Sure, the man has petrol running through his veins, and as a cool action hero he’s a real brand. But Erdogan Atalay, veteran of the RTL full-throttle series “Alarm for Cobra 11”, can also think. “The world has become a bit confused,” the 56-year-old muses in an interview. What does he mean?
teleschau: Mr. Atalay, Semir is a real family man. What does family mean to you?
Erdogan Atalay: All. Family is very important to me. I can no longer imagine life without her. That’s the only thing that remains. You are born alone and you leave the world alone again. In between, of course – if you’re lucky – you have time to spend with your family and raise children. Which is very difficult at this time. You have to think carefully about which values you should give.
teleschau: To what extent?
Atalay: The world has gotten a little confused. Endless floods of information, sometimes you don’t even know what to believe anymore. Finding a way to understand that and explain it to the kids is difficult.
teleschau: Have the current crises and being a father changed your view of the world?
Atalay: Definitive! Above all, there is the realization that we as humans do not learn. That was always the case and will probably remain so. So many anti-war films have been made and anti-war demonstrations have been held, but none of that works.
Photo: TVNOW / Guido Engels
“It’s being exploited mercilessly”
teleschau: Do you think so?
Atalay: Yes. We have more fighting than at the time of the Second World War, it’s grotesque. At the end of the day, it’s always about political issues and money being shuffled back and forth. Nobody cares about people. The average Joe then simply had bad luck and is a pawn between the forces of imperialist ideas. This is true in so many areas: what we do to each other is terrible. We all know that, but we pretend that’s not the case.
teleshow: And what could be the reason?
Atalay: Well, that’s what the kids ask too: “Why?” It’s really complicated to explain. My thesis: Too many people don’t follow the rules. Or they think you only have to do what you are told to do, which I find terrible too. So I tell my kids to enjoy every second of their lives because nobody knows what’s coming. And that they should not believe everything that is shown to them. Because the media, for which I work to a certain extent myself, do their part to constantly stir up fear.
teleschau: Do you think so?
Atalay: Yes. It runs according to the motto: “Only bad news are good news.” The main thing is that it’s cruel and everyone jumps on it. From evolution we are wired in such a way that we were unlucky: that we look out for life’s dangers, and that’s why we jump at such things. You cannot defend yourself against this because it is a basic instinct: to seek security and to protect yourself and your family from danger. It’s being exploited mercilessly. As an adult you deal with it differently than children who are exposed to so many media. Be it Instagram or Facebook. Sometimes I wonder how the little ones process all this. In the past, people probably lived more quietly because they didn’t know that much (laughs).
teleshow: As an actor, do you see yourself with some function in this mess?
Atalay: Politically not at all. I’m not a political person, at least not publicly. But I am involved as an ambassador for the children’s aid organization “Die Arche”. Something like that is very important to me, it’s the only thing I can really use to make a difference. In Germany we have 3.8 million children at or below the poverty line, and the trend is even rising. If this continues, there will be a great wave of poverty because people cannot make ends meet. Then it’s no longer about new cars or washing machines, but also about the food.
Photo: TVNOW / Guido Engels
“I can’t do anything with e-mobility”
teleschau: What do you think should be done?
Atalay: I think it would be great if there were a “social card” or free ticket for people who have to live on the poverty line – so that the children could attend clubs or go to the cinema, for example. The amounts would then be paid by the welfare state. Or from people who don’t have the problem. It would be easier to integrate children into society with something like that. Buying exercise books alone now costs a fortune. But something is already being done that was also seen in the “RTL donation marathon”. In the end, more than 40 million euros were raised.
teleshow: Because everyone is talking about the climate and energy crisis – do you think that a format like “Alarm for Cobra 11” would still work in a society that has turned to e-mobility and rail?
Atalay: “Cobra 11” can always work, we could blow up electric cars (laughs)! I also drove a Tesla for filming. But we will probably not switch completely to electric cars. I also have to be honest: I love the smell of petrol and kerosene. I’m an absolute kid from the petrol age. The sound of V8 engines is a highlight for me. I don’t know anything about e-mobility. I think it’s good that you’re doing it, but whether it’s going to do anything for the environment … There are different opinions. It is nevertheless a fact that e-mobility will not work in our society because we do not have this energy. In terms of electricity, we can’t afford that.
teleschau: What was your favorite car to drive on “Alarm for Cobra 11”?
Atalay: Ferrari (laughs)! But I put it down badly because I was thrown against the curve. We also had Lamborghinis and sports cars on set, which I always think is great. Although we make sure that certain cars do not break down, sometimes it can happen that the vehicles are damaged. In my first week on set I crashed a new BMW. In contrast to that, something like that would be much worse today, and a lot has changed. We used to have two helicopters, now we have a drone.
“It’s like a fairy tale for adults and children”
teleschau: You’ve been with “Alarm for Cobra 11” since 1996. Doesn’t it appeal to you to take on other roles in the longer term?
Atalay: I really enjoy playing the role of Semir Gerkhan. Of course it would be nice to take on other projects for a longer period of time, but it’s not like I’m getting bored of Alarm for Cobra 11. This has something to do with the fact that the series is constantly changing. The emotional range is – especially in the new episodes – very large, which I don’t think is the case with other series. Now we’re focusing more on entertainment again – it works better in the 90-minute format. I love “Alarm for Cobra 11” and would watch it too if I didn’t play in it. It’s like a fairy tale for adults and children.
teleshow: Semir not only expects new cases, but also private changes: He will be a grandfather. How was it for you to play the grandfather?
Atalay: I found it funny and melancholic at the same time. When my dad was alive and watching the show, he said to me, “Boy, you’re playing the aging cop really well.” (laughs) Also, don’t forget that I’m 56 and getting older. However, as an actor you are still a child – probably to the chagrin of my wife (laughs). But with the fact that Semir is going to be a grandfather, I only realize how long I’ve been at it. For many years I never carried that out because it didn’t interest me. But at some point you realize that the series also spans generations.
teleschau: How will you come to terms with old age?
Atalay: (laughs) I would definitely be mad at myself for not being able to do certain things anymore. For example, no longer walking up the stairs alone. Old age is a nebulous matter that you don’t even think about at first. After all, there is nothing you can do about getting older. An alternative would be to die early, which I’m not considering right now (laughs). I also said to my eldest daughter: ”Please, when I get older, never talk to me like a child!” I definitely don’t want to do that.
teleschau: So, what are you afraid of when you think about old age?
Atalay: As you get older you become invisible, and I want to be taken seriously until I give up.
