The booming Turkish TV drama industry is capturing hearts and minds around the world and boosting tourism

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ISTANBUL (AP) – Under the scorching Turkish sun, tourists wandered through sets recreating Ottoman and Byzantine-era castles, taking selfies with actors in traditional Ottoman costumes and watching horse stunt shows. Among them is Riia Toivanen, 22, a devoted fan of the Turkish television drama who traveled to Istanbul from Finland with her mother to delve into the world of her beloved show.

Some 8,000 miles (12,800 kilometers) across the globe in Argentina’s Villa Carlos Paz, retired teacher Raquel Greco, 66, watches an episode of a Turkish romantic comedy, surrounded by memories from a lifetime trip to Istanbul. where he visited the landmark he knew from years of watching Turkish events.

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“It seemed like I was dreaming, I can’t believe I’m living what I see every day in the series,” she said from her visit in April this year.

The global popularity of Turkish TV dramas – or dizi in Turkish – has made Turkey a leading exporter of television, strengthening the nation’s international image and attracting millions of viewers and tourists around the world to the historical and cultural sites that form its backdrop. many of them share.

The success of television shows has fueled the growing billion-dollar industry into new markets, experts say. The show’s popularity also boosted Turkey’s soft power on a global scale.

Between 2020 and 2023, global demand for Turkish series will increase by 184%, positioning Turkey as one of the largest exporters of TV shows worldwide, according to Parrot Analytics, a research company.

“We reach more than 400 million viewers every night around the world,” said Izzet Pinto, CEO of Global Agency, which exports Turkish dramas to the world market. “The soft power created with Turkish drama is incomparable to what can be achieved in politics.”

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Although “Deli Yurek” was the first Turkish series to be exported – to Kazakhstan in 2001 – it was the romantic series “Gumus” in 2005 that brought the Turkish series to global fame. The series, which revolves around a woman from a traditional background adapting to city life, became immensely popular in the Middle East.

“A Thousand One Nights,” a 2006 romantic drama based on a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales and set in modern-day Istanbul, attracted audiences in the Balkans. “Magnificent Century,” based on the 16th-century Ottoman Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent, led the way for historical fiction.

After being an importer of Latin American telenovelas, Turkey is now exporting dramas to the region. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro visited the set of the historical drama series “Resurrection: Ertugrul” in 2018, highlighting the popularity of the series in his country.

Haley Uganadi, the founder of the fan platform of the Turkish TV series “Dizilah,” said that the drama’s popularity stems from themes that focus on family, friendship, and love, usually against the backdrop of Istanbul’s luxurious lifestyle or Turkey’s rich history.

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“They offer something for everyone, no matter where you are from. Watching Turkish dramas, I see the reflection of my mother, me and my brothers,” said Uganadi.

His platform receives about 1.5 million viewers per month, with fans from the United States, Canada, Greece, India, and Pakistan.

Pinto shows the family nature of Turkish drama. “There is no hatred, no curses or bad words, no hate. So, this can be watched by the family,” he said.

As the industry grows, it develops the theme of its series, such as “Red Roses,” which explores the dynamics between staunchly secular Western-oriented families and sometimes fictional Islam.

During a break in filming, actor Ozcan Deniz, who previously starred in series such as “The Mansion with Vines” and “Bride of Istanbul,” said that this diversification is important if the industry is to grow.

“Countries that cannot convert (into) different genres are now lagging behind in the export of series,” said Deniz. “Turkey has got this momentum now, but if it can’t be diverse, if it can’t tell different things, then it will end somewhere.”

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Toivanen and his mother were on a trip to Bozdag Film Studios, a large complex in northern Istanbul, where Ottoman-era historical blockbusters like “The Rise: Ertugrul” and “The Foundation: Osman” were shot.

Toivanen said his love for the romantic dramas “Black Money Love” and “Endless Love” brought him to Istanbul. “I really like the Turkish culture,” he said. “(The series) is friendly and warm, and there’s a lot of drama going on.”

The first episode of “Resurrection: Ertugrul” has more than 157 million views on Turkish state broadcaster TRT’s Urdu-language YouTube channel, said producer and screenwriter Mehmet Bozdag, who created the popular historical drama depicting the lives of Ottoman leaders and heroes. “Foundation: Osman” is broadcast in more than 110 countries, he said.

During its run, “Resurrection: Ertugrul” became the fourth most requested show worldwide in May 2020, with requests more than 68 times the average worldwide, according to Parrot Analytics.

Deniz Gurgen Atalay, assistant professor of film and TV at Bahcesehir University in Istanbul, said that the industry will generate $1 billion in 2023 from overseas exports and have an important impact on tourism, especially in Istanbul.

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“The TV series sector has a big part in this. The image of Istanbul presented by the series, the food we eat here, the drinks we drink, the music we listen to, the standard of living, and the culture here give us a pleasant appreciation within the framework of the series. Atalay said.

Mert Yazicioglu, another star of “Red Rose”, whose second season is expected to premiere at the end of September, dressed as a character, a member of an Islamic sect, during a break from filming to talk.

The series made the mild-mannered 31-year-old a star, with the Turkish media following his every move.

“We have introduced Turkish culture abroad. That makes us very happy,” he said, wearing his character’s beige baggy pants and a matching vest.

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Associated Press reporters Hernan Munoz in Barcelona, ​​​​Spain, Mario Tizon in Los Cocos, Argentina, Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, and Khalil Hamra and Mehmet Guzel in Istanbul, Turkey, contributed to this report.

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