Season 2 of fan favorite Homicide Unit Istanbul now streaming exclusively on MHz Choice.
Season 2 Now Streaming!
Location, location, location. Season 2 of the German series Homicide Unit Istanbul brings more of what makes it an exotic treat – episodes filmed in the ancient/modern city of Istanbul and the rugged inland desert. The range of settings astounds, illustrating the study in contrasts that is Turkey. What other series features the lead character racing from a modern office through winding streets and into blocks of a centuries-old bazaar to catch the culprit? The man doing most of the chasing is Inspector Mehmet Özakin (Erol Sander), although sometimes his sidekick does the running, Inspector Mustafa Tombul (Oscar Ortega Sánchez). Ultimately, they catch the bad guys while enjoying a friendship, with the happily married Özakin doing what he can to help Mustafa find a nice woman.
A busy film and television actor, Sander claims two nationalities. He considers himself German, but he was born Urçun Salihoğlu in Istanbul in 1968. He lives with his wife Caroline (niece of director Oliver Stone) and two sons in Munich.
Here are some excerpts from an interview with him by a German newspaper – in which he reveals his secret for staying in shape for all the chasing!
Interviewer: Do you see Istanbul as your home?
Erol Sander: My home is Germany. I came to Germany at the age of five with my mother and my sister. I’ve grown up here, amidst the German bounty (laughs). I’ve enjoyed my education here. But my origin is Turkish. I think it’s great that I have the opportunity to get to know this origin and discover it during the filming of Homicide Unit Istanbul. I am, of course, curious: ‘Where does my mother come from, where did my father grow up?’
Interviewer: What do you do for a workout? Are you tormenting yourself daily in the gym?
Erol Sander: I jump a little rope. That’s it.
Interviewer: You jump rope?
Erol Sander: Yes, at home in the apartment, on a little workout mat, in front of the TV. 20 to 30 minutes.
Interviewer: Every day?
Erol Sander: I try it when I have the time. Usually six times a week. It’s a great way to get the circulation going.
