I’ll be honest with you: the first time I watched Al Sancak (The Claw Squad), I wasn’t ready. Episode 1 starts with a night raid in the mountains, total silence, then BOOM—explosions, perfect shots, and ten soldiers moving like one single heartbeat. My jaw actually dropped. After years of historical epics, here was a Turkish series that felt like a Hollywood action movie but with our own accent, our own flag, and our own soul. If you want to feel proud, excited, and sometimes even hold your breath for two hours straight, this is the show. And if you’re looking for Al Sancak series in English subtitles that come out fast and clear, KayiFamilyTV is the only place I trust—they drop every episode in 1080p within hours after TRT 1, with subtitles so good you forget you’re reading.
Al Sancak (official English name: The Claw Squad) aired on TRT 1 every Thursday at 20:00 from January 19, 2023, to June 15, 2023, and then picked up again for a short second part in early 2024. In total we got 19 episodes (some places count 20 because the finale was split). Each episode is around 130–140 minutes—long, but you won’t even notice the time passing.
The Story That Keeps You on the Edge of Your Seat
Meet the Claw Squad—ten of the best special forces soldiers Turkey has. Their captain is Ali Banazlı (Uğur Güneş), a man who never leaves anyone behind, no matter the cost. The team is sent on the toughest missions: stopping terrorist attacks inside the country, hunting down traitors, rescuing hostages on the Syrian border, and going deep behind enemy lines to stop a huge conspiracy that could bring Turkey to its knees.
Every episode feels like a new movie:
- One week they’re in the snowy mountains stopping a chemical attack.
- The next week they’re in a crowded Istanbul market chasing a suicide bomber.
- Later they go undercover in Syria and fight side-by-side with friendly locals.
But it’s not just guns and explosions. We also see their homes, their families, their pain. Ali falls in love with Nadia (Gülsim Ali), a strong, smart journalist who has her own dangerous secrets. Some team members lose loved ones. Some have to choose between orders and what’s right. By the end you’re not just watching soldiers—you’re crying with brothers.
The Team You’ll Never Forget
- Uğur Güneş as Captain Ali Banazlı – calm voice, steel heart, the leader everyone would follow into fire.
- Gülsim Ali as Nadia Ivanov – beautiful, brave, and smarter than half the generals.
- Rıdvan Aybars Düzey as Selim Atakan – the funny one who lightens even the darkest missions.
- Emre Dinler as Cengiz Uslu – the sniper who never misses and never smiles (until the finale).
- İdris Nebi Taşkan as Aras Güneri – the youngest, always ready to prove himself.
- Gözde Türker as Aslı Yüzbaşı – the only woman officer in the team, tough as nails and twice as smart.
- Eslem Akar as Sedef – Ali’s little sister, sweet but fierce when family is in danger.
- Ahmet Olgun Sünear as Selçuk Türker – the veteran who has seen too much but still fights.
Real Turkish special forces officers trained the actors for months. The way they hold rifles, clear rooms, and talk on the radio is 100% real—many soldiers in Turkey say this is the most accurate military show ever made.
Who Made It So Good?
Director Günay Günaydın (16 episodes) and Can Emre kept every action scene clean, fast, and realistic—no slow-motion nonsense, just pure tension. The explosions, the night-vision shots, the helicopter jumps—all done with Turkish military help. Bozdağ Film (yes, the same company that makes the big historical dramas) spent a crazy budget: real tanks, real Black Hawks, real ammunition (blanks, of course). They even shut down parts of Istanbul for some night scenes.
How People Loved It
In Turkey it started with 6–8 million viewers every week and finished as the most watched show on Thursday nights. IMDb score is 7.2/10 and climbing in 2025 because new fans keep discovering it. On X and TikTok you still see clips of the Episode 14 raid going viral with captions like “This is why we are proud to be Turkish.”
It got nominated for Best Action Series at the 2023 Golden Butterfly Awards and won “Best Military Drama” at the Istanbul Media Awards. Even real generals praised it for showing the sacrifice of soldiers without overdoing the drama.
Where to Watch Al Sancak Series in English Subtitles – Fast and Free
TRT 1 YouTube is slow and sometimes removes episodes. The best place is KayiFamilyTV. Every single episode is there in perfect quality with Al Sancak series in English subtitles that come out the same night. I rewatched the finale last week on their site—no ads in the middle, multiple servers if one is slow, and you can even download for plane trips. Start with Episode 1; the opening 10-minute raid will hook you for life.
We all have days when we feel the world is too big and too dark. Al Sancak shows ten ordinary people who decide the darkness doesn’t win—not on their watch. It’s loud, it’s emotional, and it makes you stand a little taller when the anthem plays at the end.
Grab some tea, open KayiFamilyTV, and let Captain Ali and his team take you on the ride of your life. When the last bullet is fired and the flag is still flying, you’ll understand why this show means so much to so many of us.
Which mission was your favorite? Drop it in the comments—I’m always ready to talk Claw Squad!
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