Soft Power in Turkish Foreign Policy: Impacts of Turkish TV Series

Authors : Zehra Korkmaz Kökdere

Pages : 38-47

View : 76 | Download : 58

Publication Date : 2024-06-30

Article Type : Review Paper

Abstract :Due to its soft power in recent years, Türkiye has increased its appearance in various regions worldwide. The increase in this appearance is due to various tools used by Turkish governments in terms of soft power, such as the activities of Turkish institutions, investments of Turkish business people, and improvements in educational relations with other countries. The TV series industry, which has a large market in Türkiye, also contributes significantly to Turkish foreign policy as an unintended tool. Within this framework, after introducing the soft power of Türkiye and the role of media in foreign policy in general, this paper aims to analyze and evaluate in detail the impacts of Turkish TV series on the regions where they are watched and how Türkiye benefits from these impacts. Therefore, a case study is used as the research method for this study through which Türkiye is analyzed in detail regarding the TV series industry. Moreover, the impacts of these TV series are categorized as economic and cultural effects. Initially, the impact of TV series on tourism, the trade of products and services, and the direct income received through the export of these TV series are analyzed. On the other hand, according to the cultural effects of Turkish TV series, the impact of TV series on shaping the lifestyle of people, from their daily habits to the use of language, is described mainly. In its broadest terms, this study claims the more a country’s TV series become popular abroad, the more it benefits from this situation in both tangible and intangible terms.
Keywords : yumuşak güç, Türk dış politikası, dış politika araçları, medya, Türk dizileri