Maria Ramirez was disappointed. The 55-year-old Southern California native had come to Istanbul excited to live for a while like a character on her favorite Turkish TV show. She was particularly impressed by the scenes, filled with delicious Turkish food, including a breakfast spread of feta cheese, olives, sliced cucumber, eggs, spreads, jam, tomatoes, and bread.
“Whenever I watch a TV show and they pull out cheese or olives, I go to the fridge and do the same,” Ramirez says. “I get my own plate and a glass of wine and eat with them.”
But when she woke up in the hotel and finally headed downstairs to experience it for herself, she was served a standard American or British breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage and potatoes. “I said, ‘Oh! I was expecting a Turkish breakfast!'” she recalls. “I didn’t actually try it until much later.”
It’s not surprising that Ramirez gets a breakfast that resembles a Denny’s menu, as hotels often cater to British and American tourists who are afraid of foreign countries and, for one reason or another, travel internationally and only eat what’s available in their neighborhood.
But as Turkish TV series “Dizi” continues to grow in popularity around the world and demand continues to grow, that may be changing here as travelers seek a more authentic Turkish experience. This is especially true among Latinos, who have become the largest audience for Turkish Dizi since the series “Bimbil Gece” (“Tales of One Thousand and One Nights”) became a huge hit in Chile in 2014.
Even my mother, who has been talking about planning a trip to Istanbul next year, keeps blabbing on about finding a “Nobio Guapo.”
Turkish TV series have become must-watch in Latin American countries such as Mexico, Venezuela and Argentina, as well as among Latinos in the United States. Major Spanish-speaking networks such as Univision and Telemundo air dubbed versions every night, while streamers such as Netflix, Peacock, VIX and FuboTV offer a wide selection of series in both dubbed and subtitled versions. Video platforms such as YouTube, Dailymotion and Turkish123.com also have a large selection of programming.
To call digibooks a soap opera or a telenovela would be an incredibly simplistic statement, without any disrespect for both television art forms that have given the culture its secret twins and bouts of amnesia. These epic dramas run for 40 or more episodes, lasting for multiple seasons, with each episode running for more than two hours.
Dizzi features storylines that delve into the hardships, heartaches, and triumphs of the human experience, but don’t expect a fairy-tale ending. Like the popular TV series “Kara Sevda” (“Endless Love” or “Eternal Love”), Dizzi often has a bittersweet, melancholic ending, which ended with the heartbreaking death of its lead character.
This means audiences have an endless supply of drama to dive deep into and fill their evenings with. It’s easy to become completely engrossed, enthralled and entertained. On a recent visit, my mom couldn’t put her phone down, spending hours watching Turkish dizzying numbers on YouTube. The only thing that temporarily pulled her away from her “Turkish novel” was a trip to TJ Maxx.
“As consumers, Hispanic audiences in the U.S. want more than just entertainment. They crave representation, affirmation and connection,” says Barbara Musa Ruiz, vice president of programming strategy at Televisa Univision, reflecting on Digi’s success with Latino viewers over the past few years. “They seek to see themselves reflected in the stories they watch, and Turkish dramas have expertly tapped into this longing.”
Dizi was filmed mostly in and around Istanbul, giving viewers a glimpse into a part of the world they’ve never seen before. And now, through the screens of their phones and TVs, they’re transported to the country’s picturesque shores and experiencing a rich and vibrant new culture firsthand. It’s no wonder some viewers want to see the real thing.
“I wanted to experience something different,” Ramirez said of her reason for choosing Turkey, “and it was something I’d already seen on TV shows. It was so beautiful.”
Istanbul topped the list of cities in the world most visited by foreign tourists, followed by London, according to market research firm Euromonitor International’s report for 2023. Meanwhile, the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism reported in 2022 that around 377,000 Americans visited Turkey in the first half of this year, an increase of just over 77% from the first half of 2019.
