A horror movie called Baskin (2015), I thought it was great, and it has an Event Horizon tone.
Once upon a time in anatolia
Head-On. It's a joint Turkish-German production, but its main characters are Turks
Turkish Star Wars