ALBAWABA - Kvanç Tatltuğ, seated in the producer's chair, says that a series is being developed based on the life of the first gangster in Turkey.
The first bank robber in Turkey, Necdet Elmas, is having his life turned into a TV show. The series, which will be based on the novel written by Elmas' son, will also have Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ serving as its producer.
Art Gerçek: A film is being made based on the life of Necdet Elmas, who is known as the first bank robber in Turkey. Levent Cantek, an editor and writer known for his works on series including 'Bozkır' (2018), 'Halka' (2019), and 'Yeşilçam' (2021), is now working on a project that is being evaluated as a digital platform series.
Ay Yapım will release the project, in which Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ will be involved as a producer with the Kampeon firm.
Yıldırım Elmas' memoir "My Father Was a Gangster, But I Was a Child" served as the basis for the depiction of Necdet Elmas' life, who garnered prominence due to both his criminal activities in the 1960s and his complex personal history.
The series would reportedly follow Elmas' life as he goes from being a street thief in Istanbul to a convicted felon, including his time behind bars, his intriguing interactions with prominent personalities of the time, and his troubled family life, as reported by Birsen Altuntaş.
When Necdet Elmas was twelve years old, she fled from her impoverished family in Konya. In an attempt to make ends meet, he took on a number of occupations. During his second year of law school at Istanbul University, he decided to quit. He had a stint in public service before turning to illicit labor following the death of his seven-year-old child from cancer.
He began by stealing a Chevrolet. The authorities apprehended him and sentenced him to 11 years in jail. He briefly escaped from jail, but a gunfight with the authorities led to his re-apprehension. His cardiac condition necessitated a referral to the hospital upon his transfer to Sultanahmet Prison. After returning from the hospital, he persuaded the soldiers to bring him to Emirgan so he could drink raki. As they were enjoying their drink, he managed to sneak out by asking permission to use the restroom.
The first time he stole a bank in Çemberlitaş was on July 7, 1961. His well-educated demeanor, vocabulary, and fashion choices quickly captivated the press and the public.
Using his Chevrolet car and a Sten brand gun, Necdet Elmas stole 165,850 liras from the İş Bankası Kazlıçeşme branch, which was thirty meters away from the police station, on August 18, 1961. In his letters to newspapers, Elmas criticized the police for not being able to catch him and detailed his new heist plans.
Turkey's coup government closely monitored Necdet Elmas, publicizing his imitators and increasing his renown nationwide. The military and law enforcement teams spent days looking for Necdet Elmas. During that period, Cumhuriyet Newspaper, along with a former police chief with extensive experience investigating gangsterism in the United States, formed a special investigation squad. Twelve days after the initial heist, on August 30, 1961, a houseowner buddy's tip led to the apprehend Cumhuriyet Newspaper formed a special team to hunt him, accompanied by a 700-person police and military security force.
