What do you think explains the global success of the Turkish TV and film industry compared to other countries in the Balkans and the Middle East?
Posted by TurkOmbre@reddit | AskBalkans | View on Reddit | 198 comments
It seems like Turkish TV series are quite popular internationally, while shows from other countries in the region don’t really spread as much. I’m wondering why that is, and I’d be interested to hear your thoughts.
Cihonidas@reddit
Turkey spends $500–$600 million annually just for TV Shows.
Turks look more diverse and exotic in general, making them more interesting to watch probably.
hero_in_@reddit
The real reason is that they are extremely cheap. You get like 2 hours of broadcast for the half price of 20 minute American sitcom. If you had to invest on own tv show you would have to pay 10 times the amount.
turkus@reddit
That's ugly, stinking trope, and even a bad one at that. You may not like them (even I pick only one maybe every few years) but
- You have to be a special kind of illiterate orthodox nationalist to believe whatever bulgarian tv shows there are, that they cost 10x as much
- The whole Turkish industry is making obscene amount of money out of this, virtually from all countries in the globe. The market cap, in some years, was second only to US
- There are some stratospheric successes with certain films, series in some countries (some shows drew 0.5b viewers worldwide). Forcing that "cheap" prejudice is just stupid at this scale.
- The screenplays are also sold abroad in some markets, to be re-filmed with local actors and even those remakes are big hits (Greece and Mexico have examples of this recently). Talk about the storytelling.
- Even this was nearly half true, costing less with great production quality is a sign of maturity of the craft; not the other way around.
- I criticize Turkish shows left and right, too much drama, slow pace, long running time, unreal stories, artificial characters, not addressing real issues in society but your American sit-coms??? American sit-coms are some of the greatest lobotomizing agent, I'd rather drive aimlessly than subject myself to that stupidifying torture.
Aspect2Live@reddit
I would suggest you watch this video (video in Turkish, tho others can use subtitles). https://youtu.be/LgWoUD49GO8?t=198 Simply, compared to USA, we have very long episodes that are quite cheaper than other countries.
kyoongya@reddit
Why do we Turks have inferiority complex? Can you explain this in a long paragraph too?
hero_in_@reddit
Chill, cheap as to cheap to buy. I thought it is obvious when I included the comparison of prises to american shows and domestic shows.
Putrid_Speed_5138@reddit
Being cheaper doesn't guarantee a product's success. The product must offer good value whatever the price is.
Turkish drama industry is a huge success because it managed to attract a massive global audience of a diverse set of cultures and countries from the Americas to the Balkans.
TurkOmbre@reddit (OP)
Yes, Turkish TV series are really cheap.
Even the poorest countries can afford to buy, but that does not prevent the sector from generating immense revenues.
Aspect2Live@reddit
Big country, big population that will watch it nevertheless, more competition that shapes series in real time, much cheaper prices for companies to buy in bulk, quickly getting new seasons or episodes.
Compared to a series from USA, it is just more profitable for most TV companies.
(Note: I'm half Turkish and I won't watch that shit tbh)
ConferenceAbject5749@reddit
The cultures, regardless of what people like to claim are very similar. I have had a Greek friend lamenting the fall of the Ottoman Empire after watching the Magnificent Century. Lots of people find it relatable or culturally closer than other media/hollywood.
The tv shows aren’t as scandalous, the characters are seen as more…pious regardless of what Turks may claim. People don’t want to watch soft-core porn but want to live drama and excitement through others.
Also Turkey has a weird spot where besides some of the Balkan people it ruled over, it was seen as this “Other/Counter” power to Western Colonialism. Thus it has a long lasting soft power status in much of the Islamic world and is seen as defiant in the face of colonialism that took down nearly all of the Islamic world. Hence there is much fascination with the “Champion” of Islam, that is a direct quote from a friend from South Asia.
I have come to find my friends from Central/South America are also very much drawn to Turkish shows. I have had more than one client/coworker ask to see a family photo in order to confirm that Turkish women are in-fact pretty and it isn’t a TV trope. Lmao.
This doesn’t take into effect the years of investment and work put in by the Turkish film industry either. Also the fact that you can find religious/secular/historical/recent tv shows gives everyone something to watch. People that like history watch those tv shows, drama/romance has it’s crowd etc.
Also the presentation of a different male model in comparison to Western/Korean shows was also something I heard. “Turkish men are manlier/More loyal”.
Lots of points that work out in the favor of Turkish TV shows that come together in a good synergy. It is good moderate/conservative viewing. Old school in a refreshing way.
Efficient_Machine_39@reddit
turkey is producing directly for the international market because the productions costs got so high that domestic revenue isnt enough. they are producing universal genres like drama and crime, in consequence sadly there is no comedy anymore.
Elmalukat@reddit
Too much drama.
You don’t need a high iq to watch them
Unlike Mexican series there isn’t too much sexualisation and they can be watched without the risk of having sex scenes and everyone turns their head pretending not to see.
TurkOmbre@reddit (OP)
Are Turkish television series considered immoral in the Balkans?
oxygen_addiction@reddit
They are seen as a joke. Really melodramatic, over the top drama. That's why people enjoy them.
Living vicariously.
ComfortableThroat326@reddit
You should try dating a girl who is obsessed with this genre and acts the exact way about any argument. Half a decade of my life gone.
Inevitable_Motor_685@reddit
Yeah ig people who like 'telenovela' style could enjoy such shows too
Cannot say I am that fond of telenovela's but I am not opposed to watching some melodramatic shit every now and then
Elmalukat@reddit
The opposite, that’s why people prefer them
gavats@reddit
hopefully they will get a bit more explicit when the watermelon seller kicks the bucket
niko2111@reddit
Read Museum of Innocence, they’ve been doing movies since the 40s and they consume their own movies which gives them money to make even better movies. Rinse and repeat…
RasputinXXX@reddit
I adore orhan pamuk. But fuck me, i couldnt finish museum of innocence. Felt like watching a turkish drama.
