Turkish TV series encourage foreigners to learn Turkish, according to the "Turkish TV Series and Turkish" study conducted by the Yunus Emre Institute (YEE) and Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK).
YEE and RTÜK conducted field research with the participation of 5,000 people from 125 countries to understand how Turkish TV series contribute to the process of learning Turkish and to analyze how foreigners bond with Turkish culture, art, music, architecture, natural beauties, urbanization practices, family traditions, social rituals and social relations between individuals through Turkish TV series.
In the study, 81.8% of the participants said that they watched Turkish TV shows prior to actively taking Turkish courses. The findings show that Turkish TV productions compel the attention of people who want to learn the Turkish language and understand the culture.
Nearly 29% of the participants stated that Turkish TV series improved their listening comprehension, while 27% said they improved their speaking skills. Other participants stated that series helped in other areas, including reading comprehension, writing and recognizing proverbs, idioms and vocabulary.
Speaking at the "Converging Effect of Turkish TV Series on Turkish and Turkish Culture" event, Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy congratulated YEE and RTÜK on their efforts to protect and develop the Turkish language and increase its influence in the international arena.
"We have to introduce and explain Turkish culture and the climate of tolerance that was fermented in Anatolia to the world. In this regard, I believe that Turkish TV series and films are of great importance in introducing our culture to wider audiences. As the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, we have carried out very serious studies to broadcast Turkish TV series in various geographies of the world. In return for these efforts, our TV series are currently watched in more than 150 countries. Turkey is the country that intensely exports TV series to the world after the United States," he said.
Stressing the importance of the YEE and RTÜK's efforts, the minister said: "Most of the participants in the field stated that the main motivation that pushed them to learn Turkish is Turkish TV series. The participants stated that watching Turkish TV series had some concrete contributions to the learning process such as speaking faster, understanding spoken words, pronouncing words correctly, learning how words are used in daily life. On the other hand, the series introduce the Turkish culture and values. For many years, American culture was the culture that attracted attention in different geographies thanks to Hollywood productions. Now Turkish culture is coming to the front," he added.
The factors that make Turkish TV series attractive are listed in the study as "human relations and the culture of living together," the "family atmosphere and strong family tie," "romantic relationships," "gripping stories and realistic relationships," "cultural elements and places" and "historical details and experiences."
Among the most-watched Turkish TV series are “Diriliş: Ertuğrul” ("Resurrection: Ertuğrul"), "Barbaros: Akdeniz'in Kılıcı" ("Barbaros: Sword of the Mediterranean"), “Kuruluş Osman” ("The Ottoman"), "Yargı" ("Judgement") and “Kara Para Aşk” (Black Money Love).
The study also named a number of Turkish actors who are said to be the "most memorable." Among the women are Burcu Biricik, Aslı Enver, Cansu Dere, Demet Özdemir, Hande Erçel, Elçin Sangu, Meryem Uzerli, Neslihan Atagül, Tuba Büyüküstün and Pınar Deniz, while Burak Özçivit, Barış Arduç, Bülent Inal, Can Yaman, Engin Altan Düzyatan, Çağatay Ulusoy, Engin Akyürek, Kaan Urgancıoğlu, Tolga Sarıtaş, and Kerem Bürsin are said to be the most memorable men.
Participants said that Kemal Sunal, Adile Naşit, Halit Akçatepe, Münir Özkul, Tuncel Kurtiz and Tarık Akan were among the prominent Turkish artists to leave a mark on their memories.
