One of the leading newspapers in Greece, Ta Nea (Τα Νέα, literally ‘The News’), has published a feature on the success of Turkish TV series and their international influence, devoting two full pages to the topic under the headline ‘The diplomatic appeal of Turkish TV series’, in which the Greek newspaper highlights the global expansion of these productions and their role in spreading Turkish culture and values… including in Greece.
The article analyses recent statements made by Murat Yancı, head of the Turkish media group Demirören – to which Kanal D belongs, one of Turkey’s leading drama channels and the creator of successful Turkish TV series such as Yargı (Family Secrets) – during the MIPCOM trade fair, held last week in Cannes (France).
Yancı stated that Turkish series reach 1 billion people worldwide and pointed out that an increasing number of viewers from different countries are learning Turkish by watching these productions. “When we ask these people, ‘Where did you learn Turkish?’, they reply, ‘From Turkish series’,” he said, describing these productions as a form of Turkey’s cultural influence.
Turkish series are watched in more than 170 countries
According to the Turkish newspaper Hürriyet, Ta Nea cited Kanal D productions such as Inci Taneleri (Secret of Pearls), Yalan (The Family Burden), Zalim İstanbul (Cruel Istanbul) and Siyah Beyaz Aşk (Black and White Love) as examples. As the Greek newspaper emphasises, these dramas are not merely entertainment products, but also serve to introduce the international audience to Turkey’s culture, language and lifestyle.
The report also notes that Turkish productions reach viewers in more than 170 countries and that revenue from their exports has exceeded $1 billion. These figures place Türkiye amongst the world’s leading exporters of television content, second only to the United States and the United Kingdom.
In fact, global demand for Turkish TV series has grown exponentially in recent years: between 2020 and 2021 alone, demand for Turkish productions soared by 184%.
The Greek newspaper also links the international boom in made in Turkey TV series to the consolidation of Turkey as a regional power and the rapid growth of its economy, particularly in the early 2000s.
The cultural influence of Turkish series reaches Greece
In Greece, Turkish productions have also made their mark. According to Ta Nea, particularly in the early 2010s, Turkish series had a significant presence on Greek television and became an attractive option for broadcasters, due in part to the relatively low cost of their broadcasting rights and their high viewing figures.
The analysis published by Greece’s leading daily newspaper points out that, although television dramas do not in themselves determine Turkey’s foreign policy, they do function as a tool for long-term cultural influence that helps shape the international perception of Turkey, and concludes by stating that the cultural familiarity generated on screen by Turkish series could also influence the way in which other societies perceive Turkey’s growing influence in the world.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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