Atvaaa@reddit
orhan pamuk doesn't know the people he writes about
aybsavestheworld@reddit
I know I’m the outlier in this but it was such an easy read for me and I just couldn’t keep it down even at the beach in bodrum (which I love soooo much), I remember reading that book like crazy. I guess I’m just miserable lol
Akuariuz@reddit
I agree. I haven't been reading novels for a while but despite that, this one just flew by.
niko2111@reddit
It is quite insufferable, I did enjoy the netflix movie though. Not his best work
Automatic-Sea-8597@reddit
'Snow' was his best one.
No_Jellyfish5511@reddit
no, kara kitap is the best one -although they all below global average
PotentialBat34@reddit
I concur
TurkOmbre@reddit (OP)
There are even Turkish films from the 1930s, it's true. But it seems to me that the Greeks also got involved in the audiovisual sector very early on, but they haven't managed to break through internationally.
niko2111@reddit
Greece is a more open society so they consume Hollywood more than their own movies probably. Can’t say the same about Turkey. Turkey’s population is bigger too
Lakoless@reddit
Interestingly enough new generation usually cannot stand to watch Turkish series especially classic copy paste romantic ones as they are too long and also have too long advertisement breaks. Watching a single episode on tv takes like 4 hours, at least 1 hour is people just staring at each other. Other types are fine in essence but still as long.
Equivalent_Bag_3634@reddit
Greece had a very prolific cinema production and venues until the 70 when tv happened. It still survivors on tv as series but it’s a much smaller country than turkey and can’t compete. Funny enough Turkish series are a staple now in Greece, slowly dwindling atm.
NorthWelcome1626@reddit
Orhan Pamuk isn't even a good writer.
niko2111@reddit
Ironically Museum of Innosence is a netflix series now
Street_Koala_7475@reddit
It used to be telenovelas. But these are mostly watched by old people. So thing is in my opinion also there is a lot less(almost non) sex scenes in turkish series. I remember a few grandmas commenting that is why they prefer turkish Tv over telenovelas
ThingCandid9553@reddit
In my experience, as far as Romania goes, only grannies and people with low IQ watch this stuff.
AtmosphereGrouchy517@reddit
maybe ur granny has low IQ
Environmental-Pea-97@reddit
LOL as far as Turkey goes only grannies and people with low IQ watch this stuff too.
Active_Drawing_1821@reddit
😂😂
There are some good Turkish series on Netflix though!
Environmental-Pea-97@reddit
Dunno, I have this extreme repulsion to the actors and actresses whom I saw on the Turkish television, so I don't watch their stuff even if they were otherwise good.
There was this HBO series though, Jasmine. It was banned in Turkey because of too much sexuality. People were naturally obsessed with it. After reading about it for a couple of weeks I took the plunge and skimmed through the first episode. The shit was so tragic, so depressing that I felt like dying. Why? Why? Who the fuck likes to watch so hard-hitting tragedies? Why can we, as te h Turkish TV industry" not produce things that are not tragedies? Fuck Turkish TV and fuck Turkish streaming.
Active_Drawing_1821@reddit
Because Balkan people, in general, love tragedy, victimhood, and melodrama, unfortunately. Especially older people.
jerrydrakejr@reddit
There is no escapism for other people in Romania?
I recently started watching “Community” an American tv show. It is a dumbass show. Quite funny. Does not require even an average IQ to understand jokes. Makes me forget my anxieties and stressors while watching. I bet that is true for most people who watch Soap Operas or shows like Friends. That is pretty much the majority of TV shows.
ImportantAd2942@reddit
Their shows arent too conservative or modern in outlook. They are sane.
Some of their shows are truly and uniquely good. I don't think Greek tv for example can do good teen drama like they did with "Love 101" or sane feminism like "thank you next". It makes you search for their stuff on Netflix.
Most importantly though, they use outlandishly and uniquely attractive actors (male and female). Their rom-coms and comedies have MORE attractive protagonists than Holywood movies. People like watching beautiful people in their tvs.
TurkOmbre@reddit (OP)
And you think Turkish actors are talented? That's very surprising because nobody talks about the talent of Turkish actors, they only talk about their looks.
Love 101 is a Netflix production, and frankly Netflix productions don't fit the Turkish background, it feels too artificial, for exemple the main actor performing cunnilingus in the 10th minute of the first episode, lol
I'm not against sexuality in series and films, but when the film revolves solely around that (when the story of the film/series is not supposed to be centered on sex), I'm against it.
ImportantAd2942@reddit
I guess they are decent enough? It's not like i'm a film critic. Their main thing going for them is undoubtedly their looks.
I'm talking about Netflix productions. They are the ones i'm exposed to and they cater to my generation. They obviously dial up the modernity to 11 and try to be as international as possible, and succeed (imho) handsomely at that, without delving too much into ...pervert territory (i'm talking about you, French).
Your tv style telenovelas that feel more Turkish are very popular with the older generations here. It's old style values in a modern package, played by gorgeous people. It works great for them. I remember my father passionately binging Kara Sevda on his laptop, and he was a Pontic Greek high-ranking Army General at that time. He couldnt help loving it. Our cultures are quite similar, i guess.
On a side note, i seriously think "Love 101" on Netflix is the greatest teen drama i've ever seen, period.
