He studied under Ugo Pirro, Leonardo Benvenuti and Robert McKee at Aldo Giuffrè's drama school.

Turco began his career as an assistant to such directors as Tonino Valerii, Franco Giraldi, Damiano Damiani and Gianni Amelio.

In 2005, he released the documentary Excellent Cadavers which chronicles the story of Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, Italian magistrates assassinated by the Mafia in 1992.

In 2007, he directed the miniseries Rino Gaetano - Ma il cielo è sempre più blu for Rai Uno.

In 2010, Turco returned to television with the miniseries C'era una volta la città dei matti..., a fictionalized biography of Italian psychiatrist Franco Basaglia.