Karga Seven hires new CEO for Turkey

Red Arrow-owned US prodco Karga Seven Pictures has hired a new CEO for its Turkish division, which opened last year.

Ömer Özgüner

Turkish media veteran Ömer Özgüner is joining the Istanbul-based production arm of Karga Seven, replacing Ozer Sata, who was named CEO for the offshoot’s launch in 2017 but has now left the company.

Özgüner has been running local commercial broadcaster Star TV as general manager for the past six years and was previously director of programming at rival channel NTV.

His arrival at Karga Seven coincides with the firm forging a partnership with award-winning local directors Dural and Yagmur Taylan.

The Taylan brothers are behind hit international dramas including Muhteşem Yüzyıl (Magnificent Century) and Vatanım Sensin (Wounded Love) and will now be based in Karga Seven’s offices in LA developing scripted projects for Turkey, the Middle East and US markets.

Karga Seven had already successfully produced feature films in Turkey before setting up shop there last year and has since worked on series including City of Secrets for Fox. Özgüner and drama coordinator Ümmü Burhan are currently working on a slate of originals as well as acquiring international IP for local adaptation.

In the US, the company produces series including Travel Channel’s Mysteries & Myths with Megan Fox (working title) and new Tim Kennedy series Hard to Kill for Discovery Channel.