You have worked in production side, television, and streaming platforms throughout your career, making you someone who has an extensive understanding of both the industry and the audience. Türkiye accommodates the world’s most engaged audience in terms of time spent watching TV series. In a way, we could say that Turkish viewers have become rather professional. What, do you think, Turkish audiences want to watch?
Türkan Yurdam Doğan: Referring to Turkish viewers as “professional” is certainly a pleasant way to put it, but maybe I can phrase it more precisely. Yes, our audience has now developed certain standards. They want to watch quality content. Regardless of the type of story, the first thing they expect is to believe in it, to be convinced by it. They are open to different narratives, but they also want them to feel authentic and familiar. High production quality and strong storytelling are key expectations. Now and then, societal conditions and the collective mood influence audience preferences as well. Ultimately, we can say that it is the audience that sets the standard. In this sense, and referring to your question, the audience is undoubtedly part of the “professional” process, at times, they even dominate it. That said, it’s important to note that the audience never loses its “amateur spirit.” This creates an environment where new stories, narratives, themes, and projects always have room to emerge. I find this particularly essential because it fuels our motivation to keep opening doors for creative dynamics within the balance of supply and demand.
What can you tell us about the Disney+ audience profile? Is it different from the general audience?
Türkan Yurdam Doğan: First and foremost, Disney is an important lovemark. For over a century, it has built a deep connection with its viewers and consumers, earning their affinity and loyalty across all age groups. With Disney+, the brand brings together its expertise in storytelling with the legacy of iconic characters, powerful films, and entertainment experiences it has provided over the years. So, I can confidently say that we have an audience with a strong sense of brand loyalty. At the same time, there is significant diversity in our viewer base, whether in terms of age, gender, or social status. Disney+ offers content that allows everyone to pursue their own stories and fantasies. I must emphasize that our content resonates with audiences across all target groups, especially young adults are one of the most loyal groups.
How well are Disney+’s local productions performing globally? Turkish content is known to attract great interest in different parts of the world. When selecting content and casting, do you consider their potential international appeal?
Türkan Yurdam Doğan: We seek out content that can engage and resonate with audiences across various parts of the world. As the Turkiye team, our vision is not limited to Türkiye alone. Of course, at The Walt Disney Company Türkiye, we address our local audience’s preferences as a crucial data point. A different approach would be out of question. The Turkish audience is at the heart of our content strategy, but while focusing on them, we also consider our viewers across various cultural landscapes worldwide. In fact, I would say our audience is part of a global community that shares a common entertainment and storytelling ecosystem. Disney, as always, remains ambitious in this regard. Accordingly, we take special care to present stories unique to us in a format that appeals to a universal audience. When bringing projects to life, we maintain world-class production standards and involve talent that enhances a project’s ability to reach a global audience. This adds value to its international journey. We are extremely satisfied with the performance of Turkish productions on Disney+.
Disney has a long and rich tradition as a studio. How does this influence its creative and production processes?
Türkan Yurdam Doğan: Above all, industry standards are non-negotiable for us. You can certainly see this as a reflection of Disney’s tradition. We prioritize this not only to ensure our partners’ ability to produce high-quality work but also out of responsibility to our audience. Our primary focus is creating space for our partners to unleash their creativity while ensuring that the creative process aligns with our standards. Disney plays a defining role in this regard. In other words, we don’t leave storytelling to chance. While we maintain creative freedom, our production process follows clearly defined, optimized, and rigorous evaluation standards. This is deeply tied to Disney’s core values and traditions.
Once the creative process is complete, we take things even further with Disney’s comprehensive support in both creative development and content protection. In line with our global standards, we approach everything from music and visual arts to animal rights and ethical production with a broad perspective. Thanks to Disney’s extensive global infrastructure, we offer our creative teams not only storytelling guidance but also a sustainable and responsible production model. This allows us to deliver the best content to our audience while also creating an ecosystem where our creative partners can work with confidence and ease at every stage of production.
How involved is Disney+ in the creative process?
Türkan Yurdam Doğan: Before anything else, credit must be given to the creators behind these stories. However, we also provide support to ensure a strong final product, there is a significant creative effort that extends from the story’s initial concept to its arrival on screen. I should emphasize that we play an active role in every step of this process. It’s essential to see this as a team effort. We work collaboratively with our creators, moving forward as a team with a shared goal: to deliver high-quality content to audiences. In this sense, we maintain dynamic dialogue and strong partnerships with all production stakeholders, ensuring that Disney remains an active presence throughout the creative process.