Klutzy_Assignment391@reddit
Soft power!
gavats@reddit
like lokum
TurkOmbre@reddit (OP)
Yes, it's a really powerful form of soft power. Turkish industry directly generates 1 billion in revenue each year, and indirectly, much more
WorthySleet9715@reddit
Every factor is important. People don't watch Turkish TV series just because they represent their direction in the drama genre, celebrities in TV series are also important. Turkish TV series mostly partisipated by models, Miss and Mr. Turkey winners. Viewers like to watch a beautiful actress. Beautiful actresses in Turkish TV series lead to high ratings. When you throw Miss Turkey out of a TV series, it negatively affects the TV series ratings. It is clear that the idea that "we are the best" is good, but this is already turning into fanaticism. The overwhelming majority of the ethnic Turkish population does not know any other language except Turkish and believe what they see on the screen, because they do not have access to foreign sources. It is clear that MIT is strong in the fight against the Kurds, but its presentation in Turkish drama Teskilat as the best intelligence service in the world is overblown, which is reflected in ratings. After 14 episodes, its rating dropped because they continued to pretend that the whole world speaks Turkish, and when Deniz Baysal left the series (or was forced to leave), its rating dropped even more. After Murat Yildirim left, the rating dropped even more and it fell sharply after being kicked out of the Miss Turkey 2014 from that tv series. The censorship imposed by the Turkish government has a negative effect on the rating of Turkish series.
Istar10n@reddit
When I was a kid, South American soap operas were very popular (telenovelas). I used to watch them with my grandparents. I guess these have replaced them?
bulbulator050@reddit
In Poland we had telenovelas too. Then came turkish Greate Age ( or how it called - this one about sultan Mehmet, his wifes and harem) and started turkish soap trend. But honorary mention for Don Mateo which have 4 versions at least: italian, british, german or switzerland, our polish and believe saw another version too.
zulutune@reddit
The show is called Muhteşem Yüzyıl (Magnificent Century) and it’s about Sultan Süleyman.
It was one of my favorite shows. But be prepared, one episode is almost 2 hours 🥲
bulbulator050@reddit
Was peaked somehow in Poland 10 y ago or sth. Watched becouse mather and grandmather. And was peaked probably becouse this ginger slave who was supose to be from Poland or Rus so hit polish sentiment.
Sea_Carob9720@reddit
In Serbia telenovelas used to be very popular too. But then turkish tv shows took over but I never watched them.
postexitus@reddit
They took the formula (they were very popular in Turkey in 90s) and took it forward.
IllGold3207@reddit
A friend of mine learned Spanish from telenivelas
Odio-gli-imbecilli@reddit
Because Turks are really just muslim Spaniards and love some drama
amazingamy19@reddit
We don’t have domestic soap operas.
We mostly have self deprecating tv shows, that are both drama and comedy, with specific Serbian humor that does not translate well anywhere else.
el7araa2@reddit
Some of the funniest people I met were Serbians!
amazingamy19@reddit
Aw, thank you !
I see you are from Egypt.. prvo su nam uzeli Egipat
el7araa2@reddit
😆
velebr3@reddit
I to je jedna pogubna cinjenica za srpski narod.
TurkOmbre@reddit (OP)
Serbia is the most populated of the Yugoslav countries, so technically, if you have good production values, countries like Croatia or Bosnia could buy it from you, no?
NNredE@reddit
To some level, that's reality, out of all ex yu countries, Serbia probably has the biggest film and music industries.
There are a bunch of projects where people from all over ex yu is involved, and filming locations are not strictly only in Serbia.
amazingamy19@reddit
That goes for reality shows and music.
I think most of our tv shows are too specific for anyone, but Serbia, and that’s how they are made.
Dark humor, dumb humor, regional humor from different parts of Serbia, characters that are used as social commentary are too specific for others to fully appreciate.
Plus they don’t have attractive people getting it on for the sake of romance, it’s just gloom lol, and that’s how i prefer it.
altahor42@reddit
Our comedies don't sell very well abroad either; dramas are universal, while comedy is local, which is quite interesting.
moneyBusiness22@reddit
I see that also here in romania, they make shows,but they seem very specific for our country,I don't think they would be succesfull outside my country,its a specific type of comedy that you only get only if you are a romanian
amazingamy19@reddit
Exactly, only domestically it has an intended effect.
Stealthfighter21@reddit
It's a central government policy to present Turkey in a certain light to the rest of the world. Lots of money is being poured into it.
TurkOmbre@reddit (OP)
If it's simply a matter of money, why don't countries like Russia, China, Italy, Saudi Arabia, or other Gulf states do it? Furthermore, when you look at the investments involved, Turkish series aren't that expensive to produce.
Stealthfighter21@reddit
Because they're not so concerne in creating a certain image? It's a propaganda tool.
TurkOmbre@reddit (OP)
Why portray a bad image or a neutral one? Americans don't portray themselves badly in their shows. You're criticizing something normal, I don't understand.
WorthySleet9715@reddit
Turkish TV series are an example of the propaganda of patriotism among young people, which is welcome. But there is one moment, the series portray Turkey as the coolest country in the world in everything. It is clear that Turkey is in the best geographical location, but every country has its shortcomings. For example, in the Turkish series Teşkilat, Turkish intelligence is portrayed as the best in the world. In the current season, MIT has to confront Mossad and MIT always wins. It turns out to be something like Van Damme films, where he always wins. In the 5th season, the main character, Aybüke Pusat was fired from the series because she shared an article about the protests against Erdogan in Turkey on social networks. Series undergo strict censorship, which is unacceptable.
TurkOmbre@reddit (OP)
But it's exactly the same for American series! You're criticizing something perfectly normal and obvious when you export series worldwide. It's like saying that this or that country is using propaganda in its national education system. That's true, but all countries do it.
I agree with you about freedom of expression, but in itself it doesn't influence other countries. When someone watches a series, they don't know that so-and-so was fired for such-and-such reason.
