Turkish dramas continue to conquer audiences in Egypt despite boycott calls

Aired in more than 100 countries, from “Magnificent Century” and “Resurrection: Ertuğrul” to “What Is Fatmagül’s Fault?”, Turkish soap operas are receiving an ever-growing attention around the world.

However, for the last six years, they have turned into a political tool between Turkey and Egypt amid tense ties.

Some Egyptian officials and media outlets have called for boycotting Turkish TV several times since 2013, seeking to curtail the boom of Turkish drama in the entertainment industry.

Despite these repeated calls, Turkish serials have continued to conquer audiences and managed to remain in the list of the most-watched broadcasts in the country.

Plots that harmonize romance and history are among the the most watched dramas — regardless of gender —such as "Aşk-ı Memnu" (Forbidden Love) and “Muhteşem Yüzyıl” (Magnificent Century).

A phenomenally popular Turkish period drama called Diriliş: Ertuğrul is considered as the most watched show by Egyptian men.

The series illustrates the struggle of Ertuğrul Gazi, the father of the empire's first leader, and his warriors against a plethora of adversaries from the Knights Templar to Mongol invaders.

First aired in December 2014 on Turkey’s state-run broadcaster TRT, the series has gathered a wide following inside Turkey, becoming the channel's most popular TV series to date.

Reaching millions of viewers worldwide, these TV broadcasts are considered as a soft power in increasing peoples’ interests towards the Turkish language.

Many Egyptians who like to watch Turkish dramas started to enroll in Turkish language courses at the Cairo Yunus Emre Institute.

Turkey is one of the top five series-exporting countries in the world, enthralling audiences from Latin America to Central Asia.