Only United States, United Kingdom ahead: Turkey 3rd-largest exporter of TV series
News Desk :
Much of ottoman history reads like a soap opera. Sultan Suleiman was most famous in the history for his cruel attitudes towards his opponents.
In the 16th century Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent killed anyone whom he suspected of trying to rival him, including two brothers-in-law, two sons and a handful of grandsons. (And you thought your family had problems.)
A show about Suleiman, “Muhtesem Yuzyil” (“Magnificent Century”), first aired in 2011 and was part of the first wave of Turkish dramas to get spaces in the global market. Fans of the show include Cardi B, an American rapper.
With the enormous popularity of ‘Sultan Suleiman’, the Turkish TV serial started getting huge market worldwide. Popular Turkish shows proliferate across the globe; Sultan Suleiman has to share the throne with other reigning series.
The latest is “Gaddar” (“No Mercy”), about a soldier who returns from war and is forced to become a hitman to protect his family.
Turkey is now the third-biggest exporter of scripted series in the world-behind only USA and the UK.
Between 2020 and 2023 global demand for Turkish shows grew by 184pc, compared with 73pc for Korean dramas, according to Parrot Analytics, a data firm.
Not only in the Middle East, but Turkish TV series have also gained popularity in Europe and Latin American countries. In the past year, Spain, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt were the primary importers of Turkish TV shows.
According to initial reports from the Istanbul Chambers of Commerce, Turkey earned USD 60 million from exporting TV serials in 2022, with analysts predicting this figure will soon reach billions of dollars.
The question arises: why have Turkish TV serials become so popular? The answer lies in their captivating scenery.
The locations and landscapes where these shows are filmed are visually stunning, and the actors who portray them are aesthetically pleasing. The attire they wear is also appealing.
Moreover, many of these serials revolve around themes of love, romance, revenge, and occasionally incorporate elements of science fiction, reports The Economist.
Turkish serials have garnered significant popularity among Arab viewers because they depict Muslims as heroes, in contrast to the often stereotypical portrayals in Hollywood movies.
Additionally, Turkish shows maintain a sense of decency and ethics, avoiding explicit scenes such as kissing or depicting sexual actions.
Turkish authorities strictly enforce these standards, imposing fines for such scenes and censoring alcohol consumption.
In 2023, the three most popular TV serials in Spain were Turkish shows.
Spanish and Latin American audiences, accustomed to watching telenovelas, find Turkish shows appealing due to their similar dramatic storytelling, intense emotions, and expansive narratives.
This preference is further reinforced by a desire for entertainment that differs from the content found in Western movies like The Star Trek, Outlander, The X-Files.
One reason for the popularity of Turkish shows in Latin America is their production quality, which surpasses that of many local telenovelas.
Additionally, both Turkish and Latin American cultures value emotional expression, making these melodramas particularly appealing. Carolina Acosta-Alzuru, a professor at Georgia University, shares this viewpoint.
However, Turkish serials have garnered less attention in English-speaking countries like the USA and the UK due to a preference for original language content over dubbed productions.
Despite this, “Kara Para A?k” (Love of Black Money) gained popularity among figures such as football star Lionel Messi and US singer Barbara Streisand but failed to resonate with the general American audience.
According to The Economist, Turkish movies need not conquer the USA or the UK market to be successful, much like Sultan Suleiman did not need to win events in America or Britain to assert his influence.
