Turkish TV Dramas, Visual ‘Seduction’, and the Cultural Diplomacy
International success of Turkish television (TV) dramas first reached its peak in 2014. Since then, Turkish productions have reached second place in world market distribution, after American ones. What are the reasons for this success, in particular in Southeast Europe? This is the main research question that this paper addresses. The research is based on a study of the fan communities on social media and on the analysis of cinematic qualities of a sample of all film material broadcast so far. Turkish serials reinforce the effects of world popular culture known as ‘seduction’, in terms of Baudrillard, through a politics of imagery that involves both appealing images of their native country and ‘seducing’ the audience through the pull of visual suggestion. Visual appeal is an important factor in viewers’ interest. Turkish series show continuity with examples of literary and cinema classics that viewers expect and recognize. The viewer appreciates the archetypal narrative patterns (the fairy tale; melodrama) contained in television. By adapting Western models of soap operas, Turkish TV production has ‘glocalized’ this model and created its local version. In this sense, globalization should not be understood as merely synonymous with Americanization.
Milena Benovska
Milena Benovska is a professor of sociocultural anthropology/ ethnology at the Southwest University of Blagoevgrad (Bulgaria), PhD in philology, and doctor habilitatus in history. Earlier she used to hold positions at the New Bulgarian University (Sofia) and at the Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies (Sofia). She published 244 academic publications, including four monographs, in political anthropology, the anthropology of religion, and folklore studies. Last book: Milena Benovska. 2021. Orthodox Revivalism in Russia. Driving Forces and Moral Quests. Routledge: London and New York.