Turkish Drama Serials: The Importance and Influence of a Globally Popular Television Phenomenon

The success of Turkish drama serials in the Global South is a significant development in contemporary popular culture. This book explores the reasons for their allure to audiences in Arab, Latin American, and Israeli regions, and analyzes how they have influenced perceptions of Turkey, its people, and its culture. It will appeal to scholars and researchers in media and communication, international relations, public diplomacy, sociology, and Middle Eastern studies.

Format: Hardback
Length: 250 pages
Publication date: 13 June 2023
Publisher: University of Exeter Press

The remarkable global popularity of Turkish drama serials represents a significant shift in contemporary popular culture. This comprehensive book delves into the implications of this phenomenon across the Global South by presenting comparative audience data from three distinct regions. Through its exploration, it sheds light on how Turkey, a predominantly Muslim-majority country, has emerged as the world's second-largest producer of scripted television serials, captivating audiences worldwide.

The book adopts an audience-centric approach, examining the factors that contribute to the allure of Turkish dramas for Arab, Latin American, and Israeli audiences. Simultaneously, it explores Turkey's shifting foreign policy, economic, and trade relationships since the turn of the millennium, which have paralleled the remarkable success of its television output. Furthermore, the book analyzes the role and significance of Turkish dramas as a soft-power tool by scrutinizing how they have shaped viewers' perceptions of Turkey, its people, and its culture.

This volume is of immense interest to professionals and scholars working in diverse fields such as media and communication, international relations, public diplomacy, sociology, and Middle Eastern studies. It also holds significant value for upper-level undergraduates, postgraduate students, academics, scholars, and researchers. By unraveling the complexities of Turkish drama's global success, this book offers valuable insights into the evolving dynamics of popular culture, international relations, and cultural exchange in the contemporary world.

Weight: 545g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781804130421