With internationally recognised productions such as Resurrection: Ertuğrul, Saladin: The Conqueror of Jerusalem and Fatih: Sultan of Conquests, Turkish dramas have built a strong connection with audiences across the MENA region. Alongside these historical epics, contemporary titles such as Deep in Love and Marriage is Beautiful reflect the diversity of stories reaching different audience segments.
As viewing habits evolve and digital platforms, such as TRT Sales’ international tabii, gain an increasingly prominent role in the region, the content landscape is opening up new opportunities for international distribution and collaboration.
For TRT Sales, this changing environment brings new possibilities to expand the reach of its catalogue, strengthen regional partnerships and explore alternative business models. At DICM, we spoke with Mustafa İlbeyli, Head of Sales & Advertising at TRT, about changing buyer preferences, the growing role of tabii, the potential for regional co-productions and the company’s priorities for 2027.
Last month at MIPCOM, you spoke about TRT Sales’ growing presence across a wide range of territories, from Latin America to Eastern Europe. We are now in the MENA region, one of the strongest markets for Turkish dramas. As viewing habits and content consumption patterns continue to evolve rapidly, how are you seeing this transformation unfold across the region? What are TRT Sales’ key priorities and objectives for the MENA market as you attend DICM this year?
The MENA region has always been one of the most important markets for Turkish dramas, but we are also witnessing a significant transformation in the way content is consumed. Traditional broadcasters remain influential, while digital platforms are expanding their reach and introducing new viewing habits, particularly among younger audiences.
For TRT Sales, this transformation represents an opportunity rather than a challenge. Our priority is to reach audiences through different platforms and distribution models while continuing to offer high-quality productions that appeal to diverse tastes.
At DICM, our main objective is to strengthen our existing partnerships, explore new business opportunities and establish connections with potential partners across the region. We also believe that closer collaboration with regional broadcasters, producers and industry professionals can further strengthen the international impact of our productions.
High-end historical dramas such as Resurrection: Ertuğrul, Saladin: The Conqueror of Jerusalem and Fatih: Sultan of Conquests have resonated strongly with audiences across the MENA region. At the same time, more contemporary stories in your catalogue, such as Deep in Love and Marriage is Beautiful, have the potential to appeal to different audience segments. How are buyers’ preferences evolving in the region? Do historical dramas still dominate by a significant margin, or are you seeing growing demand for stories centred on family, love and relationships?
Historical dramas have undoubtedly played a major role in the success of Turkish content across the MENA region. Productions such as Resurrection: Ertuğrul, Saladin: The Conqueror of Jerusalem and Fatih: Sultan of Conquests have demonstrated that audiences have a strong appetite for stories with historical depth, powerful characters and high production values.
However, we should not overlook the growing interest in contemporary stories. Family relationships, love, social dynamics and everyday human experiences are themes that resonate with audiences regardless of their cultural background. Titles such as Deep in Love and Marriage is Beautiful offer different storytelling approaches and allow us to reach broader audience segments.
I wouldn’t say that historical dramas have lost their appeal. Rather, we are seeing a more diversified market where buyers are increasingly looking for content that fits their specific programming strategies and target audiences. For us, having a diverse catalogue is therefore essential.
The MENA region is a highly competitive market, where traditional broadcasters compete alongside local and global digital platforms. How do the original productions of tabii, TRT’s international digital platform, create new opportunities in this landscape? Beyond licensing agreements with digital platforms in the region, what potential do you see for co-productions and other forms of collaboration?
The launch of tabii has opened up new opportunities for TRT in the international content market. As TRT’s international digital platform, tabii offers original productions with distinctive stories, strong production quality and a different perspective on content development.
We see considerable potential in the MENA region, where digital platforms are becoming increasingly important players. Beyond traditional content licensing, there are opportunities to explore different forms of cooperation with regional platforms and broadcasters.
Co-productions are another area we are particularly interested in. We believe that working with local production companies, creative professionals and industry partners can create stories with both regional relevance and international appeal. Such collaborations would not only strengthen our presence in the market but also create opportunities to bring different creative perspectives together.
Cultural proximity, compelling characters and emotionally engaging storytelling have all played an important role in the success of Turkish dramas across the MENA region. However, audience expectations can vary significantly from one country to another. How does TRT Sales take these differences into account when presenting its content to the region? How important are factors such as Arabic dubbing, local marketing strategies and effectively matching content with the right target audiences in determining a production’s international success?
Understanding the cultural characteristics and viewing preferences of each market is an important part of our international distribution strategy. Although the MENA region shares certain cultural similarities with Türkiye, audience expectations and programming priorities can differ considerably between countries.
At TRT Sales, we take these differences into consideration when presenting our catalogue to buyers. We focus on identifying the right content for the right broadcaster or platform rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.
Localization is also an important factor. Arabic dubbing, appropriate marketing campaigns and a clear understanding of the target audience can significantly contribute to a production’s success. However, we believe that localization goes beyond language. It is also about understanding how a story should be positioned and communicated to different audiences.
Ultimately, strong storytelling has the power to cross cultural boundaries, but the right distribution and marketing strategy can make that connection even stronger.
DICM is an important meeting point where broadcasters shape their content needs and budgets for upcoming seasons. Which genres and business models are generating the most interest in your meetings this year? Alongside traditional licensing agreements, are you seeing growing interest in alternative distribution models? Looking ahead to 2027, in which areas does TRT Sales aim to expand its presence in the MENA region?
Our meetings at DICM reflect the diversity of today’s content market. Historical dramas, contemporary series and family-oriented productions continue to attract attention, although the specific needs and expectations of buyers vary depending on their platforms and target audiences.
Traditional licensing remains an important part of our business, but we are also open to exploring alternative distribution models and new forms of collaboration. The growing number of channels and platforms creates opportunities to reach audiences with different viewing habits and content preferences.
Looking ahead to 2027, our focus will be on strengthening TRT Sales’ position in the MENA region, expanding our network of partners and exploring new opportunities for both our existing catalogue and upcoming productions.
We also believe that joint projects with leading broadcasters, production companies and creative talents in the region can further enhance the reach and impact of our content. Ultimately, our aim is not simply to sell more titles, but to build sustainable partnerships and establish a stronger, long-term presence in the region.
