Towards a Social History of Turkey Through Television Series

By taking a sociological perspective toward relationships between media products and social issues and relying on historical analysis of Turkish TV series in the last five decades, this article explores the transformation of Turkish TV series in the context of changing socio-political, cultural and economic milieu in Turkey. Focusing on 102 TV series broadcast between 1974 and 2022, it strives to understand the social and political history of the country through television series. The article concludes that while Turkish TV series have reflected the ever-changing political orientation of the government and constant cultural fluctuations of society in every epoch, the discourse, narrative and formats of TV series have undergone significant transformations due to the impact of socio-cultural and political issues, the development of the TV production and broadcasting sector, and cultural policies of the state in Turkey. In this case, Turkish TV series can help us to understand the failed attempt of the governments for creating a national community united around middle-class values in the 1980s and 1990s as well as the polarized structure of society in today’s Turkey