Life and Education

Cüneyt Özdemir was born on February 8, 1970, in Ankara. He completed his primary and secondary education at Yükseliş College and graduated from Ankara Atatürk High School. In 1988, he enrolled in the Department of Radio and Television at the Faculty of Communication, Ankara University, and graduated from this program. In 1993, he went to London with a British Council scholarship and received training in multimedia.

Journalism and Television Career

Özdemir began his journalism career in 1990 and started working as a reporter for the program "32. Gün" (The 32nd Day), directed by Mehmet Ali Birand, in 1992. In 1994, he became the assistant director and later the editor-in-chief of the same program. In 1995, he joined the news team of ATV Main News Bulletin, prepared a segment titled “Cüneyt’s Magnifier,” and directed the program “Siyaset Meydanı” (Political Arena) presented by Ali Kırca.

Since 1996, he has worked as an international war correspondent. He reported from conflict zones such as the Lebanon-Israel border, the bombing of the Kana refugee camp, internal conflicts in Northern Iraq, and developments along the Taliban–Shah Massoud front in Afghanistan. In 1997, he was among the first journalists to enter Kabul after the Taliban took it.

In 1999, he was part of the founding team of CNN Türk, established through a partnership between Turner and Doğan. In 2000, he conducted a 25-hour uninterrupted broadcast covering the "Millennium Celebrations" and launched the news program “5N1K” in the same year.

In 2001, he reported on developments at the Pakistan–Afghanistan border following the September 11 attacks. In 2003, he covered the U.S. invasion of Iraq as an embedded journalist, and in 2004, he reported from the Athens Olympics.

In 2013, he was appointed CNN Türk’s London correspondent. In 2016, he moved to New York and became the channel’s New York correspondent. Between 2014 and 2015, he also served as the anchor and editor-in-chief of Kanal D Main News Bulletin.

Production and Broadcasting Activities

In 2003, Özdemir founded a production company called “Project” and produced the TV series “Sağır Oda” (The Deaf Room). In 2007, he was among the co-founders of Odatv, later departing to establish the digital media platform “Dipnot.tv” in 2008.

YouTube and Digital Broadcasting

In addition to his traditional media career, Özdemir has actively engaged in digital broadcasting. Since 2018, he has focused on independent journalism through the YouTube platform. His YouTube channel presents live broadcasts, analyses, and interviews covering current events in Türkiye and abroad. The content includes political affairs, foreign policy, media analysis, and social issues.

He expanded his digital activities during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the post-2020 period, producing content on elections, international developments, and special news reports. He has also shared commentary on press freedom, censorship, and digital media trends.

In 2021, he began collaborating with the digital platform GAİN, producing exclusive content. Special episodes of the program “5N1K” were broadcast on GAİN, focusing on social, cultural, and political topics. Interview formats and analytical content on current issues were also published on the platform.

Personal Life

Cüneyt Özdemir married Zeynep İnanoğlu in 2011. The couple has a son named Ali Mavi. He resides in both New York and Istanbul.

Awards

• 3x Golden Butterfly Award
• Turkish Journalists' Association Mahmut Dikerdem Award
• 2x Radio and Television Journalists’ Association (RTGD) Award
• Contemporary Journalists’ Association Documentary TV Award
• CNN Türk TV Oscar
• Journalists’ Association TV News Programming Award (2017)

Books

• Komutan’ın Şüpheli Ölümü – Eşref Bitlis Olayı (The Commander’s Suspicious Death – The Eşref Bitlis Case, 1998)
• Ruh Hali (Mood, 1998)
• Düşsesi (Voice of a Dream, 1999)
• Reytingsiz Sohbetler (Conversations Without Ratings, 2000)
• Kız Kulesi Efsanesi (The Legend of Maiden’s Tower, 2001)
• Onlarlaydım Ama Onlardan Değildim (I Was With Them But Not One of Them, 2003)
• Flu (Blurred, 2005)
• Cehennem Kafesi (Hell Cage, 2006)
• Ah Benim Yarım Aklım (Oh, My Half Mind, Poetry/Şiir, 2006)
• Önemli İşler Dairesi (Department of Important Affairs, 2009)
• Eğlencesini Yitiren Ülke (A Country That Lost Its Joy, 2014)
• Bir Millet Direniyor (A Nation Resists, 2016)
• Suskunluk Dağının Zirvesinde (At the Peak of the Mountain of Silence, 2016)
• Günebakan (Sunflower, 2018)

Documentaries

• Kız Kulesi Efsanesi (The Legend of Maiden’s Tower)
• Meşin Yuvarlağın Türkiye Serüveni (Turkey’s Adventure with the Football)
• Festival (Festival)
• Araba Sevdası (Obsession with Cars)
• Herkesin Babasının Anlatacak Bir Hikâyesi Var (Everyone’s Father Has a Story to Tell)
• Paranın Serüveni (The Adventure of Money)
• Suya Vurulan Altın Kelepçe (Golden Handcuffs on Water)

Television Programs

• 32. Gün (The 32nd Day)
• 5N1K
• Siyaset Meydanı (Political Arena)
• Soruyorum (I’m Asking)
• Fark Yaratanlar (Those Who Make a Difference)

Cinema and Television Projects

• Sağır Oda (The Deaf Room, Producer)
• Kurtlar Vadisi (Valley of the Wolves, Guest Actor – Episode 60)
• 72. Koğuş (Ward 72, Actor – Usta Emin)
• Oradaydım (I Was There, Documentary Series)
• 5N1K
• Kral Çıplak (The King is Naked)