Turkish Drama Serials

Front matter

The Importance and Influence of a Globally Popular Television Phenomenon

MIRIAM BERG

EXETER

Contents

1 The Turkish Television Industry:

From National to Transnational 2 Turkish Drama Serials in the Arab World

3 Fluctuating Turkish-Arab Relations and the Soft Power of Drama Serials

Chapter 1—The Turkish Television Industry: From National to Transnational

The chapter examines the growth of the Turkish television industry, which has become the world’s second-largest exporter of scripted TV dramas. It explores the economic and political factors that have contributed to the expansion of the industry and the impact of changes in foreign policy and trade relationships. The chapter also looks at the ideological and technological transformation of the TV production industry and the rise of video-on-demand services that increasingly produce serials for digital and global viewers. Streaming platforms are enabling Turkish serials to reach international audiences with ready-dubbed content, bypassing geopolitics and distribution companies.

Chapter 2—Turkish Drama Serials in the Arab World

The second chapter examines the parallel development of Arab media industries and the impact of Arab-Iurkish diplomatic and trade relationships on the successful entry of Turkish serials into the Arab world. It starts with a brief history of private satellite networks in the 1990s, including the rise of Saudi-owned MBC as a leading entertainment network. MBC was the first to introduce Turkish dramas to its large audience in the MENA region. The chapter also analyses the impact of technological convergence on the region's production, distribution, and consumption of content. It shows how financial interests have intersected with politics, with Turkish dramas being offered on regional digital platforms while being banned on free-to-air satellite channels. The chapter concludes by describing the shift in Turkish influence in the cultural industry, from dubbed dramas to content produced specifically for the Arab world.