Ertuğrul Bey (fictional character)

When young, Ertuğrul is shown to be brave and courageous but to show little interest in his tribe's problems and sometimes, he would fall into traps. However, as the series progressed his character changed, and in season 5, he was still brave and courageous, but also intelligent and quick-witted, not only doing a great job of being his tribe's Bey but also being the margrave of Anatolia.

His official character description on the TRT 1 website states; "The son of Suleyman Shah, Ertugrul is a brave warrior who fights for his dreams and ideals. He is the protector of the oppressed, willing to sacrifice his life for the cause of justice."[2]

The Kayı see many problems after Süleyman Şah, Bey of the Kayı sends his son, Ertuğrul, to ask for land from the Emir of Aleppo. This is made almost impossible when the Kayı are put in a series of problems with the Templars, led by Titus, seeking revenge for the death of his brother Bisol, and Petruccio, the Templars' "Üstad-i Azam", after Ertuğrul saves Şehzade Numan, Halime Sultan, and Şehzade Yiğit from them because of the traitor in the Emir's palace, Nasir. Nasir works with the Templars but is killed after some events after the truth is shown to the Emir by Ertuğrul, who has to stay hidden in the great city for days to show this. Ertuğrul also rids his devious uncle, Kurdoğlu, who does anything for the Kayı Beylik, even teaming with the Templars. He initially became the Bey briefly but died as he didn't kill his brother, Süleyman Şah. Ertuğrul, who loves Halime, marries her after much difficulty including having to ignore his cousin Gökçe's love for him. Ertuğrul’s brother Gündoğdu becomes annoyed with Ertuğrul as he is respected as the tribe hero but gradually calms down. Towards the end of the season, Ertuğrul successfully defeats the Templars and captures their castle, being nominated as Chief Alp in his father’s will, followed by Süleyman Şah's death, much to Ertuğrul's sorrow, and the tribe's migration to Erzurum as part of Süleyman Şah's will before he died.[3]

Ertuğrul faces the Mongols, led by Baycu Noyan, who destroyed nearly his entire tribe. After Ertuğrul is captured and has his hand nailed by Noyan, when he escapes, he finds his tribe settled with his uncle Korkut of Dodurga. Due to his hand injury, the council Beys of both tribes, including Korkut, Hayme and Gündoğdu, select Ertuğrul’s cousin Tuğtekin as Chief Alp of both tribes, overriding Süleyman Şah’s will and angering Ertuğrul. As Ertuğrul’s alp Abdurrahman is falsely accused by the Dodurgas of treachery and is imprisoned, Ertuğrul, with the help of Artuk Bey, the only Dodurga to support him, breaks him out. Hayme, under pressure from the Dodurgas, exiles Ertuğrul for this. Whilst in exile, Ertuğrul learns his brother Sungurtekin is alive. Meanwhile, Korkut Bey’s brother-in-law, Gümüştekin, arrives and slanders Ertuğrul with various charges, sentencing him to death in a show trial, before Ertuğrul is saved by his alps. Gümüştekin later has Korkut Bey poisoned to death, and is only caught and executed after Ertuğrul convinces the new Dodurga Bey Tuğtekin of his evil, with the help of Sungurtekin, having returned to the tribe. Meanwhile, Halime prematurely gives birth to Ertuğrul’s first son, Gündüz after Noyan is thought-killed by Ertuğrul. As Ertuğrul refuses to accept Gündoğdu as the new Bey, he forms a breakaway tribe, migrating to the western border of the Selçuk state with various members of his family, Artuk Bey, a group of alps and 400 others.

After migrating to the west and becoming the Bey, Ertuğrul faces Ural of the rich Çavdar trade-veterans. Although Ural isn't the Bey of his tribe, he seeks more and more power, becoming jealous of Ertuğrul for his bravery and closeness to the Sultan. Meanwhile, the Templars who have infiltrated Hanlı Pazar, led by Hancı Simon, seek to kill Ertuğrul as he did to the Templars years back. Ertuğrul defeats Hancı Simon and conquers Hanlı Pazar, leaving Ural more jealous than ever. However, Ural is soon accused of killing the Tekfur of Karacahisar and killing Ertuğrul’s alps and is sentenced to death, although he is saved by the devious Emir Sadettin with the support of Ural’s sister Aslıhan, who holds a grudge against Ertuğrul for declining to marry her. After the death of his father Candar Bey, Ural seeks help from the new Tekfur of Karacahisar, Vasilius, who wants to rid the Turks of the land, but Ural is killed by Ertuğrul, with the help of Ural’s noble brother Aliyar, in an attempt to become the Bey of the Çavdar. After Vasilius kills Aliyar and Ertuğrul’s adoptive brother Doğan, he is killed by a vengeful Ertuğrul. With Ertuğrul’s second son Savcı being born, the Sultan makes Ertuğrul the Uç Bey angering Emir Sadettin who vows to end Ertuğrul, unsuccessfully framing him for poisoning the Sultan. At the end of the season, Ertuğrul falls into an ambush set by the new Tekfur of Karacahisar, Ares.

