Ministry taps Turkish drama fame to promote destinations abroad

ISTANBUL

The Culture and Tourism Ministry is set to leverage the global popularity of Turkish TV dramas to attract more visitors, launching destination-themed miniseries for international digital platforms.

The latest project, “Istanbul My Love,” will air in countries with a strong interest in Turkish productions, particularly in the Middle East and Latin America, as part of the ministry’s August-October promotional campaign.

A 30-second television adaptation of the miniseries will also be broadcast in selected Gulf states.

Another production, “Antalya Gambit,” targeting Russia as its primary market, will feature a short commercial version for Russian television.

Istanbul My Love stars Engin Akyürek and Afra Saraçoğlu, both well-known in the Gulf, while Antalya Gambit features Meryem Uzerli and Kaan Urgancıoğlu.

Meanwhile, work is also underway to produce and distribute a Marmaris-focused ad campaign in target countries, while the ongoing “Turkaegean/Bodrum” commercials will continue airing in Russia.

A newly completed Mersin-Adana-Hatay route film will debut this month on Russian TV and digital platforms.

The “Eastern Anatolia” promotional film will run online until the end of August, while the Ankara route campaign will continue digitally through October. Campaigns highlighting the Black Sea region and Cappadocia will run until year-end.

Special projects are planned in Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and the Netherlands. By the end of the year, Turkish series and film promotions will have a digital presence in 72 countries and TV broadcasts in 29.

Ministry data shows that from January to June 2025, campaigns across 25 films and 74 websites reached 6.7 billion impressions and 1.9 billion views in 75 countries.

Social media content will also continue through GoTürkiye accounts on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and X.

Turkish dramas are exported to over 150 countries — 200 when including digital platforms.

Industry estimates suggest one billion unique viewers worldwide, with more than 300 domestic productions exported in 2024, generating $500 million in revenue.