Magnificent Century star Halit Ergenç tells Russian envoy about Yekaterinburg trip

Halit Ergenç, who played Sultan Suleiman in “Magnificent Century,” met Russian Ambassador Sergei Vershinin in Istanbul. The envoy also visited Galatasaray the same day to back Russian midfielder Aleksei Batrakov.

Turkish actor Halit Ergenç, best known to Russian audiences for playing Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in the series “Magnificent Century,” met Russian Ambassador to Türkiye Sergei Vershinin on Oct. 16. The talks took place at the Russian Consulate General in Istanbul with Consul General Aleksandr Kalachev in attendance, the Russian Embassy in Ankara said.

Memories of Yekaterinburg

Ergenç spoke enthusiastically about his September trip to Yekaterinburg for the International Youth Festival, which gave young delegates from different countries a chance to exchange views on contemporary trends in culture, art and cinema. The festival ran from Sept. 11 to 17, and the actor gave a welcome speech at its opening.

The actor also talked about milestones in his career, above all the role of Sultan Suleiman. Vershinin said the series and other Turkish productions are followed with great interest by many Russians. Wishing his guest success in future work, the ambassador stressed the importance of cultural ties between the two countries and peoples.

Vershinin and Ergenç in conversation

Backing Batrakov at Galatasaray

On the same day, Vershinin and Kalachev visited Galatasaray, where the ambassador met club officials and Russian midfielder Aleksei Batrakov, who joined the Istanbul side from Lokomotiv Moscow in August. Vershinin conveyed messages of support and wished the player success in domestic and international competitions.

Ambassador Vershinin with Galatasaray officials and Aleksei Batrakov

The 21-year-old opened the scoring against Barcelona in the Champions League on Oct. 13, his first goal in the competition, although Galatasaray went on to lose 4-1. The embassy said it hoped every shot the Russian player takes would end like that memorable goal.

A career diplomat, Vershinin was appointed ambassador to Türkiye in February 2026. He had served as Russia’s deputy foreign minister since 2018 and previously headed the Foreign Ministry’s Middle East and North Africa Department and served as ambassador to Algeria.

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