The Turkish Mania Conquers Italy
Can we affirm that a real mania for Turkish series has exploded in Italy? Most certainly. And even though the first productions were aired a few years ago, it was this year that the real boom in Italy happened. This is also confirmed by the major Turkish distributors.
Bitter Lands
In Los Angeles, during the LA Screenings, MADD Entertainment announced record sales in Europe, particularly in Italy: “After Spain, Italy has become one of the hottest countries in Europe. We sold four series to Mediaset,” said Özlem Özsümbül, Head of Sales.
And indeed, the summer season on Mediaset was filled with Turkish series, both in primetime and daytime. The titles included The Family (starring Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ and Serenay Sarıkaya), If You Love (starring Kerem Bürsin and Hafsanur Sancaktutan), while Gülcemal (starring Murat Ünalmış and Melis Sezen) was on air until mid-September. Additionally, International Emmy winner Family Secrets featuring Kaan Urgancıoğlu and Pınar Deniz hit the primetime of Canale 5, following the success of Love is in the Air, which achieved excellent results on Canale 5 with around 2 million viewers per episode.
Undoubtedly, Mediaset is leading in Italy against an international market driven by the phenomenon of Turkish dramas, which have evolved to offer a variety of themes and stories in different formats to meet all timeslot needs: from long series with over 100 episodes (Brave and Beautiful, 123x45’, Canale 5) to primetime miniseries with 8-10 episodes (Like Sisters, 9x120’, Canale 5).
Even Real Time has jumred on the trend, daring for the first time with the series Hercai. The hit series originally aired on ATV records an average of 1.55% share with about 286.000 viewers.
The Italian audience is now familiar with characters like Nazli, the noblehearted but ambitious young cook, whose life intertwines with a rich man (Can Yaman) who hires her as his personal chef in Bittersweet (80x45’, Canale 5). Ezgi, unlucky in love, has lost hope of meeting the man of her dreams until she meets Özgür, her neighbor and a notorious womanizer (Mr. Wrong, 36x45’, Canale 5), also starring Can Yaman. The two protagonists, Ezgi and Özgür, make a pact: she pretends to be Özgür’s girlfriend, and he gives her real seduction lessons until love blossoms between them.
Period dramas set in the past have also captivated Italian audiences used to American soaps. For example, The Girl and the Officer (46x45’, Canale 5) but most of all the phenomenon Bitter Lands which in its daytime slot scores up to 23.2% share and 2.8 million viewers, prompting Mediaset executives to also schedule it in primetime with double episodes on Sunday and Friday nights, winning the slot with 16% and nearly reaching 3 million viewers. Turkish stars are regular guests on Mediaset’s most popular shows like C’è Posta per Te or Verissimo, boosting audience ratings during their appearances. Even during the Sanremo Festival week with its record ratings, Bitter Lands had 2.2 million viewers with a 10.13% share in primetime, while in January, an episode of C’è Posta per Te peaked at 4.7 million viewers with the arrival of their beloved stars. In 2023, during the Nations Award event at the Ancient Theater, actress Hilal Altınbilek, who plays the protagonist Zuleyha Altun Yaman, and Kerem Alışık, who portrays the beloved Ali Rahmet Fekeli, were awarded. Additionally, Aras Senol, known for his role as Cetin in the famous Turkish soap opera, won the 2024 edition of the reality show Survivor VIP.
The producers of Tims&B Productions, Timur Savcı and Burak Sağyaşar, in an exclusive interview with Formatbiz, noted the fortunate meeting with the writer Ayfer Tunç, who came up with the idea for the project. “From that meeting was conceived the idea of producing an “epic” love story in the 1970s in Çukurova, a very fertile land (hence the title in Turkish: Bir Zamanlar Çukurova- Once Upon a Time in Çukurova), where family dramas, fierce struggles, and love intertwine. For the occasion, a huge villa was built in Adana with meticulous design, reconstructing the period settings: “a team of 300 people worked for 8 months building the structure,” said Burak. “Additionally, a special steam train from the State Railways of Izmir was transported to Adana for filming. For six months, we producers re-edited the episodes with our editor and director to ensure the highest quality. Great attention was given to the authenticity of the acting: “the actors underwent about a year of horseback training. Murat Ünalmış, who plays the character of Demir, received training to pilot a plane,” Burak Sağyaşar added.
“All this contributed to the success of a family drama that conquered the global audience thanks to careful production and the intense acting of its characters,” confirmed Burak. The first episode aired in Turkey on September 13, 2018, on ATV, becoming the most-watched series on the channel, dominating the primetime slot for four consecutive years with record ratings.
