Inflation is damaging Türkiye’s soap opera industry by driving up production costs.
Türkiye’s TV dramas, called dizi, have become a global phenomenon: Almost 1 billion people across 170 countries watch the glamorous, beautifully filmed stories, which are of particular appeal in Muslim countries thanks to their lack of alcohol and sexual content.
They are a crucial driver of Turkish soft power and bring in hundreds of millions of dollars of export revenues, the Financial Times reported.
But while Türkiye’s inflation rate has slowed, it remains over 30% after years of ultra-low borrowing costs; the problem has hit other industries too, including textiles and manufacturing. The lira’s weakness is boosting costs further, making the industry’s experimental, risk-taking business model increasingly unsustainable.