Turkey Boosts TV Drama Industry with Subsidies to Promote Global Influence
The Turkish government is launching a new financial incentive program designed to bolster its thriving television drama industry, popularly known as “dizi,” and amplify its cultural reach worldwide. The initiative, announced on Wednesday by Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, will provide producers with financial support of up to $100,000 per episode for series broadcast internationally.
Speaking at an event in Istanbul, Ersoy explained that the scheme aims to capitalize on the growing global popularity of Turkish dramas, which are currently available in 170 countries. He highlighted the significant increase in global demand, reporting a rise of 184 percent between 2020 and 2023, according to data from Parrot Analytics.
“We will provide support of up to the equivalent of 100,000 US dollars in Turkish lira per episode for our TV series” broadcast abroad, Ersoy stated. He described Turkish series as a “global brand that touches the lives of nearly one billion people across approximately 170 countries, spanning a vast geography from Asia to America, and from Africa to Europe.”
The move underscores Turkey’s ambition to become a major player in the global television market. Ersoy noted that the country is already among the top three television industries worldwide in terms of sales and export power, with export revenues exceeding one billion dollars.
To qualify for the government funding, productions will need to meet specific criteria. These include a focus on promoting Türkiye and the Turkish language, targeting countries identified as key tourism markets for Turkey, and demonstrating strong ratings and viewership figures.
Beyond financial incentives, the government also pledged to streamline bureaucratic processes for filming, including providing free access to historical and cultural sites. “As the ministry, we will also provide significant facilitation to our sector, such as accelerating bureaucratic procedures related to filming locations and the use of historical and cultural sites free of charge,” Ersoy said.
The popularity of Turkish dramas extends beyond entertainment, serving as a significant cultural export. A report from 2025 noted that Turkish drama is the biggest non-English language drama export globally, surpassing even the growth seen in Korean dramas, which experienced a 73 percent increase in global demand between 2020 and 2023.
The success of “dizi” is attributed to several factors, including high production values – estimated between $100,000 and $300,000 per hour – extensive episode counts, and content that avoids explicit material, adhering to Turkish media regulations. While popular in many regions, Turkish dramas have yet to gain significant traction in the US and UK markets.
The new government initiative is expected to further fuel the growth of the Turkish television industry and enhance its cultural influence on a global scale, potentially attracting new audiences and boosting tourism to Türkiye.