We would also love to get a sense of how things work in the drama department. If a producer, screenwriter, or director who hasn’t worked with you before wants to present a project, how can they reach you? And what happens next? Can you walk us through that process?
Türkan Yurdam Doğan: First of all, let me say this, anyone with a story to tell can reach out to us. We keep our doors open to all creators because you never know when or where you’ll come across a great story. For us, the story itself is the priority, and we can’t afford to overlook strong narratives. That’s why we value being accessible and engaging with new talent.
We have a six-person drama team, each with expertise in different areas, dedicated to meticulously evaluating every submission. Led by our Disney+ Original Productions Manager, Naz Yiğit, this team carefully assesses projects, considering how they align with the platform’s needs, plans, and expectations. Once a project passes this stage, it is then shared with our global teams. With guidance and approval from our teams in Europe and the U.S., a project is prepared for production. However, believing in a story’s potential is not the only factor in our decision-making. Other considerations, such as the platform’s global objectives, target audience, and the number of projects planned for a given year, also play a role in shaping our choices.
It’s a collective effort. From the initial evaluation to the final release, countless individuals contribute their ideas and hard work. That’s what makes this process so exciting, what starts as a single writer’s vision evolves into a shared creative endeavor. And ultimately, seeing that excitement resonate with audiences is what drives us the most.
When we look at the 2025 Turkish originals slate, you are moving forward three movies, two series and a talk show. Does this mean you’ll be prioritizing movies moving forward? Up until now, streaming platforms have tended to favor series. What led Disney to focus on movies this year?
Türkan Yurdam Doğan: At Disney, we address the power of the story as our top priority. Our selection of three movies, two series and one talk show for 2025 reflects this approach. Rather than distinguishing between movies and series, we focus on delivering the best stories to our audiences. This year, we had the opportunity to collaborate with strong talents and compelling narratives. Taking into account the genres our viewers engage with the most, we decided to highlight dramas, comedies, and romantic comedies. So instead of making a strict distinction between movies and series, we embraced a story-first approach and aimed to offer our audiences the highest quality content. And I can say this for the content we produce lately, they will bring people/families together in front of the screen and enjoy it as a shared experience. I should also add that we announced many new content in the past period. I will talk about all of them shortly.
Türkan Yurdam Doğan: “We’ve recommitted ourselves to Türkiye’s content journey, and many more productions are in the pipeline. So far, we’ve announced Öngörü (Foresight), Pera: Gör Beni (All Eyes On You), Ansızın (Suddenly), and Bize Bi’şey Olmaz (We’ll Be Fine).”
This year, you released Umami (Cooked), Başka Bir Sen (Another You), Kalender Pide (Pita Hall), Aşkı Hatırla (Reminder), Konuşanlar (The Talkers) and this month, the eagerly awaited Sekizinci Aile (The Eighth Family) series premiered. What led you to choose these projects?
Türkan Yurdam Doğan: Yes, this year we presented these six local originals to viewers. With its talented cast and bold technique, Umami (Cooked) has secured its place in our catalog as a powerful piece of content. Başka Bir Sen (Another You) and Kalender Pide (Pita Hall) promised to offer viewers feel-good, smile-inducing, sincere, and heartwarming stories created by talented teams. Aşkı Hatırla (Reminder), which is a modern rom-com series, captivated viewers with its passionate love story.
And Konuşanlar (The Talkers)… Konuşanlar (The Talkers) is our first unscripted show, first talk-show. It’s success for the past years have been unquestionable, so it was not a difficult decision. Hasan Can’s participation in Disney+, which has such a wide audience and promises unconditional joy to viewers, is exciting.
As for Sekizinci Aile (The Eighth Family), we recently released the first part of the series. An incredibly talented and accomplished team has come together for this series. I can say that viewers are promised plenty of laughs. I can also say that the fun and laughter will definitely continue with the second part in December 24.
All of these content has secured a special place in our content lineup, and reactions have affirmed our decision. Our guiding principle has always been the strength of the story and the talent behind it.
We are aware of some your upcoming originals such as Pera: Gör Beni (All Eyes On You), Öngörü (Foresight), Bize Bi’şey Olmaz (We’ll Be Fine) and Ansızın (Suddenly). Could you provide us with a little more detailed information about these content? What genres are they, when will they be broadcast, and what aspects of the stories most influenced your decision to choose these projects?
