Turkish TV industry makes waves at MIPCOM in Cannes

CANNES

Supported by the Culture and Tourism Ministry and the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, Türkiye’s television, film and content industry has taken part in MIPCOM 2025, one of the world’s leading entertainment content markets.

Held between Oct. 13 and 16 in Cannes, the event brings together around 12,000 visitors, 3,300 content buyers and representatives from 100 countries.

This year, Türkiye is represented by 28 companies that are promoting local productions across various genres, including TV dramas, films, animation, documentaries and formats.

Turkish participants are also holding meetings with international industry representatives to explore new sales and partnership opportunities.

At this year’s event, Turkish broadcaster Kanal D drew considerable attention with its hit series “Eşref Rüya,” whose stars Çağatay Ulusoy and Demet Özdemir attended the event in Cannes.

The duo appeared before international media and fans along the city’s iconic Croisette Boulevard, where they took part in a photo shoot reflecting the spirit of the show.

“Kanal D is once again very ambitious this year. We’re here with ‘Uzak Şehir,’ ‘Eşref Rüya,’ ‘Arka Sokaklar’ and our new series ‘Güller ve Günahlar,’” Demirören Media TV Group President Murat Yancı said at the event.

As one of the strongest players in the global drama and content market, Türkiye produces nearly 50 TV series each year and reaches hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide.

Turkish dramas, which have become a vital element of the country’s cultural diplomacy, are exported to more than 150 countries — a figure that approaches 200 through digital platforms.

The culture ministry aims to increase Türkiye's influence in the global content market by encouraging producers and sales agencies to participate actively in international fairs, ensuring that the Turkish content industry's rise in the global arena continues to grow.

In 2024, the country’s drama exports surpassed 300 titles, generating revenues of over $500 million.

The Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy emphasized that Turkish dramas, now broadcast in nearly 170 countries and watched by more than one billion viewers, have become “a far more powerful promotional tool than traditional advertising.”

Ersoy noted that with the support of the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency, the government has been leveraging the growing global appeal of Turkish series for the past decade.