WorthySleet9715@reddit
Everoyone knows that Turkish inteligence isn't coolest in world, while same can't say about USA. What is the need to prove such a thing? And we're tallking about Miss Turkey 2014, not about ramdom person.
TurkOmbre@reddit (OP)
What difference does it make? If it bothered viewers, they wouldn't watch the series.
Bobbythebobagain@reddit
Why would Turkey want to present itself to world as portrayed in these shit shows. They make Turkey look bad. They're filled with violance, mafia, cheating and swear words.
Rock_Zeppelin@reddit
Soap operas have always been slop and therefore highly profitable. And Turkey had the luxury of not having a political and economic crisis like the rest of the Balkans, or being embroiled in violent regime change and war like the Middle East.
KingInferno03@reddit
we have experienced/ing all those things you said. Turkey is jack of all trades of europe and middle east.
Rock_Zeppelin@reddit
When did that happen since the end of WW2?
Ok-Elephant-9075@reddit
Turkey had so many coups since ww2, insurgency, terror attacks etc. War is not the only crisis there is bro. Also economic crises are Turkey’s bread and butter.
Rock_Zeppelin@reddit
Hm. Question: did Turkey's economy ever crash because it was part of an international trade pact which dissolved and then had every single enterprise, which its production and therefore economy relied on, sold off, gutted and dismantled? Cos What I'm talking about is events that disrupt or fully break the day-to-day lives of an entire country. The Balkans are still recovering from the collapse of the Eastern Bloc, the Middle East is still on fire. Compared to that, Turkey has had a steady and uninterrupted economic and cultural development.
KingInferno03@reddit
Uninterrupted economy ? 😀 I guess you never heard of erdogan 🤣 We are a country that spent (in a single day) the reserve funds that could have been the resource of small countries like Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Georgia, to detain the strongest opposition candidate. Not to mention our inflation that races Argentina.
Rock_Zeppelin@reddit
Okay, tbf, the economic crisis in Turkey is recent, as in within the last several years unless I'm mistaken. As for Erdogan, I'm mostly just surprised he's still alive. With how much of a piece of shit he is, he should be in an unmarked grave somewhere by now.
Ok-Elephant-9075@reddit
I figured you would mention Comecon, not denying you guys had a shit time because of it. It is not a pissing race my friend, multiple countries can have economic and political crises at different scales. That’s all I’m saying.
Rock_Zeppelin@reddit
I completely agree. And like, I'm vaguely aware of what's been happening in Turkey over the last few years, my main point was that Turkey has until recent years been economically stable enough to have a steady film and TV industry and thus there's room in that industry for the production of slop like soap operas. Never meant for it to sound like I'm denying that Turkey's had or is having huge problems.
OtherwiseMongoose296@reddit
Bahahahaha!
iadaci@reddit
I have no idea, I only watch korean movies and tv series.
menina2017@reddit
So many people internationally can identify with one or some parts of Turkish culture. In Arabic speaking countries Turkish soaps replaced Mexican ones because the culture is a bit closer. Still different but closer. Religion, some customs, less sexualization. Obviously people in the balkans have the affinity as well. Even people in Latin America can identify with the warmth of Turkish culture. Boom bam just like that… Turkish culture has global appeal!
Crazy amount of soft power with the dizis.
Ok_Win8049@reddit
The funniest aspect of Turkish soap operas is the "In the next/In the previous episode" and the length of that segment is almost as long as the actual episode. If that ain't some money laundering shit, I don't know what is.
TurkOmbre@reddit (OP)
The main issue is that many TV channels don't know what to put on to fill the time.
Shaolinpower2@reddit
It's not about not knowing. It's about not taking a risk. If something brings them views, they get it throughout the night
Foreign-Collar8845@reddit
IluxWasTaken@reddit
Don't think Turkish films are very popular, just telenovelas. And the answer is pretty simple, Turkey's population is more than all of the Balkans combined and GDP is about as much as the Balkans combined
tgwirol@reddit
No dude, I was walking down my dorm and then I heard... A Turkish drama film? I loathe them at home since they're carbon copies of each other, but the people in the general area with a television were hooked like a fish. This happened like almost every time a new episode was streamed. This is like, fuck where Arizona. No one even knows we exist here.
But anyways, then I was talking to my math professor and she noticed that I was Turkish because of my name and said she could only remember who I was and associate it with me looking around because my name was in one of the Turkish soap operas she watches. First week of class, ever in university, and she has already coded me as a person in her memory from the opera. She teaches like 5 classes of 150 people and 10-15 other classes of 40-80 people. I am stunned. I thought Turkish soap operas were domestic slop, but they're basically generational and international.
It's like third to the US itself, which is mad when countries like India and China exist, ESPECIALLY when we look at the quality of good series in the US like Breaking Bad, House M.D., The Sopranos, Shameless, Friends, Stranger Things, the list goes on forever. There isn't even a slight slimmer of similarity in quality, as I've said, it's a carbon copy of another, and it's all rich people talk which absolutely no one can relate to so they just make everything up in the operas anyways.
It has nothing to do with scale, like at all, by the way. That's not how art works. China, India and Russia alone would swallow the world whole with the US if that was the case.
Emotional_Charge_961@reddit
Shameless l, House M. D., Stranger Things aren't good quality production. Turkish series in general pretty bad but giving Stranger Things as good quality is nad take. That show is low quality waste if time.
tgwirol@reddit
To be honest, I haven't watched Shameless or Starnger Things so I thought I could sneak them in since they appear to be wildly popular or something I remembered at the moment. I'll die on the House M.D. hill, however.
SpiritedAddition8206@reddit
“The United States and the United Kingdom are the top two global exporters of television content. Turkey has rapidly emerged as the world's third-largest exporter of TV series, with global demand for its shows—known as Dizi—growing by 184% between 2020 and 2023, particularly popular across the Middle East, Latin America, and Europe”
TesticleSandwiches@reddit
Wait.
