Fulya Öztürk was born on 5 January 1989 in the Seyhan district of Adana. She is the daughter of a family with five children and spent her childhood and early youth in Adana. Her family still resides in Adana. After completing primary education, she continued her studies at Adana Gündoğdu College, where she also finished her secondary education. In the same year she graduated from high school, she took the university entrance exam and was admitted to the Journalism Department of the Faculty of Communication at Marmara University.

After moving to Istanbul, she began gaining her first media experiences during university. In her first year, she participated in Doğan TV’s program “Staj On Air.” Following selection processes, she started working as an intern in Star TV’s in-house productions, marking her entry into television journalism. This period proved a crucial step in her eventual career path in journalism.

Beginning of Professional Career

Following her internship, Fulya Öztürk began her professional career in 2008 at CNN Türk. She initially worked in the program department, serving as production assistant and assistant director on the shows “İş Seyahati” with Cem Seymen and “Yaşama Sevinci” with Elif Ilgaz Aydınlar. She later joined the CNN Türk News Center, where she worked in the scripting department and gained experience in the technical aspects of television journalism. Her success in news writing and editing became a decisive step in her transition to reporting.

Reporting Career

Early Years

Öztürk began her reporting career in 2013 and quickly produced news stories that attracted attention on the ground. Some of her early feature reports were recognized with awards. These include “The Story of Besma, a Syrian Refugee Waiting for a Heart Transplant,” “No Rheumatologists in Türkiye,” “The 36-Hour Shift of a Doctor,” and “Hospitals Are Requesting Supplies.”

War Correspondence

Fulya Öztürk has covered Türkiye’s military operations beyond its borders from the field. She conducted live broadcasts from Syria during the Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018), Peace Spring (2019), and Spring Shield (2020) operations.

During the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, which began on 27 September 2020, she was in Azerbaijan, reporting live from the conflict zones. Her reports from this period earned her several awards in both Azerbaijan and Türkiye. A documentary film titled “Fulya” was made about her work during this time. In recognition of her reporting, some Azerbaijani families named their children Fulya during the war.

International Assignments

Öztürk has also undertaken assignments in various regions outside Türkiye. She produced documentaries on poverty in African countries and reported firsthand on the hardships faced by the Rohingya Muslims. In Iraq, she entered tunnels used by the PKK to document security forces’ operations and produced news reports. Her reports, made alongside gendarmerie commandos in the Kato, Cudi, and Gabar mountains, received significant public attention.

Special Reports and Crisis Zone Coverage

6 February 2023 Earthquake

In the aftermath of the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş on 6 February 2023, she worked in the region for three and a half months. Through live broadcasts on CNN Türk, she delivered direct updates from the disaster zone. Her reports during this period reached wide audiences.

Middle East and Israel-Palestine Conflicts

She covered Israel’s attacks on Gaza from the ground. Her broadcasts from in front of Al-Aqsa Mosque were also aired on Arab television networks. While documenting Israeli police violence, she faced various threats during her reporting.

During the Israel-Hizbullah War, which began on 27 September 2024, she remained in Lebanon for 36 days. She reported live from the field as clashes intensified following the killing of Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Her reports on civilians and children injured in Israeli attacks drew significant attention.

Reports from Iran and Syria

Following the helicopter crash that killed Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi on 19 May 2024, she was among the few journalists to reach the crash site and broadcast live. These broadcasts received international media coverage. In December 2024, during the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, she broadcast from Aleppo and Damascus. During the Israel-Iran War, which began on 13 June 2025, she conducted live broadcasts from Iran.

Television Programs

• CNN Türk Period: In addition to her war correspondence, she also served as a moderator at CNN Türk, hosting the program “Akıl Çemberi.” She also worked as news editor at the CNN Türk News Center.
• FOX TV Period: In 2021, she transferred to FOX TV and hosted the daytime program “Fulya ile Umudun Olsun.” The program covered efforts to locate missing persons, investigations into murders, fundraising campaigns for children with health issues, and support initiatives for village schools. The program, which ran for one year, achieved high viewership ratings. However, in 2022, she decided to return to journalism and resumed her work as a reporter.

Awards

Throughout her career, Fulya Öztürk has received numerous awards. Her report “Those Who Fled from the PKK” was named “News Story of the Year,” marking a major achievement. She has been honored with various awards by press institutions in Azerbaijan and Türkiye. Offers have been made for her to run for parliament and municipal leadership positions, but she has chosen to continue her career in journalism.