Turkey to give cash for soap TV series that boost national image

The Turkish government on Wednesday said it would provide incentives to producers of the country's increasingly popular soap TV series that promote Turkey and its language. 

"We will provide support of up to the equivalent of 100,000 US dollars in Turkish lira per episode for our TV series" broadcast abroad, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy told a news conference. 

Turkish television dramas and series, known as "dizi", are now available in 170 countries. Global demand rose by 184 percent between 2020 and 2023, figures from Parrot Analytics show.

Ersoy said Turkish series have become a "global brand that touches the lives of nearly one billion people across approximately 170 countries, spanning a vast geography from Asia to America, and from Africa to Europe."

"Currently, Turkey has become one of the world's top three television industries in terms of sales and export power," he said.  

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"With export revenues exceeding one billion dollars, our sector has recently surpassed a historic threshold."

To receive the govermment cash, productions must comply with criteria, including the promotion of Turkey and its language, whether the countries to which the series are exported are among target markets for Turkish tourism as well as ratings and viewership data, the minister said. 

"As the ministry, we will also provide significant facilitation to our sector, such as accelerating bureaucratic procedures related to filming locations and the use of historical and cultural sites free of charge," he said. 

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