Turkey is ahead of South Korea?
Few-Interview-1996@reddit
I was in some Pacific island some years back. The taxi driver couldn't stop talking about Turkish TV shows. You cannot escape them. :o
TurkOmbre@reddit (OP)
In some years Turkey is even second, it was even first in 2013 (with 36% of the world market)
TesticleSandwiches@reddit
This.
Poglavnik_Majmuna01@reddit
Big country, big population, big money, big influence.
TurkOmbre@reddit (OP)
Iran is big too, Russia is big too, Ukraine is big too, Romania is also big
Yet these countries haven't broken through; in the region, only Turkey has truly made a breakthrough. And this is unique in the world because usually when one country breaks through, another neighbor also breaks through in the same sector (Japon/SC, USA/Canada etc). Turkey really has a monopoly in the great Western Eurasia region.
nggaball@reddit
Being a big country isn't a sufficient condition to "break through"
TurkOmbre@reddit (OP)
I agree with you; many people have explained this by saying that Turkey is large and populated, while Iran and Russia are larger and more populated.
and they did not succeed
dancesquared@reddit
Iranian and Russian films and television have been very popular/critically acclaimed internationally. What makes you say they haven’t succeeded in film and television while Turkey has?
chu_rri@reddit
You are comparing award winning movies and soap operas
dancesquared@reddit
I guess I didn’t quite understand what specific type of media OP was talking about.
chu_rri@reddit
It’s ok :)
Automatic-Sea-8597@reddit
But they have not 'soaps', endless series, which can be watched with one eye and one ear, while you do other chores.
DifferentialOrange@reddit
Most of Russian TV Series are exactly like that, but I guess for one reason or another it isn't exported anywhere (maybe expect for neighbor countries)
Poglavnik_Majmuna01@reddit
Russia and Iran are too isolated and distant from the Balkans for them to have any major cultural sphere of influence in the region. Turkey is a direct neighbour.
Also other countries simply don’t focus on mass production of soap series. Most large countries have a specific niche, the Turkish niche are cheap and easy to mass produce soap operas that are entertaining enough for retired Balkan/Middle Eastern grannies to consume.
TurkOmbre@reddit (OP)
You're thinking too much on a regional scale, because Turkish success is international, not just regional.
The sphere of influence of Turkish series is not limited to the Balkans and the Middle East. Southern Europe, Latin America, Asia
Russia had a much stronger foundation than Turkey but failed before it even began. Not only Russia, also Germany, Italy, Vietnam, Thailand, Spain etc
Poglavnik_Majmuna01@reddit
The second part of my comment answers this.
Turkey specifically focuses on mass production of soap operas unlike the rest of the world, only other nations to do this are Mexico and Brazil.
Soap operas are your brand. So you combine that with Turkish proximity to both Europe and Asia, Turkish economy, population size and you end up with an inevitably successful industry.
Your original question was in regard to the solely the Balkans and the Middle East which my original comment answers perfectly anyways.
No country in the Balkans and the Middle East can compete with a 80 million country and the only one that comes close in size in the Middle East is a globally isolated Islamic theocracy.
TurkOmbre@reddit (OP)
What I find strange is that very few people here attribute Turkish success to its quality. You've cited many reasons, but nothing about quality and talent.
I suppose you think Turkish series are low quality, or at least the same quality as those from some random Balkan country?
Poglavnik_Majmuna01@reddit
I do not attribute it to quality because the quality of Turkish soaps is barely passable. It’s just mass produced slop that isn’t completely unwatchable, think of it like Chinese products found all over the world.
I vividly recall seeing my grandma watching a very popular Turkish soap where a guy who was thought to be dead turns out to be alive because somehow his executor only slightly grazed his neck with a bullet fired from 30 centimetres away.
TurkOmbre@reddit (OP)
In my opinion, we have very well-educated, experienced, and high-quality actors in this field.
I find it surprising that nobody notices this.
because without these qualities and human resources no country can have a breakthrough
electrical-stomach-z@reddit
Russia is completely totalitarian, Romania is destitute, Ukraine is at war and Iran is a theocracy.
TurkOmbre@reddit (OP)
but in the 2000s these countries weren't in catastrophic situations: Russia, Ukraine.
Turkey made a breakthrough in the field during those years.
Active_Drawing_1821@reddit
Russian Soviet movies are artistic gems (Andrei Tarkovsky, Sergei Eisenstein, Andrei Zvyagintsev...), and they still have huge production today, since their movies are popular in other ex-Soviet countries.
Iranian movies are very well known too, winning Oscars, Césars, and other major awards (Abbas Kiarostami, Asghar Farhadi, Majid Majidi...). So I couldn’t agree with what you say.
Turks have mostly cheesy soap operas (and a few good movies, I must say, but you have to be a movie lover to discover and appreciate them), so in my humble opinion you’re overestimating their quality and importance.
TurkOmbre@reddit (OP)
I don't underestimate the quality of Russian and Iranian productions; what's certain is that they haven't made it in this field, while the Turks have.
Active_Drawing_1821@reddit
About soap operas/TV series, I agree...
Zylobalsamum@reddit
These are companies that make these films. What do countries have to do with it? Get production companies in Romania to make a consistent genre and invest a lot, I mean a lot, and you're gonna have similar success if you play it right. The players just aren't there.
nindza-22@reddit
70 million base customers maybe?
Longjumping-Hat-1210@reddit
Ohhhh I remember this show, I watched the Arabic dub of it, the actress is great
No-Championship-4632@reddit
Do people still watch those?
Abject_Fun_5230@reddit
Bored housewifes watch them because they are formulaic and the music is somewhat decent but its popular simply because its something you put on în the afternoon
reallycooldude456@reddit
Turkish men.
