Written By Lily Elias
Image By Aqsa Ansari
The main appeal of Turkish television series seems to be the “modern” lifestyle they present. From the Arab perspective, modernity is especially inherent in certain types of gender relations and gender equality. In these series, women enjoy a freer standing in society compared to most of their Middle Eastern counterparts, take part in professional life, and have rather liberal relations with men. Arab women have also expressed strong appreciation for the romantic male characters featured. Further contributing to the series’ appeal is the fact that it is presented in a setting of wealth and luxury enjoyed in mansions by the Bosphorus. Yet, if the modern lifestyle is the attraction, then why is it that the Turkish television series is more popular than the western ones? Firstly, growing anti-Western sentiment in the region, especially after the Iraqi invasion, did not do much good for Western popular culture. Secondly, certain mutual cultural codes between Arab societies and Turkish societies lie in contrast to those of Western societies,. For instance, both Turkish and Arab cultures are predominantly patriarchal, accommodate close-knit family ties,and share Islam as their religion. This makes the setting more familiar to Arabic-speaking audiences rather than western audiences.
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Nevertheless, there are considerable differences between Turkish and Arab societies. The most obvious differences are brought about by the effects of Turkey’s secular regime and its impact on everyday life. The popular Turkish television series emphasis the hitherto unimagined combination of modern lifestyles and an Islamic society. It is notable that other Turkish series, produced by conservative television channels that promote Islamic morality, have not garnered any spectacular success in the Middle East. As for the region’s own productions, formerly popular Syrian television series have fallen from prominence. This is apparently due to the increasingly Islamic content resulting from Saudi funding, which became more abundant with the spread of Arabic language satellite stations. This funding dictates, for instance, a de facto ban on filming a man and a woman alone. Although still popular, Egyptian dramas also offer little novelty. Nor does Iran with its emphasis on the Sunni-Shia split that alienates various segments of Arab societies, a likely source of television entertainment.
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First, Turkish culture and television is claimed to be corrupting the morals of Arabs. A number of fatwas have been issued in Saudi Arabia warning the faithful against the habit of watching them. T-Shirts featuring Turkish actresses were declared haram by a Syrian sheikh, and the Saudi Arabian head of the Islamic sharia courts warned that owners of television channels that broadcast these immoral productions can be condemned to death. Turkish television series have also been blamed for a number of other ills, such as traffic jams, increased divorce rates, and decreased work efficiency. Moreover, there has also been a nationalist reaction that has framed the Turkish influence as the embrace of alien Turkish culture at the expense of authentic Arab culture. Yet, none of these concerns have put an end to the popularity of Turkish drama.
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