Telenovelas and Turkish Dramas: A Window into Culture, Society and Soft Power

Telenovelas and Turkish Dramas: A Window into Culture, Society and Soft Power

Carolina Acosta-Alzuru (August 2025), "Telenovelas and Turkish Dramas: A Window into Culture, Society and Soft Power," Council on Foreign Relations. New York, NY.

Abstract: There are stories that are addictive. In particular, there are some—originally scripted and produced in Latin America and Turkey—that are broadcast daily on the television screens of more than 150 countries, while also populating streaming platforms. The deceptive simplicity of their codes belies the complexity of their production and consumption. It also conceals their role in soft power, and how they carry the fingerprints of their political, economic and cultural contexts. This presentation examines these melodramas as privileged epicenters to understand the links between media, culture and society, and transnational media flows.

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