Mothers, daughters and real women on Turkish TV

The boom in Turkish TV series might have created a whole new economy, but they continue to rely on the cardboard female characters of the soap opera tradition, victims or vixens.

Turkey’s growing economy and its newfound role as a political powerhouse in near regions might be up for dispute, but it sure is moving headstrong in becoming a global superpower in one area: the popularity of its TV series.

The boom in TV series in Turkey the last couple of years has definitely gone out of control. It is almost impossible to find a TV channel not running a series when you sit down with the remote control, save for football. The productions are becoming bigger by the day with their cast ensemble, flashy costumes and set decorations, as well as safe scripts that border on soap opera-like.

The popularity of nearly 100 TV series has crossed borders to the Middle East, the Balkans, the Caucasus and some other Arab countries. Old and new favorites like Yaprak Dökümü (Fallen Leaves), Bir Istanbul Masalı (An Istanbul Tale), Gümüş (Silver) and Kurtlar Vadisi (Valley of the Wolves) have found their way into primetime TV in such countries like Iraq, Iran, Bulgaria, Greece, Russia and Kazakhstan.

Click here for full article (Hürriyet Daily News)