Türkan Yurdam Doğan: We’ve recommitted ourselves to Türkiye’s content journey, and many more productions are in the pipeline. So far, we’ve announced Öngörü (Foresight), Pera: Gör Beni (All Eyes On You), Ansızın (Suddenly), and Bize Bi’şey Olmaz (We’ll Be Fine).
Bize Bi’şey Olmaz (We’ll Be Fine), produced by MF Yapım, brings together Mert Ramazan Demir and Miray Daner in the leading roles. Written by Pınar Bulut and directed by Neslihan Yeşilyurt, the series, inspired by the universe of Between the World and Us, tells the love story of Lal and Aktan, who cannot partways despite all the obstacles standing in front of them.
Öngörü (Foresight), directed by Ali Bilgin and written by Sema Ergenekon, tells the story of Selen, a gifted woman whose prophetic dreams always come true. She has spent her life saving others until she foresees her own death and falls in love with Kemal, the man bound to it. As she fights to change her fate, every escape only leads to a darker vision. Produced by Ay Yapım, the film explores the question: “How long can you fight your fate?”
Ansızın (Suddenly), featuring a very powerful cast with names such as Birce Akalay, Alperen Duymaz, Derya Pınar Ak, and Mehmet Aslantuğ in the lead roles. Produced by Ay Yapım, the series is written by Banu Kiremitçi Bozkurt and directed by Burak Müjdeci. The series mark the anticipated release of a modern romantic drama that deeply explores themes of love, passion, betrayal, loyalty, and personal transformation
Pera: Gör Beni (All Eyes On You), is produced by OGM Pictures, directed by Bahadır Karataş and written by Başar Başaran. The series tells the story of Pera (Afra Saraçoğlu), a famous influencer, who lives under the spotlight, adored, envied and constantly watched. In a single night, a web of manipulation and betrayal strips her of her life. Pera’s real story begins here, as she builds a new life in a remote village far from the cameras, but all is not what it seems.
We believe that the local projects in the pipeline will generate tremendous interest, and we’ll be announcing more gradually.
In Türkiye, there seems to be a perception on social media that viewers are not fully satisfied with local productions on global platforms, with complaints about seeing the same stories and familiar names. What do you think about this as someone working at the heart of the industry?
Türkan Yurdam Doğan: We certainly value feedback from social media, but we are already closely monitoring the audience response to our productions through our own assessments and market research. In this sense, we always feel the strength of walking alongside a loyal and engaged user base. Of course, there will always be those who criticize or feel disconnected from the positive feedback. After all, this is inherent in the nature of creative industries, preferences are always diverse. There will always be suggestions for doing things better, but we are the ones bringing those ideas to life, operating within a multi-stakeholder, interactive process in a specific production ecosystem. We have to strike an effective and realistic balance between desires, tools, motivations, and resources. However, from production to the final product, we always prioritize variety and pursue unique stories. Therefore, I perceive some of these criticisms as stemming from the viewers’ strong interest in and high expectations of streaming platforms. We are moving forward in our direction to meet this demand for variety.
NOW series are being broadcast on Disney+, and the Oscars were aired live. And now Disney+ is the streaming home for the UEFA Women’s Champions League. These are relatively new viewing experiences for streaming platforms. At the same time, a subscription model with ads has been introduced. Is it safe to say that traditional broadcasting will not disappear but will evolve into a more integrated structure with platforms?
Türkan Yurdam Doğan: With the changing technology and perceptions of life, the media sector is evolving, but this evolution does not mean that traditional broadcasting will completely disappear and be replaced by digital broadcasting. Audience content consumption habits are constantly changing, and this change naturally brings about the integration of both fields. Therefore, I don’t think it is necessary for traditional media to integrate into digital media/platforms. Mutual interaction is the inevitable result of development and change and I believe that we implement this migration successfully.
While the codes of traditional and digital broadcasting still differ, a clear transition between the two is undeniably taking place. Disney has long been a dominant and experienced brand in both traditional and digital broadcasting. We have a long history with traditional broadcasting in Türkiye. However, with Disney+, our aim in presenting NOW series or the Oscar broadcasts to our viewers is not to simply transfer the codes of traditional broadcasting to digital; the real goal is to offer our members our unique content catalog on the broadest scale possible. This is part of the high-quality experience we provide in an environment where digital and traditional broadcasting can coexist. The performance of NOW content on the platform has exceeded our expectations, and we are very pleased with the consumer interest.
