Türkiye highlights global reach of Turkish TV series at Istanbul event

A program focusing on Turkish television series' contribution to Türkiye's global brand began in Istanbul on Friday, bringing together senior officials and representatives of the industry.

The event, 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 over 170 countries, while the country ranks among the world's top three TV series exporters.

Türkiye's TV series exports, which stood at about $10 million in the early 2000s, have now exceeded $1 billion, Duran said.

"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 added.

Duran said the international rise of Turkish series 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 went 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, noting that 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, removing the requirement that productions must have aired for one season and allowing support to be assessed on an episode-by-episode basis.

The revised system also allows multiple projects from the same production company to receive support.

Productions aired in at least 10 countries across three continents will be assessed using export performance, television ratings and digital viewing figures, as well as their contribution to Türkiye's promotion, Turkish-language visibility and priority tourism markets, he said.

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.