NorthWelcome1626@reddit
Lol, this is the first praise towards Turkey here, and I'm not a newcomer. Thanks.
TurkOmbre@reddit (OP)
Thank you 🥰
Own_Yogurtcloset7087@reddit
The most serious soap opera production in the former Yugoslav countries is in Croatia, which has been continuously producing them since 2003. Serbia has had several attempts at making soap operas, but it simply is not a genre that people in Serbia enjoy watching in their native language. Even among Croatian soap operas, the ones that performed best in Serbia were those that were not typically romantic, but instead included elements of comedy. In Serbia, the closest equivalent to soap operas are series that could perhaps best be defined as dramedies, and they are quite popular throughout the former Yugoslav region. Unfortunately, due to the legacy of war, it is still rare for television networks in the region to purchase each other’s series. Serbia and Croatia, of course, also have other television genres that are of much higher quality and can be watched on platforms such as HBO.
zulufdokulmusyuze@reddit
Three reasons:
Turkey is much bigger than any other Balkan country, so there is a customer base to sustain the industry.
Turkey has been engaged with the West (along with Greece, which is smaller) throughout the 20th century while most of Balkans were stuck behind the iron curtain. So they learned a lot from the West.
Cultural similarities with both the Middle East and Latin America, who are the main consumers of this type of entertainment.
TurkOmbre@reddit (OP)
'They've learned a lot from the West' lol. Turkey sells more than any other European country in this sector. There's the UK, but it's the quintessential English-speaking country, so that makes sense.
And some years the United Kingdom is behind Turkey
Turkish directors, screenwriters, and actors are far more talented.
puzzledpanther@reddit
You think Turkey invented television series?
Not biased at all.
zulufdokulmusyuze@reddit
Americans and hence the English speaking world led the development of cinema and TV.
American influence led to the introduction of movie theaters early on, giving rise to Yesilcam in the 60s.
American TV shows made their way into Turkish TV immediately by the introduction of TV, Dallas etc. became incredibly popular in the one-channel era.
By the 80s, TRT was importing soap operas from Latin America as well. Many older actors today were dubbers for TV in the 80s and 90s.
Add to this the interactions between the Cihangir types and European, even Japanese independent cinema. Essentially, Turkey had all the international interactions that helped breed a culture of movie and series making, thanks to being part of the “First World” during the cold war era.
tahaelhour@reddit
I do like the stalker likes and "ubder depressive psychosis simulators tho".
Usernamenotta@reddit
I mean, you have better looking men and the women are more expressive
OkoMushrooom@reddit
It’s easy brainrot content for the old to swallow because it normalizes violence and a backward way of thinking for everyone else.
agouraki@reddit
my aunt loved them cause they where old school and had no porn
OkoMushrooom@reddit
Then you should watch them together with your aunt.
Commercial_Law_1689@reddit
Agreed, some of these shows disgust me as a Turk. Like there are a few i found to be decent. But more they were geared for export more stereotypical/brainrot they became.
OkoMushrooom@reddit
The shows being problematic is one part of the problem, another part is because of institutional corruption. In Macedonia the money thats meant for the production of local content gets pocketed by the main TV commercial stations and instead just play Turkish soap operas and say “here we made content available”. Not even taking into account the corrosive nature it has on the population, we don’t have national strategies for media no one has the brains to care for this so we just ruin ourselves. And this is definitely something thats been exploited for many purposes by many actors.
Commercial_Law_1689@reddit
100% agreed, the shows glorification of mafia imo is a big factor in the rise of youth criminality in Turkey. I'm happy our media has wide appeal, i'm sad that very same media is hot trash.
OkoMushrooom@reddit
You know once upon a time here, parallel with Turkish shows they also played reruns of things from Bollywood and I remember entire tv shows centered around child marriages. But I’m thankful that at-least someone had the brains to put a stop to at least that.
TurkOmbre@reddit (OP)
I agree with you; as soon as the industry became globalized, Turkish series changed a lot, and sometimes even the Turkish public doesn't appreciate them. In fact, some claim that the Selena series was the first success in Turkey among all series; it was created exclusively for Turkish audiences (and therefore unavailable internationally due to its very local storyline). The series has a YouTube channel, which is apparently among the most viewed in the world. This just goes to show that Turkey doesn't need the rest of the world to excel. 😃
Commercial_Law_1689@reddit
That's beside the point mate, they just looked at what sells and they are just repeating the same model. Mafia guy cool. Okay.. Ezel was a good show. Lets make 20 others like it. Or rich misogynistic guy wins the heart of the main lady by acting like he's a changed man without an inkling of change. Lets make 20 more like it. Runtime of turkish shows were always long but they were extended out even more since these shows are then cut into smaller chunks to increase episode count for the international market.
Active_Drawing_1821@reddit
I believe Türkiye invests a lot of money into these soap operas. They also work well in the Balkans because our mothers, grandmothers, and aunts love this kind of drama. I think they also do well in the Middle East, since many of those countries are Muslim, so there’s a sense of familiarity and cultural connection. At the same time, some of those countries don’t produce as much content due to religious or moral restrictions, so they can relate more easily to Turkish productions.
TurkOmbre@reddit (OP)
But some Muslim countries have still banned Turkish series, I'm thinking of Uzbekistan, because apparently Turkish series have increased the divorce rate.
Active_Drawing_1821@reddit
Well, they made a wild connection there! 😅
Awkward-Maximum-2290@reddit
Turkish TV Series had an earlier start in exporting. For countries that have more dubbing than subbing culture, their TV series also may look a lot like latin american telenovelas visually, the regions that have started exporting TV series even much earlier. So, no more adapting.
