The rise of Turkey's scripted content exports

Have you ever wondered how a country's television dramas can create such a buzz around the world? After exploring the Korean Wave in the Middle East, let's dive into the fascinating phenomenon known as the Turkish Wave! This movement is driven by the global rise of Turkish scripted series, influencing not just entertainment but also tourism and economic activity. It's intriguing to compare Turkey with South Korea, as both nations have crafted export-driven cultural movements that resonate with global audiences.

Today, Turkey proudly stands as the third largest exporter of scripted content, trailing only behind the United States and the United Kingdom. Turkish dramas are now reaching more than 150 countries, and when you factor in digital platforms, that number skyrockets to nearly 200!

The Rising Demand for Turkish Content

The volume of exported titles is on an upward trajectory. In 2024 alone, Turkey surpassed 300 exported series, raking in over 500 million dollars in revenue! Demand is skyrocketing as well. Parrot Analytics reported that interest in Turkish content surged by a whopping 184 percent between 2020 and 2023. To put this into perspective, demand for South Korean shows only rose by 73 percent during the same period, despite the global spotlight on hits like Squid Game.

The Viewing Habits and Market Forces Behind Turkish Content Demand

Most of the Turkish titles that gain traction internationally are scripted dramas. This mirrors broader global viewing patterns, as K-dramas have driven Korean content demand in a similar way. The presence of multi-episode soaps helps Turkish titles land well in regions such as Latin America, where audiences have long enjoyed telenovelas.

Turkish series blend various global traditions, drawing influences from Bollywood, Egyptian melodrama, American television, and Latin American telenovelas. The latter crossed borders decades earlier, in the 1970s, while Turkish series gained international reach in the early 2000s.

According to Inter Medya, Central and Eastern Europe and the CIS region continue to be steady buyers of Turkish content, with a long-standing interest in Turkish production. What’s new is the scale of attention from Western Europe. Italy and Spain have transitioned from occasional acquisitions to consistent ones. Turkish series now air in primetime on major broadcasters like Mediaset’s Canale 5, where episodes attract around 2 million viewers. Distributors say that success in the region requires more than just strong content. Trust, flexible rights packages, fast delivery, and active marketing support are essential for securing long-term relationships with European partners.

Emerging Markets for Turkish Dramas

New markets are also emerging. Portugal is showing growing interest, largely because its neighbours have already demonstrated strong results. Lower localisation costs are attracting buyers from Africa, and Northern Europe may soon follow suit. Markets that had slowed down, such as Bulgaria, Indonesia, and Malaysia, are becoming active again. Ukraine is making a comeback, and Malta is emerging as a newcomer in acquisitions.

The movement behind Turkish dramas cannot be explained by cultural proximity. Initially, it was thought that Turkish content thrived in the Balkans, the Middle East, and North Africa due to shared history. However, evidence shows that this isn't always the case. Several importing countries lack direct historical ties to Turkey and some even distance themselves from the Ottoman legacy. Instead, these shows resonate because they prioritize themes that large parts of the world enjoy watching. Love, family dynamics, loyalty, class conflict, and relationship tension are central elements of Turkish dramas, making the content compatible with audience habits in many regions. Izzet Pinto, CEO of Global Agency, emphasizes the family-friendly nature of Turkish titles. They avoid nudity and harsh language, making them suitable for family viewing across continents.

The Unique Format of Turkish Dizi

In Turkey, long-form scripted dramas are known as dizi, a format defined by weekly episodes that often run between 120 and 150 minutes. Dizis feature emotionally charged plots that place relationships at the heart of the story. Haley Uganadi, founder of the platform Dizilah, describes the format as a blend of family, friendship, and romance set against glamorous Istanbul backdrops or historical settings.

The expressive acting style also supports international reach. Clear emotional reactions and visible gestures help viewers follow the story even when subtitles or dubbing are imperfect. Yet, not every region is easy to penetrate. The United States and the Nordic region remain selective about Turkish imports. Nordic broadcasters show reluctance toward both Turkish dramas and formats. In the United States, Parrot Analytics noted in 2023 that many of the most in-demand Turkish titles simply lack distribution. Without accessible catalogue placement, audiences cannot discover the content in the way they have embraced Korean, Japanese, or Spanish series. Streamers that secure Turkish rights early may find a golden opportunity as American viewers continue to embrace more international content.

Why Both Turkish Dizi and Chinese Microdrama Travel Well Across Cultures

When discussing Turkish dizi, another Asian-born movement comes to mind: Microdramas. One format lasts less than three minutes, while the other often lasts two hours. Still, both rely on heightened emotion and clear plot turns, making stories easy to follow across cultures. There’s an unexpected connection here too! Korean company CJ CGV owns Turkey’s largest cinema and distribution chain. This means that the world’s most influential exporter of long-form melodrama is partly anchored in Korean ownership, tied back to another Asian entertainment ecosystem.

The extended structure of dizi, with its long scenes and slower progression, unintentionally aids comprehension in several parts of the world. Viewers have more space to absorb character motivations and story developments.

This trait is both an advantage and a limitation. While it helps the shows thrive in regions accustomed to long-form drama, it makes entry into shorter format regions more challenging. Global streamers are trying to balance this. Netflix and Amazon are producing Turkish originals with tighter pacing and more compact structures, leading to the question of how much of the traditional identity will be preserved in future productions.

However, the data shows that international appetite for shorter dizis is strong. Since 2021, 47 Turkish productions have appeared in Netflix’s global weekly top ten lists. Turkish shows have reached audiences in 92 countries through these rankings and have held positions in various top ten lists for a combined 184 weeks.

Private production companies are also actively creating stories for international reach. They focus on themes such as romance, family, and personal challenges while avoiding direct political and religious angles. State-funded titles follow a different logic, showcasing historical and war-driven dramas, which often gain traction in Islamic regions and sometimes beyond because viewers recognize the epic structure and action-driven format.

The best example is the series Resurrection Ertugrul, which ran between 2014 and 2019. The show reached 71 countries, was translated into 25 languages, and exceeded 515 million views by 2020. In May 2020, it ranked as the fourth most in-demand show worldwide, with demand more than 68 times above the global average.

Economic Pressures on Turkish Drama Production

Unfortunately, not everything is so smooth for Turkish drama at the moment. Turkey is facing significant economic challenges, with the official inflation rate hovering around 47 percent. This impacts every part of the production cycle. Budgets rise quickly, crew costs become harder to manage, and the number of new projects that broadcasters can support declines.

Producers say that inflation pushes costs to levels that domestic broadcasters cannot bear alone. Many shows operate on very narrow or negative margins, making international sales and co-production partnerships essential for survival. This is also why genre selection matters, as producers must prioritize stories with strong travelability potential.

Some industry opinions suggest that in the current environment, production houses may shift toward fewer projects with smaller budgets. Co-production with international partners could help offset the strain. AI tools may also become part of the solution, particularly in localization and dubbing workflows.

Soft Power, Travelability, and the Lasting Effect of the Turkish Wave

As Izzet Pinto, CEO of Global Agency, states, “the soft power created by Turkish dramas cannot be compared with what could be done in politics.” The impact of Turkish series shows how content can shape a country’s image far beyond its home market. Turkish content travelability is not a cultural wave in the classical sense, as it has not led to large-scale lifestyle adoption or consumer fandom comparable to Korean pop culture.

Instead, it has created a softer form of influence by drawing international curiosity toward the country itself. Turkish dizi has reached audiences in regions that have little in common with Turkey culturally or historically, helping to boost interest in the country as a destination and a place worth exploring.