“The 1970s was a period of rapid industrialization in Turkey, and Çukurova was at the peak of its agricultural prosperity thanks to its fertile land. Communication was not instant like today: people had to meet face to face rather than by phone, which greatly strengthens the internal dynamics of the scenes. Additionally, filming in Adana added significant depth to the story, as the locals are both warm and brave. It created a world reminiscent of a Western film,” Timur Savcı explained.
Bea Okan confirmed that the success of these series is due to “a captivating plot that explores human emotions in a deep and realistic way. Viewers are attracted to the complex relational dynamics and the troubled love stories that develop at a brisk pace. Moreover, despite the different cultural context, the themes addressed in Turkish series are universal: love, revenge, justice, sacrifice. These themes attract audiences worldwide, overcoming cultural and linguistic barriers. In fact, Turkish series offer a fascinating glimpse into Turkey’s culture and traditions, adding an element of exoticism and novelty compared to Anglo-American ones.”
Behind these successful series are production companies like Ay Yapım, O3 Medya, and Tims, which have created some of the most beloved and best-selling series internationally. These companies have set new standards for quality and storytelling, contributing to the global rollout of Turkish content. Ay Yapım is particularly known for its high-quality productions and compelling stories. O3 Medya, with series like Evermore and Wounded Love, has shown it can create content that combines drama, romance, and historical tension. Timur Savcı has achieved enormous success with series like Magnificent Century, while Erol Avcı’s 1001 Nights gave the start of the Turkish series mania, first in CEE and then in other regions across the world.
According to Izzet Pinto, CEO of Global Agency, these great classics “are emblematic examples of how love and betrayal stories can keep viewers on the edge of their seats episode after episode, even if set in different eras, such as the Ottoman Empire or contemporary times.”
But the strength also lies in the production capacity. In Turkey, there are about 50 new series per season, meaning that every week primetime offers an incredible choice of stories, and thus, capturing the audience requires raising the quality and value of serial products. “Sure, the Turkish government funding has incentivized production, but that is not enough. We, for example, have invested millions in marketing to create and consolidate our brand internationally. Furthermore, we must not forget the ability to address even the most sensitive issues such as violence against women, pedophilia, etc. Just think of Fatmagül, the first Turkish series to tackle delicate themes such as rape and the struggle for justice, gaining acclaim in over 50 countries.”
But perhaps the best explanation for the success of Turkish drama in Italy and Mediaset’s bet on the genre came from the broadcaster’s CEO Pier Silvio Berlusconi. In a recent interview for Italia Oggi, he said: “When I go to visit my mother, I always find her looking at them and saying: either you sit with me and we’ll watch it together or come back another time. [...] I told my people to buy all the Turkish series that are around.”
And indeed, the summer season on Mediaset was filled with Turkish series, both in primetime and daytime. The titles included The Family (starring Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ and Serenay Sarıkaya), If You Love (starring Kerem Bürsin and Hafsanur Sancaktutan), while Gülcemal (starring Murat Ünalmış and Melis Sezen) was on air until mid-September. Additionally, International Emmy winner Family Secrets featuring Kaan Urgancıoğlu and Pınar Deniz hit the primetime of Canale 5, following the success of Love is in the Air, which achieved excellent results on Canale 5 with around 2 million viewers per episode.
Undoubtedly, Mediaset is leading in Italy against an international market driven by the phenomenon of Turkish dramas, which have evolved to offer a variety of themes and stories in different formats to meet all timeslot needs: from long series with over 100 episodes (Brave and Beautiful, 123x45’, Canale 5) to primetime miniseries with 8-10 episodes (Like Sisters, 9x120’, Canale 5).
Even Real Time has jumred on the trend, daring for the first time with the series Hercai. The hit series originally aired on ATV records an average of 1.55% share with about 286.000 viewers.
The Italian audience is now familiar with characters like Nazli, the noblehearted but ambitious young cook, whose life intertwines with a rich man (Can Yaman) who hires her as his personal chef in Bittersweet (80x45’, Canale 5). Ezgi, unlucky in love, has lost hope of meeting the man of her dreams until she meets Özgür, her neighbor and a notorious womanizer (Mr. Wrong, 36x45’, Canale 5), also starring Can Yaman. The two protagonists, Ezgi and Özgür, make a pact: she pretends to be Özgür’s girlfriend, and he gives her real seduction lessons until love blossoms between them.