TurkOmbre@reddit (OP)
Do you think countries like Bulgaria or Serbia could have become major global players like Turkey if they had followed the same path as Turkey?
Awkward-Maximum-2290@reddit
I am not quite familiar with their TV series actually. But perhaps. I think in the end people like soap opera kind of stories, and Turkish TV series offer that. Some demographics from any cultures love that kind of stories and pretty visuals. Also maybe it was sold for cheap initially. Anime TV series started like that in the past.
Super_Sherbet_268@reddit
They were quite popular here but ig we are over that phase. I personally don't watch em anymore coz they are quite a drag and also Turks are very racist lol.
TurkOmbre@reddit (OP)
I've heard that Turkish series are popular in Muslim countries because, unlike Western productions, they don't portray Muslims in a stereotypical way.
Super_Sherbet_268@reddit
Yes and no, its not just that. Idk about arabs some like in saudi might dislike Ottoman history due to occupation etc but most other muslim countries have a positive perception of Ottomans due to it not being just the empire but also the claim of caliphate as well so Ottoman history is kinda glorified here. That's why Ottoman shows like kosem sultan, Mehmet, Abdul Hamid were quite the hit a few years back and also were promoted by the PM himself.
It shows Muslims in a positive light and also it's quite family friendly as well. Families can sit and watch it without having to skip sexual scenes which is the case in American/European shows. A lot of Pakistani liberals like the western clothing and lifestyle the Turks have.
Turkish actors are quite attractive lol. I think that does it for the girls especially. There is a channel called Urdu One which literally all it does is dubb audio translate Turkish drama shows to Urdu.
But it used to be quite popular during covid and also the Imran Khan govt even had the state media aire Ottoman shows Ertugal which became a huge hit as well mainly because unlike the turks, Pakistan is a state based on muslim nationalism which glues together hundreds of ethnic lingustic groups.
Bargothball@reddit
I don’t get the appeal at all. I’d much rather watch anime or play video games with much better plots.
Zylobalsamum@reddit
They invest a lot. You make a lot of it and you make it consistently, you're bound to have success in this industry. It's the same for Mexican telenovelas. Hell, this is Hollywood's invention. It's nothing new at all. It's called "genre".
tejanaqkilica@reddit
I didn't realize other countries (in the region) tried to make TV Shows. As far as the Turkish ones go, they're cheap to make and therefore cheap to buy and broadcast. Also their audience is strickly, bored housewives in their 50s+ who's concept of the internet is Facebook.
They're not good, eventually their audience will die out (literally) and we can move on.
TurkOmbre@reddit (OP)
Why does the world always look for a negative reason when a non-Western country succeeds in a few things? I can understand it coming from Westerners, but I don't understand it coming from non-Westerners.
tejanaqkilica@reddit
What do you mean? I can scrutinize anything, regardless if it came from the east or west and I expect the same in my direction.
Nothing that I said above, is in any way false, regardless if I am a westerner or a non westerner. That part is irrelevant.
Pedre79@reddit
They became popular mostly because they started earlier, at a time when other Balkan countries didn’t really have strong TV production. Turkey was already making films back in the 1940s, and even though their soap operas in the late 90s weren’t huge at first, they still had a head start.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Balkans in the 90s and early 2000s were dealing with economic problems, so there wasn’t much money for culture, cinema, or TV series. Naturally, there wasn’t much local content to compete.
Also, their content is just relatable. It fits easily into Balkan households because, at the end of the day, we share a lot of similar values and social dynamics. And they stick to formulas that work love triangles, good girl vs bad guy, drama, emotions. It’s simple, but people watch it. I remember when the first movies started showing 2008-2010 there was just one or two local MINI series. It was a long time since venezualen telenovelas have had its peak. All grandmas and school girls were in front of the tv watchig Perla, Binibir Gece I don't remember the name of the one with Ali Raza who was always looking for his aspirin.
Anyway, I will be happy to see other content especially Serbian, Croation or Macedonian. I think probably they will be very relatable in terms of humor and themes. We just don’t push our content the way we push things like chalga or turbo-folk across the region. If we approached TV the same way, it could work too, I guess.
Ok_Succotash_2342@reddit
As a Turkish national, Turkish shows are garbo mostly, there are of course very good shows, but the ones that are really successful internationally is literal brainrot content.
moneyBusiness22@reddit
I'll give my theory, they have local TV station
Necessary-Meeting-28@reddit
I think it is a balance of conservative and westernized cultures, especially in terms of relationships and family values, makes Turkish shows sellable both in Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. Peak was late 2000s and early 2010s though for TV soap operas.
moneyBusiness22@reddit
I don't really watch TV that often,but from what ive seen,the turkish TV shows look very well made,good lighting,editing.
LaVeriteEstDansLeVin@reddit
At least here, they were forced. There was a time (like 15 years ago?) when every chanel had them. My guess is that it was cheaper than an original production during the crisis.
dallyan@reddit
Turkey has a large population and robust economy (even if it doesn’t work for the average person) so the media industry is much larger and fairly sophisticated. That certainly helps.
EpicStan123@reddit
The stuff from Turkiye got a decent production value which translates well for international audiences.
CTPABA_KPABA@reddit
Global lack of taste
lungsofdoom@reddit
Beren Saat was probably the prettiest woman on earth at some point of her life
TurkOmbre@reddit (OP)
Is the series "Forbidden Love" known in the Balkans ?
lungsofdoom@reddit
Yes, in Serbia that and Fatmagul were replayed many times. Also in Serbia their tv shows are pretty popular and you even have their streams with subtitles
TurkOmbre@reddit (OP)
Tv shows ? An exemple ?
lungsofdoom@reddit
These two i mentioned. The Magnificent Century is another example. I dont know their names but tons of them are either on tv or streamed with subtitles.
