Breaking the chains of television: Streaming and the ‘Netflix effect’ in Turkey

Abstract

Scarcity is the defining characteristic of television's history in Turkey due to the late arrival of a multi-channel structure, and the experience of television in Turkey is shaped by the extensive involvement of the government and the high level of social control over broadcasting. The dissatisfaction during the pre-streaming era among the audiences in Turkey started to intensify by early 2010s because of the formulaic and similar stories with no diversity, strict regulation and censorship, and the tediousness of long, slow-paced series and extended ad breaks. The arrival of streaming services in 2016–17 was initially disruptive of the strictly regulated market due to the lack of necessary laws for regulating online streaming. Streaming continues to be a significant alternative for producers/creators and audiences in Turkey, with increased political and cultural diversity in local stories and the emergence of diverse genres and formats with different aesthetic tendencies.

Relocating video cultures

“…Asli Ildir (2024) then highlights how, prior to streaming, audiences in Turkey mainly had access to highly nationalistic series that depicted Turkey in an idealized way that catered to the export market. Turkey became a major producer for countries seeking an alternative to themes in Western content that challenged conservative norms, and the country's drama exports also derived value by attracting tourists.…”