“Greeks learn Turkish by watching TV series,” was the headline of a recent article in Hürriyet Daily News, alluding to the increasing popularity of Turkish series in Greece in the recent years. Muhteşem Yüzyıl (Magnificent Century), the historical drama about the court of Süleyman the Magnificent that is broadcast with the title The Magnificent Suleiman in Greece, and “Sıla” have been the most popular series in Greece this fall.
Another indication of the popularity of Turkish series in the neighboring country are the dozens of Facebook pages and groups with names like Greek fans of Turkish series or Turkish series on Greek TV, with pictures of Turkish heartthrobs like Kenan İmirzalıoğlu and Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ splashed over the pages. But perhaps the extent of the popularity of Turkish series can best be seen in some of the backlash in Greece. Thessaloniki Metropolitan Bishop Anthimos recently warned his followers, saying “No one should watch Muhteşem Yüzyıl,” the metropolitan said, according to daily Hürriyet. “By watching Turkish series, we tell them that we have surrendered.”
Similarly, Greek TV actress Nikoleta Karra sent an angry Twitter message last month to Greek channels for broadcasting Turkish series instead of Greek Cypriot ones. The popularity of Sıla was the object of Karra’s outrage. “’Sıla’ in the morning, ‘Sıla’ in the afternoon. ‘Sıla’ 24 hours a day. Enough! We’ve made so many shows in Greek Cyprus. Why won’t Greek channels air Greek Cypriot shows?” read her Twitter message.
While there may be some animosity against the ubiquity of Turkish series in Greece from a few nationalistic voices, the popularity is not fleeting given the similarity of two cultures. In fact, TV producers in Turkey seem to be well-aware of the fact that including Greek culture and some Greek characters into their shows might be a way to delver further into the Greek market.
Click here for full article (Hürriyet Daily News)
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