The global demand for Turkish series, known as “dizi” in Turkish, increased by 184% during 2020-2023, establishing Turkey as one of the largest exporters of television series, according to research firm Parrot Analytics.
Each night, these series attract over 400 million viewers worldwide, as reported by Izzet Pinto, CEO of Global Agency, a prominent distributor of Turkish series to international markets. Simultaneously, as noted by the Associated Press, “dizi” have spurred a multibillion-euro industry, drawing millions of tourists to Turkey and functioning as a powerful tool of cultural diplomacy. During his visit to Turkey in 2018, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro highlighted the appeal of “dizi” by visiting a historical drama series set.
Cultural diplomacy serves as a “soft power” strategy aimed at creating a positive perception of a country’s people, culture, and policies.
Although “Deli Yurek” was the first Turkish series aired outside Turkey, premiering in Kazakhstan in 2001, Turkish series gained global recognition with the romantic drama “Gumus” in 2005, widely beloved in the Middle East, and later with “1001 Nights” (2006), which captured audiences in the Balkans.
Today, the platform Dizilah, catering exclusively to fans of Turkish series where they can find information and rate them, garners 1.5 million visits monthly from countries like the USA, Canada, Greece, India, and Pakistan.
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