Iranian TV series to be shot in southern Turkey

Scenes from a new Iranian television crime drama will be shot on location in Turkey’s Antalya province.

At least 35 historical and tourist areas of the southern province will be used for the TV series, Ghando.

The first season will include 30 episodes, four of which will take place in Turkey.

"The plot of the TV series needs scenes abroad. We searched all neighboring countries,” Iranian director Jawad Afshar told Anadolu Agency. “Turkey and Iran have been sister countries for years, so we chose Turkey,"

Afshar said he decided to shoot Turkish and the U.S. scenes in Antalya.

"For example, I can easily find in Antalya a street which looks like a street in New Jersey,” he said.

He said Antalya is a suitable location for movies and TV series he would recommend his friends use locations in Turkey.

Almost 200 Iranian and 50 foreign performers are featured in Ghando.

Iranian producer Mustafa Soltani said cultural similarities made them choose Turkey.

He said the TV series started five months ago and 178 different locations would have been used.

Famous Iranian actor Payam Afshar, who is also the leading character in the series, said he played a Washington Post journalist who is the son of American and Iranian parents.

The actor said he put on 55 pounds (25 kilograms) for his role and tried to fix his pronunciation for the scenes in English.

He said he first came to Turkey 33 years ago. "However, I used to visit just Istanbul. It's my first time in Antalya and I can say that Antalya is a really international place."

Turkish producer Eda Surmeli said Ghando is not the first art project between Turkey and Iran but it is the first official project.

"They came to Antalya with a team of 50 but now they say 'We wish we came with 200 people,’” she said.