After being ambushed and wounded by Ares, it is believed that Ertuğrul is dead despite him actually being captured by some slave traders. After Ertuğrul escapes the slave traders and learns that Ares was his attacker, he returns to the Kayı tribe and exiles Dündar for trying to sell Hanlı Pazar and leave the Byzantine border in his absence. After Ertuğrul's son, Gündüz, is kidnapped by Ares, Ertuğrul rescues him and declares war against Karacahisar and is successful in conquering it. Following Ares' capture, Ertuğrul takes him to the Sultan and tells him to confess to the Sultan about Sadettin Köpek's misdeeds. The plan nearly works but Köpek is saved by the Sultan's wife, Mahperi and leads to an event turning Ares into a Muslim and an ally of Ertuğrul. Meanwhile, Ertuğrul's brother Sungurtekin returns, helping him against Köpek’s schemes, while the Sultan is poisoned to death by Köpek, with Köpek framing Ertuğrul for his murder. After Ertuğrul is absolved of the murder, he allies with the new Sultan, Gıyaseddın, and defeats Köpek’s treachery, eventually beheading him. Following this, Ertuğrul faces the return of his old enemy Noyan, who kills Ahmet Alp (formerly Ares), but is successful in defeating him and his devious sister, Alangoya, who attempted to kill Ertuğrul's newborn son, Osman. Halime dies giving birth to Osman, devastating Ertuğrul greatly. At the end of the season, Ertuğrul leads the Kayıs to migrate to Söğüt.

In a Mongol-controlled Selçuk state, Ertuğrul faces many Mongol enemies including Alıncak and Arikbuka, along with the Selçuk assassin working with the Mongols, Beybolat. Beybolat is disguised with the name ‘Albastı’ and he arrives to cause chaos for Ertuğrul and his comrades, persecuting Ertuğrul’s returned brother Gündoğdu together with Alıncak. Beybolat causes many problems for Ertuğrul, including taking Ertuğrul’s control over Söğüt for a while, and murdering his nephew Süleyman Alp, son of Gündoğdu. A Byzantine commander, Dragos, also causes problems for Ertuğrul after taking over Lefke Castle not letting him know who he even is. İlbilge, Beybolat's sister, becomes the only person in her family supporting justice and allies with Ertuğrul against Beybolat, Dragos and the Mongols, helping him defeat them. Following Beybolat's death, Ertuğrul faces Arikbuka, a feared Mongol spy and Alıncak's blood brother, who serves Hulagu Han. Meanwhile, Ertuğrul allies with Berke Han, Hulagu’s cousin and the Han of the Golden Horde. Meanwhile, Ertuğrul and a wiser Gündoğdu plan together to start a war between Berke and Hulagu. The season ends with the death of Arikbuka along with Ertuğrul's marriage to İlbilge Hatun.

Tamer Yiğit, Ertuğrul in Kuruluş: Osman

In the first season of Kuruluş: Osman, he is only mentioned, mostly by Abdurrahman Gazi, said to be very ill. He also leaves his Beylik in the hands of his brother Dündar, fulfilling the promise he gave of a bigger duty when he first exiled him. However, this leads to chaos and division in the tribe, with Dündar constantly being fooled by Alişar Bey and the Margarit Monks. When he returns in the second season, following the deaths of his mother Hayme, wife İlbilge and brothers Gündoğdu and Sungurtekin, Dündar is exiled to Söğüt for a while and Ertuğrul faces his younger brother-in-law and "son" Yavlak Arslan, who attempts to take over Söğüt but later repents. He also faces Tekfur Aya Nikola of İnegöl, before he becomes severely unwell, which leads to rivalry between his sons and brother, before Ertuğrul’s death. He also leaves plans for his son, Osman, to continue his legacy as Bey, including leaving a will for him to marry a second wife.[4]

In 2016, Engin Altan Düzyatan won the Magazinci Awards in the category Male TV Series Actor of the Year.[38] Engin Altan Düzyatan received a total of 4 nominations for the Turkey Youth Awards, all in the same category of Best TV Series Actor, one in 2016, another in 2017.[39][40] For the Golden Butterfly Awards, he got 2 nominations for The Best Actor and Best Performance by an Actor in 2016.[41][42][43] Düzyatan also won an award in the categories Supporting TV Series Actor of the Year and Male TV Series Actor of the Year, respectively for the Golden Palm Awards.[44] Düzyatan also won the Quality of Magazine Award in the category Actor Award.[45] In 2016, he received two other awards, Makinistanbul Media, Art and Sports Award, in the category Best TV series Actor,[46] and the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts High School Award for being the Most Successful Actor of the Year.[47] In 2019, he also received an international award named the Distinctive International Arab Festival Award (DIAFA) for being the Best International Actor.[48]