By Aylin Rana Aydin Kus and Ergin Garip
ISTANBUL (AA) - Already enjoying global popularity with exports to around 170 countries every year, Turkish TV series have now set their sights on a new destination: China.
Fatih Aksoy, the head of entertainment and cultural services at the Services Exporter Association, told Anadolu that Turkish series contribute to the growth of the tourism sector, as well as other industries, as they are exported to so many countries.
Aksoy said that emotions are very prominent in Turkish series, and that they tend to be more family-friendly, which makes them more popular worldwide.
Turkish series are in high demand in Latin America, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and in Africa, as well as in countries such as Russia, Portugal, and Spain, he said.
Now the next destination for the Turkish series is the Chinese market, he said, voicing certainty that they will do well there.
Aksoy underlined that six television channels in Türkiye broadcast series during their primetime, and that each channel orders 10 to 12 series a year, amounting to 60 to 70 series made annually.
Among those that are successful, he said that it turns out that the series with male leads sell less than those with female leads.
- ‘Some series go for $100K, some for $300K’
Aksoy stated that the perception of Turkish series in Türkiye is a lot different than in other countries since the foreign audience gets to see the most successful series.
“They think Turkish people make great series, however, people in Türkiye get to see both the good and the bad, therefore, the perception in Türkiye is different,” he said.
“The foreign audience inevitably has a high perception because they get to see the best series, as eight to 10 Turkish series are sold to 170 countries every year,” he added.
Aksoy highlighted that the cost per episode of a series is around $300,000 and that producers earn with foreign sales.
He mentioned that series, such as Blooming Lady (Bahar) and Yargi: Family Secrets see high demand.
“A Turkish series has the potential to reach 800 million viewers worldwide, and series are sold as seasons, and the export figure varies depending on the country and the project; some series go for $100,000, some for $300,000,” he said.
“The Magnificent Century and Forbidden Apple series are probably the ones that generate the most revenue, both because of the high number of episodes and, that they have been sold to so many countries,” he added.
- Turkish series contribute to tourism
Aksoy stated that the Turkish series contributed a significant amount to tourism, as he sees a connection between the series and Istanbul.
“For instance, Istanbul has fewer Japanese and Chinese tourists than cities like Rome and Paris, but we are in first place despite the lack of Asian tourists,” he said.
“Apart from that, in terms of Turkish universities, Turkish hospitals and the use of Turkish goods, if you watch a TV series of a country, and you grow to like it, you will have a good feeling about that country; therefore, the goods of that country will be more reliable for you,” he added.
- ‘Türkiye has largely taken US’ place in series’
Aksoy noted that Turkish series have had a positive impact on the perception of the country, saying: “The US focused on movies and became a world empire in the field, as its movie industry has become very successful, though its series industry, not so much anymore, since Türkiye has largely taken its place, with the prevalence of Turkish series surpassing American series, even if the US exports more movies and series.”
“No matter how much one talks negatively about Türkiye, people sit down and watch Turkish series, and think, ‘I read or heard something about Türkiye today, it doesn’t make sense, the Turks are seemingly having a good time,’” he added.
- Bozdag Plateau serves more than 50,000 tourists
Producer and screenwriter Mehmet Bozdag stated that Türkiye meets a large part of the need for series in the world.
"For instance, while the whole world stopped working during the pandemic, we were isolated and we continued to produce quality content with great success, giving us the edge to go one step further in the world,” he said.
He mentioned that his series producer firm Bozdag Film exports content to more than 105 countries as they appeal to a wide audience from the US to Thailand, and more.
“Our ancient stories, the quality of our cinematography, and our rapid pace in providing our audience with more content have made us successful. Our country, culture, and traditions attract great interest worldwide,” he said.
He underlined that the recently opened Bozdag Plateau has hosted more than 50,000 tourists so far.
He mentioned that tourists visiting the plateau sometimes speak Turkish, and tell stories about Türkiye’s history.
“We think it is very important to ensure unity under the leadership of our government for the development of the sector, and, in this context, we participate in every activity, and work hard to represent our country and culture,” he said.
“Our goal is to host 1 million visitors annually on our plateaus. The works we produce play an important role in the development of many sectors in Türkiye, from food and beverage to tourism,” he added.
*Writing by Emir Yildirim