Turkey has over the years worked up the ladder to the 2nd largest exporter of television content. Binge watchers have only increased during the pandemic and the Turkish dizis have gained more popularity for their serene locations, creative story plots, etc. There's something catchy for all, be it classic romance, mafia action, a bad boy turning to the ideal man, rich spoilt brats getting a 360° character makeover, family values-oriented dizis, strong women beating all odds and standing strong. You name it and it's there, that's how diverse Turkish dizis are. Dizi means sequence or series in Turkish but is referred to as a genre of Turkish drama.
Stories originally from Japan, Anne and Kadin, which portray strong women trying to live their lives despite the trials of modern society, won the awards for best foreign drama at the Tokyo International Drama Festival in 2017 and 2018, beating strong competition from South Korean dramas. Very clearly even if the story plot is an adaptation of a foreign country, the success of the Turks often surpasses it.
Magnificent Century an epic story of the legendary Ottoman Sultan Suleiman gained wide popularity paving the path for Turkish fame worldwide. With over 500 million views from across the globe, the Turkish dizi's slowly captured the hearts of many.
The Magnificient Century
According to many scriptwriters, producers, directors and actors, the power of authenticity that Turkey's realistic, socially conscious, and relatable middle-class dramas hold make them a unique art form perfected over decades.
"What's Fatmagul's Fault?" Series gained international recognition.
Watched in about 154 countries, it received the audience award for the best foreign drama in France in 2019 and is now being remade in Spain under the name "Alba."
Its story plot is about a young woman's search for justice after being gang-raped. Latin America was the first to air it followed by India, it provoked such a storm of commentary that it was even credited with kick-starting the popular #MeToo movement in Peru and Mexico.
According to Hilal Saral the phenomenal show's director, "What makes Fatmagul so special is the fact that a social wound [like rape] is being narrated not over a woman's body but over her soul. Turkish dramas are built heavily on emotion".
Timur Savci, the founder and a partner of the prolific Tims&B, says, common themes such as strong women, family, and authenticity, are embedded in the DNA of Turkish drama, with broad appeal to viewers across a range of cultures around the world. He is has given the world many hits including "Calikusu" ("Lovebird"), a 2013 literary adaptation of the story of an orphaned teacher from Anatolia, as well as "Bir Zamanlar Cukurova" "Bitter Lands", a Dallas-style family saga set in the 1970s that was shot in Savci's hometown of Adana in southern Turkey.
International streaming giants are also showing great interest in Turkish content, with Netflix commissioning a handful of hits. More series are now available with subtitles in many languages like Sen Çal Kapimi — You Knock On My Door, Emanet — Legacy, Bay Yanlis — Mr. Wrong to name a few.
