The Faculty of Communication at Üsküdar University held the second session of the Communication for Society Educational Seminars, which it organizes to share its academic knowledge with the public. Within this scope, the Head of the Department of Radio, Television, and Cinema, Assoc. Prof. Esennur Sirer, met with participants through her presentation titled “Reading Turkish TV Series: Cultures and Representations.” Emphasizing that the fundamental power of TV series comes from storytelling, Sirer stated that television and digital platforms have become the storytellers of the modern age. She noted that Turkish TV series present a fairy-tale-like world in which capitalist modernity and feudal elements coexist, and she also drew attention to the contributions of TV series to the national economy. Stating that Turkish series are exported to 170 countries and create both cultural and emotional impact, Sirer emphasized that this situation is a significant indicator of Türkiye’s international soft power.
The Faculty of Communication at Üsküdar University held the second session of its Communication for Society Educational Seminars, carried out within the framework of its mission of social contribution and science communication.
The online event once again attracted intense public interest.
“The fundamental power of tv series comes from offering a story to the audience”
Emphasizing that television viewing habits are quite high, Head of the Department of Radio, Television, and Cinema Assoc. Prof. Esennur Sirer stated that the fundamental power of TV series comes from storytelling and said: “According to the data of the Television Viewing Research Committee, TV series constitute a significant portion of television viewing habits in Türkiye. Among all genres, the viewing rate of series is quite high at 29 percent. This shows that in Türkiye, an average of 1 hour and 44 minutes per day, nearly two hours, is spent watching TV series. Today, when we think of ‘platforms,’ digital broadcasting platforms such as Netflix, BluTV, and Puhu TV generally come to mind. However, the concept of a platform is not limited to these. Television is also a platform, and so is the internet. Television itself contains content that is broadcast daily and popularly referred to as soap operas. The fundamental power of TV series comes from offering a story to the audience. There has been a tradition of storytelling since the earliest periods of humanity. People both love to tell stories and to listen to stories. In periods of oral history, storytellers would blend their own experiences with the knowledge passed down to them and invite listeners to share in that experience. The magic of storytelling was born precisely from this shared experience. Over time, this oral tradition was transferred into written culture, namely into the novel. In written tradition, stories were carried into a more individual experience. Then, with the introduction of cinema and television into our lives, the modern storyteller largely became television. Thus, television gained a powerful and central position in the transmission of stories.”
“Television and digital platforms have become the storytellers of the modern age”
Stating that stories are emotionally and intellectually nourishing, Sirer continued: “What we call a story is actually a kind of magic and a fundamental need that fills many areas of human life. Most of the time, we need a story because stories nourish us both emotionally and intellectually. Sometimes we criticize children and young people because it takes time for them to develop the ability to construct larger and more holistic stories. They create small, fragmented stories, but producing a comprehensive story is a skill acquired over time. Storytelling is a powerful tradition passed down from generation to generation. Today, this tradition continues through visual media and screens. Television and digital platforms have become the storytellers of the modern age. But why are these stories so important? Because stories make people feel that they are not alone. The viewer becomes a partner in the narrated story, identifies with the characters, and re-experiences the meaning of life through this representation. Sometimes stories satisfy our sense of curiosity, sometimes they turn into an activity through which we spend our leisure time. But in every case, stories continue to be a powerful tool that touches the existential needs of human beings.”
“Television series offer a fairy-tale-like life”
Stating that patriarchal culture is dominant in television series, Sirer said: “Television series offer a fairy-tale-like life. When we look at these productions, we see both the patterns of capitalist modernity and the feudal system together. The main reason why these two structures, which stand at opposite ends, are brought closer together in TV series is to ensure that the story appeals to all segments of society. Content producers want to reach every viewer from the age of 7 to 77. Therefore, the world they construct is kept broad enough to draw everyone in. For this reason, most TV series are broadcast in the Prime Time slot. Prime Time is the time period that starts after the evening news and continues until midnight, when the viewer audience is at its peak. With long episodes lasting approximately 120 to 140 minutes, series that keep viewers in front of the screen have significant viewing potential in this slot. On the other hand, on digital platforms and social media, thanks to the habit of continuous viewing, users devote several hours a day to series content. So what do we see in this fairy-tale world? In many series, we encounter female characters living in mansions, dressed modernly but leading traditional lives. Although this may seem contradictory at first glance, the coexistence of a modernly dressed woman within a feudal order is actually part of the shared space that content producers aim to create. Luxury cars, magnificent dining tables, large family structures… All of these elements represent both a life in which everyone can find a piece of themselves and an idealized life at the same time. Foreign experts call this structure the ‘Turkish touch.’ In most Turkish series, the patriarchal model is prominently featured, and in a large portion of scenes, the authority of the family head comes to the foreground. This is considered one of the most characteristic features that shape the cultural identity of Turkish TV series.”
“Turkish TV series make significant contributions to the national economy”
Noting that TV series also contribute to regional development, Sirer said: “These contributions should be evaluated not only specifically for Türkiye but also on an international scale. In Türkiye, the development of the TV series sector both revitalizes the domestic market by increasing the sale of goods and services and supports the development of regions at a sectoral level. In addition, the export revenues obtained from selling series to different countries make a serious contribution to the economy. The use of locations in TV series is also an important element. Wide-angle shots, city silhouettes, and symbolic locations are frequently used. Especially Istanbul is one of the most frequently featured cities in Turkish TV series. Istanbul’s romantic atmosphere, cultural diversity, and aesthetic image both enrich the story and contribute to the city’s vibrancy. Film and television media are also seen as areas for creating a shared identity and spending shared time. Throughout a series, the viewer experiences the living spaces of characters across a broad geography stretching from Istanbul to Adana, from Mardin to the Black Sea region. This both feeds the sense of curiosity and enables new stories to be constructed through spaces. As a natural result of this situation, many regions become revitalized thanks to TV series and begin to attract tourists.”
“We resonate with people both culturally and emotionally”
Emphasizing that cultural impact transcends borders, Sirer concluded her remarks as follows: “Today, Turkish TV series are exported to 170 countries. This shows that we can touch people on the other side of the world both culturally and emotionally. Through TV series, we both generate economic income and provide a multi-dimensional contribution to our country by revitalizing tourism. We can define this entirely as a win-win model. This effect is defined in the international literature as ‘Soft Power.’ It means that a country creates influence and visibility in the world through its cultural products. What is important here is to realize that we have such a power and to act with this awareness. There are striking examples of how effective this power is. For instance, at one time, due to the high ratings of the TV series ‘Adını Feriha Koydum,’ the rate of naming newborn babies ‘Emir’ in Türkiye increased significantly. This increase could clearly be seen in population data. Similarly, we know that Turkish names are being used abroad under the influence of Turkish TV series. The fact that names such as Onur Juan Jose, Wilson Kemal, and Salvana Mustafa have become widespread in Paraguay today shows that cultural influence has crossed borders and become part of social life. Such examples are extremely valuable and a source of pride in terms of showing the mark Türkiye leaves on the world through its cultural products.”