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A program focusing on Turkish television series’ contribution to Türkiye’s global brand began in Istanbul on Friday, bringing together senior officials and industry representatives.
The event, titled “The Global Narrative of the Türkiye Brand: Turkish TV Series,” was organized by Türkiye’s Communications Directorate.
Türkiye’s Head of Communications Burhanettin Duran said Turkish productions reach more than 1 billion viewers in more than 170 countries, while Türkiye ranks among the world’s top three TV series exporters.
Duran said Türkiye’s TV series exports, which stood at about $10 million in the early 2000s, have now exceeded $1 billion.
“When a Turkish series reaches a family in Damascus, a living room in Rabat, a home in Belgrade or a viewer in Santiago or Johannesburg, Türkiye ceases to be a distant country seen only on a map,” he said.
Duran said the international rise of Turkish dramas was not a project of cultural hegemony but reflected Türkiye’s capacity to produce its own stories and bring them to different societies.
“Just as humanity’s fate cannot be left to the decisions of a few centers, humanity’s story cannot be left to the cameras of a few centers,” he said.
Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said Turkish series have become a strategic asset that goes far beyond their economic value by increasing interest in Türkiye’s language, culture, gastronomy and destinations.
“Turkish series are not only watched; they make people curious about Türkiye,” Ersoy said.
He said viewers research filming locations and seek to experience the places depicted on screen.
Ersoy said the ministry had launched a new period in its support policies for the TV series industry.
Under the revised system, the requirement that productions must have aired for one season has been removed, allowing support to be assessed on an episode-by-episode basis.
The system also allows multiple projects from the same production company to receive support.
Ersoy said productions aired in at least 10 countries across three continents will be assessed based on export performance, television ratings and digital viewing figures.
Their contribution to Türkiye’s promotion, Turkish-language visibility and priority tourism markets will also be considered.
Ersoy added that eight promotional productions launched since June 2025 have generated 30 billion impressions and 5.5 billion views.
He said the government’s objective was to combine Türkiye’s strength as a leading tourism destination with the global reach of its television industry.
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