Daydreamer
Period dramas set in the past have also captivated Italian audiences used to American soaps. For example, The Girl and the Officer (46x45’, Canale 5) but most of all the phenomenon Bitter Lands which in its daytime slot scores up to 23.2% share and 2.8 million viewers, prompting Mediaset executives to also schedule it in primetime with double episodes on Sunday and Friday nights, winning the slot with 16% and nearly reaching 3 million viewers. Turkish stars are regular guests on Mediaset’s most popular shows like C’è Posta per Te or Verissimo, boosting audience ratings during their appearances. Even during the Sanremo Festival week with its record ratings, Bitter Lands had 2.2 million viewers with a 10.13% share in primetime, while in January, an episode of C’è Posta per Te peaked at 4.7 million viewers with the arrival of their beloved stars. In 2023, during the Nations Award event at the Ancient Theater, actress Hilal Altınbilek, who plays the protagonist Zuleyha Altun Yaman, and Kerem Alışık, who portrays the beloved Ali Rahmet Fekeli, were awarded. Additionally, Aras Senol, known for his role as Cetin in the famous Turkish soap opera, won the 2024 edition of the reality show Survivor VIP.
The producers of Tims&B Productions, Timur Savcı and Burak Sağyaşar, in an exclusive interview with Formatbiz, noted the fortunate meeting with the writer Ayfer Tunç, who came up with the idea for the project. “From that meeting was conceived the idea of producing an “epic” love story in the 1970s in Çukurova, a very fertile land (hence the title in Turkish: Bir Zamanlar Çukurova- Once Upon a Time in Çukurova), where family dramas, fierce struggles, and love intertwine. For the occasion, a huge villa was built in Adana with meticulous design, reconstructing the period settings: “a team of 300 people worked for 8 months building the structure,” said Burak. “Additionally, a special steam train from the State Railways of Izmir was transported to Adana for filming. For six months, we producers re-edited the episodes with our editor and director to ensure the highest quality. Great attention was given to the authenticity of the acting: “the actors underwent about a year of horseback training. Murat Ünalmış, who plays the character of Demir, received training to pilot a plane,” Burak Sağyaşar added.
“All this contributed to the success of a family drama that conquered the global audience thanks to careful production and the intense acting of its characters,” confirmed Burak. The first episode aired in Turkey on September 13, 2018, on ATV, becoming the most-watched series on the channel, dominating the primetime slot for four consecutive years with record ratings.
Hercai
“The 1970s was a period of rapid industrialization in Turkey, and Çukurova was at the peak of its agricultural prosperity thanks to its fertile land. Communication was not instant like today: people had to meet face to face rather than by phone, which greatly strengthens the internal dynamics of the scenes. Additionally, filming in Adana added significant depth to the story, as the locals are both warm and brave. It created a world reminiscent of a Western film,” Timur Savcı explained.
Bea Okan confirmed that the success of these series is due to “a captivating plot that explores human emotions in a deep and realistic way. Viewers are attracted to the complex relational dynamics and the troubled love stories that develop at a brisk pace. Moreover, despite the different cultural context, the themes addressed in Turkish series are universal: love, revenge, justice, sacrifice. These themes attract audiences worldwide, overcoming cultural and linguistic barriers. In fact, Turkish series offer a fascinating glimpse into Turkey’s culture and traditions, adding an element of exoticism and novelty compared to Anglo-American ones.”
Behind these successful series are production companies like Ay Yapım, O3 Medya, and Tims, which have created some of the most beloved and best-selling series internationally. These companies have set new standards for quality and storytelling, contributing to the global rollout of Turkish content. Ay Yapım is particularly known for its high-quality productions and compelling stories. O3 Medya, with series like Evermore and Wounded Love, has shown it can create content that combines drama, romance, and historical tension. Timur Savcı has achieved enormous success with series like Magnificent Century, while Erol Avcı’s 1001 Nights gave the start of the Turkish series mania, first in CEE and then in other regions across the world.
According to Izzet Pinto, CEO of Global Agency, these great classics “are emblematic examples of how love and betrayal stories can keep viewers on the edge of their seats episode after episode, even if set in different eras, such as the Ottoman Empire or contemporary times.”
Gülcemal
But the strength also lies in the production capacity. In Turkey, there are about 50 new series per season, meaning that every week primetime offers an incredible choice of stories, and thus, capturing the audience requires raising the quality and value of serial products. “Sure, the Turkish government funding has incentivized production, but that is not enough. We, for example, have invested millions in marketing to create and consolidate our brand internationally. Furthermore, we must not forget the ability to address even the most sensitive issues such as violence against women, pedophilia, etc. Just think of Fatmagül, the first Turkish series to tackle delicate themes such as rape and the struggle for justice, gaining acclaim in over 50 countries.”
But perhaps the best explanation for the success of Turkish drama in Italy and Mediaset’s bet on the genre came from the broadcaster’s CEO Pier Silvio Berlusconi. In a recent interview for Italia Oggi, he said: “When I go to visit my mother, I always find her looking at them and saying: either you sit with me and we’ll watch it together or come back another time. [...] I told my people to buy all the Turkish series that are around.”
