Murat U.
Istanbul, İstanbul, Turkey
$250 - $3000
I worked as a TV correspondent for many years, for the Turkish spoken TV channels, for Turkish spoken branches of international TV stations like CNN Turk and Aljazeera Turk. I worked internationally for the Turkish Public TV TRT, as Jerusalem correspondent. I worked in Middle East, South Asia, Caucasus and Balkans. I made TV stories about conflicts in these regions such as American invasion in Iraq in 2003, Israeli- Lebanese war in 2006, Kurdish issue in Turkey, Israel - Palestine conflict, Pakistan Army's Swat Valley operations. I also made a mid-length (47 min.) documentary, named "Resister", about Tobacco Workers in Turkey's capital Ankara which lasted 78 days. This film deemed worthy of being "Best documentary" in 2010 by the Turkish Film Critics Association (SIYAD). Murat UTKU was born in 1972. Studied in Naval High School and Naval Academy. He left Naval Academy and graduated from İstanbul University, Faculty of Political Sciences/Economy and politics. Worked as a TV Journalist, at national and international TV Stations such as CNN Turk, Haberturk, TRT Turk. He worked for TRT Turk as the representative to Jerusalem for a short term. Travelled to the south east of Turkey very often to work on Kurdish issue. Has been been to Middle East so many times times, had an exprience on “crisis” and “conflict resolution”. Heʼs been to crisis areas like, Iraq (during the American invasion), Kosovo, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Palestine as TV correspondent, and Armenia many times to report about the conflict between two countries Turkey and Armenia. He reported Russia – Georgia war in 2008, which he followed and reported the war in South Osetia, Tbilisi and invaded Georgian city, Gori as a TV correspondent. He worked as TRT Türkʼs representative to Jerusalem in 2009. He produced and directed TV program called ʻHey Taksiʼ for TRT Türk. In 2010, he received Progressive Journalists Associationʼs Mahmut Tali Öngören TV Award with a TV story screened at CNN Türk, called ʻTwo Languages in a Suitcaseʼ. ‘Resister’, the documentary he made, deemed worthy of the ‘Best documentary’ of the year. He worked as Senior Correspondent for Aljazeera Turk, left his position in 2015. He has been working as a field producer for Aljazeera English since then. He spent more than two years in the South East of Turkey on the border with Syria, watched closely what’s been happening about the war within Syria, made news pieces on refugee issues either in te refugee camps administrated by Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Agency AFAD or worked on stories about the refugees who have currently been living in the cities like Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Kilis as well as Istanbul. As a jurnalist and as a film maker he also worked with several NGOs including Turkish, Syrian and international aid groups and agencies, made TV and written stories about refugee children’s education as well. Murat Utku also worked as one of the field producers in Turkey for the documentary called Human Flow, filmed by Chinese artist and film director Ai Weiwei, about Syrian refugees screened at Berlin International Film Festival Berlinale on 2017.
- Fixer
- On-Air Reporter / Host
- Translator
- News Shooter / Video Journalist
- Documentary DP
- Video Editor - News
- Video Editor - Documentary
- Video Editor - Commercial
- Production Company
- Field Producer
- TV News Producer