Commercial_Law_1689@reddit
I'm suprised Magnificent Century has an audience in the Balkans.
lungsofdoom@reddit
Yeah that is good question but i cant really asnwer why. I guess women, which is the most of the public, dont care
Commercial_Law_1689@reddit
It's almost entirely drama and intrigue. With a sprinkling of history saltbae style, so i can see the appeal in some level.
Tonyukuk09@reddit
I’d say it’s about culture. Türkiye is neither fully Western nor Eastern; neither strictly individualistic nor collectivist—it sits somewhere in between. That in-between position gives it a unique character Because of this, Turkish series can appeal to a wide range of audiences—from Pakistan to Germany, from Korea to Finland. People from very different cultural backgrounds can find something relatable Also, Turkish society itself is quite diverse. You can find all kinds of viewpoints and lifestyles. Naturally, this diversity is reflected in its TV shows and series For example, Magnificent Century appealed more to European audiences, while Diriliş: Ertuğrul resonated more with Eastern audiences—and it became especially popular in Pakistan.
Oriokoliss@reddit
Japan had the same succes back in the past for many years, South Korea had (and probably still has) the same succes for a period. It's just "a moment".
If Iran would have been a democracy, not a dictatorship sharia law country, their TV industry could have had the same succes.
TurkOmbre@reddit (OP)
Turkey has been on the podium for almost 20 years and so far it shows no signs of stopping.
Affectionate-Band-15@reddit
Awards wise, I think Romania is top. Not saying just because I’m Romanian 😅
admiralbeaver@reddit
I think OP is referring to Turkish soap operas being really popular.
Affectionate-Band-15@reddit
Actually, Turkey also won a lot of awards 😅 and yes, soap opera wise, Turkey is the South Korea of Europe
Flaky_Specialist1143@reddit
Turkey has more money to invest in the industry hence better quality outputs
TheNightOwl97@reddit
Well turkey alone have a very large population, which mean that their movies and series put pretty big numbers alone. Also turkeys communicate is pretty large in many big countries of the west.
Base on that, we have series that put out big numbers, and because of the Turks outside turkey they are introduced to new markets and audience that would not be original introduce. That make it much more popular. Just imagine a series from the rest of the Balkan that have 1/4 of the viewership of the series in turkey because of the country population, then they aren’t that many in other countries to make a efficient market alone, so they aren’t introduced in other countries.
I feel this is probably the biggest reason, of course because of all this Turkey movie industry have made a lot of money and make them capable of getting out better series and movies.
Is always about marketing my opinion the most people see something, most people will want it
TurkOmbre@reddit (OP)
Most Turks in the diaspora live in France and Germany, and this has not led to an increase in sales of Turkish series in those countries. The Turkish diaspora is absolutely not the cause.
And Russia and the Russian world are much more populated than Turkey, yet they have not succeeded
Efficient_Resource15@reddit
I think they are popular cause women find the turkish actors hot.
Plus they are easy to watch for elderly pwople at home and they get invested in the drama. I was surprised to find out some of these shows are not as popular in turkey as they are here.
Sea_Gap_6569@reddit
in ‘80 and early’90s brasilian and mexican telenovelas were very popular in turkey, alongside some only domestically consumable series like the most popular bizimkiler. in ‘90s with the rise of non-state tv channels domestic series exploded . Especially after the success of “Asmalı Konak”, we saw lots of copycat series.
So, a big domestic market to finance is a huge advantage. The industry wouldn’t die if they loose the international markets.
Why people watch them?
I think it’s more approachable for the people than western oriented ones. Dramas, feelings expressed in a grotesque way, ups and down through out the series, scenery, beauty of Istanbul all these play a role.
As a finishing note, there are also non-telenova high quality series, but no international interest
Inevitable_Motor_685@reddit
Guys please recommend me some other Balkan shows from other Balkan countries
KalinR@reddit
Vruzki season 1 is great
ferevon@reddit
well i find them garbage so if it sells well that means only more garbage around which is bad, yeah i see there is an audience for shows to pass time without consuming any brain power but feels like it's all there is in the industry in this country. Worst of it all is how they're all insanely long so even if there are some potentially good ones they are also garbage due to format. Unfortunately audince demands low quality crap. Similar to how comedy show Guldur Guldur is extremely successful, by repeating the exact same 30 dad jokes over hundreds of episodes, despite having a cast of talented actors it's still crap they produce because middle aged men can't stop laughing at few jokes they can understand and pretend it's the first time every single time.
Thanks for having me vent my hatred.
WackyShirt@reddit
Good looking people gets our attention. Nobody wants to admit this, but looking at beautiful people and things activate the pleasure centers of our brains.
Over the top drama gets us invested and then sunk cost fallacy takes over. We watched the whole first episode, or two, or three episodes because of the good looking people, but that story is curious. We already invested time, so might as well watch how the situation resolves.
Cliff hangers make it addictive. Just as something comes to a resolution, the plot thickens and the episode ends with yet another dramatic revelation. This makes it really difficult to stop watching. At this stage, the loop cycles, -- pleasure, curiosity, sunk cost fallacy.
It's a perfect formula and very hard to break free.
This is not to say they're bad and just use a winning formula. Some of them are actually really good and use this addictive formula, which makes them really successful.
Second-Resident@reddit
I never got the impression it was globally successful.
chrstianelson@reddit
Literally the 3rd biggest TV exporter after the US and the UK.
TurkOmbre@reddit (OP)
Turkey is in the world's top 3
Substratas@reddit
Albanian actors.
CandidDebate6827@reddit
global?? 🤣 nobody watches them in the civilized world, only middle eastern central asian shitholes and unfortunately balkans
Andreuw5@reddit
Beauty of the actors Drama due to conservative Turkish traditions Also overall religion influence