ANKARA, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Turkey has become the world's second biggest scripted TV content exporter after the U.S. since the early 2000s, as its soap operas have reached more than 400 million people in over 140 countries, covering the U.S., Russia, the Balkans, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America.
The booming Turkish TV dramas enjoy an annual export revenue of 350 million U.S. dollars, while the price of some scripted contents has even reached 500,000 dollars per episode, Yusuf Gursoy, chairman of the Radio and Television Broadcasters Union, told Xinhua.
According to the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM), the value of Turkish soap opera exports were only around 10,000 dollars in 2004 but increased to 200 million dollars by 2014.
The international interest in Turkish serials and television content started to increase in late 1990s when private televisions in Turkey entered an era of progress, Gursoy said, noting that this was also the time when the country's economic, social and cultural relations with its neighbors started to propsper.
He attributed the success of Turkish soap operas in foreign countries primarily to the close cultural bonds and the common language in Central Asian Turkish states, Middle East, Caucuses and Balkan states.
"As part of the parameters of success, we can add well-established ties to life while screening the problems of the segments with social sensitivities, along with acting and technical capacity," he said.
People in different countries are interested in different contents. Dramas based on a certain era of the history attract attention in Latin America and Far East countries, while scripts about life style, religion or Istanbul draw interest in the Middle East, Gursoy explained.
TV serials with cultural and tourism potential are getting popular in Europe, he added.
The Middle East and North African countries are currently the main importers of the Turkish TV series. But Turkish soap operas also aim to expand to Chinese, Japan and Indian markets in the near future.
Scripts about romance, Istanbul elite class, historical dramas, particularly in the era of the Ottoman Empire, are popular both for domestic and foreign audience.
"The Magnificent Century," which depicts the life of the 16th century Ottoman Sultan Suleyman, is the most successful Turkish TV serial so far with more than 80 countries having exporting it, Gursoy said.
The exported soap operas have also brought fame to Turkish actors and actresses, who often travel abroad to meet their fans.
The diversity of the physical appearance of Turkish actors and actresses and the fact that they do have a rich typology is a significant factor for foreign audiences embracing Turkish characters, according to Burhan Gun, secretary general of Television and Cinema Filmmakers Union.
For this reason, people living in other countries do not have difficulty in identifying themselves with characters in the series, he said.
The Turkish dramas also attract tourists, particularly Arab fans to the country. For instance, they visit Turkey to see settings of favorite TV serials.
