Hande Erçel Responds to Criticism Over Steamy Scenes with Barış Arduç: If We Let the Backlash Get to Us…

Hande Erçel and Barış Arduç’s passionate scenes in the series Aşkı Hatırla have sparked a flurry of reactions on social media. After the duo previously shared the screen in Rüzgara Bırak, their reunion in this drama became a hot topic — not just for the storyline, but for their steamy performances.

In fact, the intimate scenes between Erçel and Arduç have almost overshadowed the show itself.

Hande Erçel plays the role of “Güneş” while Barış Arduç portrays “Deniz” in Aşkı Hatırla. Their bold on-screen chemistry has stirred controversy online. The reactions were so intense that Arduç’s former Kiralık Aşk co-star Onur Büyüktopçu couldn’t hold back and publicly described the scenes as “disturbing.”

The backlash reached a new level of intensity, especially after Hande Erçel appeared at the wedding of Feyyaz Şerifoğlu and news anchor Merve Dinçkol, where reporters confronted her about the wave of criticism.

She Called Out the Negative Reactions

Hande Erçel didn’t hold back. “I don’t think these are the things we should be focusing on,” she said. “We created something beautiful that’s being watched globally. We're promoting our country to the world. When we have a project that’s reaching international audiences, why are we stuck talking about this?”

When journalists pointed out the extent of the online backlash, Erçel simply laughed and replied, “Guys, if we let the hate get to us… well, we wouldn’t have made it this far.”