And since 2018, Latin American tourists have increased exponentially, with Argentina and Brazil attracting the most Latin American tourists to Turkey. It is no coincidence that these two countries are the largest consumers of Turkish digi. The number of tourists has skyrocketed, with the number of Mexican tourists alone increasing by 103%, while the number of Chilean and Venezuelan tourists has increased by 66% and just over 40%, respectively, according to the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Medical tourism has made Turkey a leading destination for cosmetic surgery, with thousands coming in search of new teeth, fuller hair and tighter waists, while a growing number are also seeking romance inspired by Turkish dizis.
“I’d love to see if any of the idols over there would be interested in me! They’re so attractive, but unfortunately I haven’t found one,” Ramirez joked ahead of her visit to Turkey in August.
Who among us hasn’t dreamed of a vacation fling that makes life feel like a sexy romantic comedy, or an epic drama series where a handsome god fights for your honor and loves you to depths as deep as the ocean, despite all the obstacles that stand in your way?
Even my mother, who has been talking about planning a trip to Istanbul next year, is now blabbing on about finding a “new love.” My sincere apologies to any Turkish men who may encounter this grey-haired older seductress in practical espadrilles.
Maria Teresa Figueroa of Santa Ana, California, also noticed the beauty of the landscape while watching Digi at home and didn’t realize it was Turkey until her sister-in-law pointed it out. “I said to my husband, ‘Wow! I’d love to go there!'” she says.
During our conversation, Figueroa recounted entire stories of her favorite digi, “kadung” (as they’re called on Univision: “women” or “muhel”), with the excitement of a friend sharing a juicy tidbit. She told me that whenever she noticed a cultural custom of a character (“They always drink their coffee out of these little cups!”), she was intrigued. And there are many. Intrigued, she’s been waiting to travel ever since. And whenever she’s ready, she has the option to have the full digi experience.
“They strive to see themselves reflected in the stories they watch, and Turkish dramas exploit this longing.”
Haron Yildirim, who runs Castle Travel, a travel agency based in the coastal towns of Kusadasi and Pamukkale, offers special tours to Dici filming locations about five years ago after a group of American women asked for a special trip following the popularity of the TV shows “Ertugrul” and “Black Money Love.”
“I fall in love with the protagonist [of “Black Money Love’]”I had no idea how beloved Turkish Dizzy was in America,” he said in a car on the way back from scouting the seaside town of Alacati, where the megahit Dizzy film “What’s the Fault with Fatmagül?” was shot for a future tour. “Can you imagine American women speaking Turkish with me? They learned from Dizzy.”
“This trend highlights the importance of cultural exchange and collaboration in the media world,” Lewis said. “By embracing international content and fostering partnerships with global producers, we can offer audiences a wider and more diverse range of programming that truly resonates with their lives and experiences. In doing so, we not only meet audience demand, but also enrich their viewing experience while fostering inclusivity and cultural appreciation.”
Yildirim believes Dizi helps people better appreciate both “the natural beauty of the country” and the lives people lead in a Muslim-majority country — especially important because, in his words, “America has viewed Muslims as terrorists.”
“On the tours, people ask a lot of questions,” Yıldırım says. “We explain traditions, customs, religion, geography and history.”
It may seem insignificant, but there is power in exposing Turkish lives and stories to Latino audiences on screen — they will likely see a reflection of their own struggles and similar traditions — but it’s also simply that Latino audiences are fascinated by great stories, regardless of where they come from.
Although they do experience a certain amount of exoticism and fetishism from their tourist audiences, Dici nevertheless plays an important role in showing many people outside Turkish culture what life is like in Turkey, encouraging them to travel there, take a tour and “understand us.” “We experience emotions and disappointments very deeply,” Yıldırım says. “We reflect these feelings in the series, and that’s why we’re appreciated.”
This travel trend isn’t just a fascinating link between the romantic and emotional values of two different cultures. It exposes a void in U.S. programming: Hollywood continues to ignore Latino audiences, despite them making up 24% of both box office takings and streaming subscriptions.
That Turkish producers were smart enough to see Latino audiences as a viable investment that could have a real impact on tourism and overall cultural connectivity is a clear indication of the purchasing power of Latinos — and Hollywood should pay closer attention.
