Turkey makes cultural diplomacy with TV series: Communications Directorate
ANKARA
Turkish TV series have become tools of cultural diplomacy, increasing the power of Turkish foreign policy, a book released by the Presidential Communications Directorate said.
“The works done to find out the effects of the Turkish TV series on different countries and geography have shown that they have prospering impacts on promoting Turkey and Turkish society,” the directorate said in the book “Cultural Diplomacy and Communications.”
Highlighting that the sympathy between Turkey and the countries with common history has increased due to the series, it said, “The interest toward the Turkish TV series has also risen in the international arena.”
The U.S., India and South Korea are major countries that use their TV series and entertainment issues as “cultural diplomacy tools.”
However, “Turkey joined them as well.”
Pointing out that the sector of Turkish TV series has become a major tool for establishing a bond between cultures, the directorate listed series’ impacts on some countries.
Due to such TV series, Kosovars felt close to Turkey, all people living in Kazakhistan enjoy Turkish TV series and the similarity between Turkish and Algerian cultures helped the Turkish TV series become popular in Algeria, it expressed.
“Turkey had the opportunity to promote the lifestyle and virtues of the country to regions such as Latin America,” it added.
Recently, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro expressed his love for a Turkish TV series, “Kuruluş Osman,” which depicts the birth of the Ottoman Empire.
“I will visit the series’ set when I come to Turkey,” Maduro said in his meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu last week.
A notable example of a “cultural diplomatic TV series” is “Sadakatsiz,” [‘Unfaithful’ in English].
The TV series aired on the private TV channel Kanal D and broke a record for being sold to some 65 countries worldwide. The series, in which famous actress Cansu Dere and actor Caner Cindoruk play roles, tell the daily life story of a divorced couple and their surroundings.