Magnificent Century: Turkish Soap Opera as a Source of Soft Power

Suleiman the Magnificent has conquered the hearts of Belgrade—claims a Serbian blog—via a Turkish soap opera set in the era of his 16th century reign during which he first subdued Belgrade. Another online article states, “Turkish Soaps Drive Macedonians to Istanbul.” Meanwhile, in Istanbul, a noticeable increase in Arab-speaking hopefuls in search of mansions, clothing, or a glimpse of an actor from their favorite Turkish soaps, is evident. Though the question of whether or not the former ‘Ottoman ecumene’ can look to Turkey as a political role model lingers with the tear gas of the Gezi park protests, at prime time the region remains tuned to Turkish television. This paper will examine the export of Turkish television as an inadvertent source of Turkish soft power apart from state initiative and make a call for further research. It focuses specifically on the historic drama “Magnificent Century” (Muhteşem Yüzyıl) which has received criticism through much of its three years of broadcast due to its sensuous depictions of Ottoman palace intricacy.  Despite this and other obstacles, as it began its fourth and final season in September, 2013, the dizi (serial) was broadcast in 54 countries and claimed to attract over 200 million viewers. In this article, I will examine the reception and reach of Turkish soaps, in particular Muhteşem Yüzyıl, by scanning international and domestic response to them. I will discuss the elements of Magnificent Century that attract audience members. I will also take a look at dizi-induced changes in economic and cultural relations with Turkey through changing tourism, fashion, and music taste in audiences of Turkish serials. Interviews with parties in Istanbul and the Balkans, social media monitoring, and a review of English and Turkish journalistic response will survey the playing field and buffer my argument that a Turkish soap does indeed yield soft power—sans the instigation, and very much to the chagrin, of the Turkish State.