About 60 men, women and children are standing in front of a wide marble ladder at the Art Nouveau -style Pera Palace Hotel in Istanbul, praising the 130 -year -old electric elevator as it takes the guests to their room. A Belhop asks the group if they are waiting for a tour, and find out that some visitors have come from Spain.
He said, “Of course, since the series has been released, we have visited visitors from all over the world.” He said, many people come to see great filming places and to see its rich history.
The series he is talking about is a Turkish time-journey show called “Midnight at the Pera Palace”, inspired by the same title book of Charles King. It has been available on Netflix since March 2022.
The story begins with a journalist named Esra, who is trying to write an article about the grand hotel that first opened his doors in 1895 and since then of guests like Agatha Christie, Alfred Hitchcock, Greta Garbo and Ernest Hemingway Welcomed.
Hotel Manager Ahmat described the story heroine Esra as a mystery: A time-yatra portal of the old room of the magnificent building is a time-journey portal. Esra returns in the year 1919 and knows about an international conspiracy, in which a British officer is planning to kill Mustafa Kamal Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic. The scheme should be stopped at all costs, and therefore the historic drama begins in the European district of Istanbul.
Turkish series sold in over 170 countries
Turkish television shows have been becoming a global hit since the mid -2000s. According to the Turkish exporter assembly, 170 countries buy the Turkish series every year. It is said that in 2023, these products exported about $ 600 million (€ 575 million). Last year, this figure was estimated to be in Arabs.
Turkish business minister Omar Bolat has said that around the world, around 800 million spectators watch the Turkish show at any time.
The success story began with Melodrama “Gumas” (“Silver”), Soap Opera “1001 Nights,” Crime Thriller “Azel” and action series “Black Money Love”. The first taken was Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, followed by Arabic -speaking country, Latin America, Balkan, Russia and Europe.
Leading entertainment analysis company, parat analytics estimates that between 2000 and 2023, the global demand for the Turkish television series increased by 184%.
Romance and social comment
The Turkish state agency, radio and television Supreme Council to monitor the broadcast have stated that across the country, viewers watch about four hours every day – and especially the series aired during the hours of prime evening watch hours. More than 70% of all Turkish families have membership of streaming services.
The selection of the proposed show is very large: from romance and comedy to historical and social drama. However, the more revealing and critical this show, the more likely it is that it will find itself on the target of Türkiye’s judicial system.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has not made any secret of not being a fan of such shows. Research Fellow of Hamburg’s GIGA Institute for Middle East Studies said, “He has moved forward to such an extent that he has described such presentations as an anti -Islam and a threat to national security.” Toss said that Erdogan usually impose a fine after such criticism.
DW’s Turkish Desk has reported the fees and restrictions imposed on the popular TV series “Kizil Gonkaler” (“Crimson Rosebuds”), which focuses on deep division between religious and secular groups of the country. After its successful launch in early 2023, pro -government groups and organizations were taking up arms saying that the series violated “spiritual values”. The show was banned a two -week -long broadcast and fined € 275,000 (about $ 288,000).
Now, Turkish officials are also focusing on artistic management. About two dozen casting agencies are currently being investigated for alleged collusion and violation of competition law.
More than just one business
The Turkish government is in a dilemma towards television chains, as it also uses them as a promotional platform to influence public opinion and spread its ideological values.
While the pressure on private production is increasing, the state is investing heavily in its own production. Every year, the national public broadcaster TRT initiates several series that describe the history and values of the Turkish nation from the conservative Islamic perspective. An example is the television series “resurrection: Artugarul”, which is based on the life of the 13th -century lord Ertugarul, the father of the founder of the Ottoman Empire.
State presentations are also used to humiliate critics or show them negatively. For example, TRT production “Metamorphoz” portrays entrepreneur and human rights activist Osman Kavala as an enemy of the state, who has been in jail for eight years.
What is the purpose of the government?
Political scientist Hakki Tass believes that the Turkish government is trying to impose a lifestyle on the Turkish society that is in line with the values of Erdogan’s Islam-Rudhiist Justice and Development Party (AKP). The chains which do not correspond to the values of AKP are punished and pressurized – but these shows have become a type of release valve for social comments over the years.
Tass believes that these shows have often hidden messages in characters and stories. And he found that this trend has become more prominent since the lead of opposition parties in last year’s local elections.
This article was originally written in German.
