10 Turkish soap operas and series that were successful in Latin America

Turkish soap operas have reached almost all countries. Turkey is the world’s second largest exporter of television fiction, after the United States, and its love dramas have managed to win over the Latino audience, which has become an avid consumer of these stories. A possible explanation is the physical similarities between Turks and Latinos, in addition to sharing family values ​​and having a great ability to develop drama.

O awesome.club reviewed ten Turkish soap operas and series that left their mark on Latino viewers and brought you some of their curiosities.

Its original title is Muhteşem Yüzyıl (O Século Magnífico), but in Brazil it was broadcast under the title the great sultan, by the Boom TV network. Because it is based on historical facts, it faced several controversies about the representation of the characters, but that didn’t stop it from getting an international audience of 200 million viewers.

It is based on the life of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, whose reign was the longest in the Ottoman Empire, and his wife, Hürrem Sultan, a slave who eventually became a sultana. It was the most expensive project on Turkish television with an approximate cost of US$500,000 per episode and a budget of US$4.7 million, just for pre-production.

Beren Gökyildiz, considered the most famous girl in Turkey, stars in this story about a little girl with childhood Alzheimer’s who must be taken care of by her father, a crook who didn’t know he had a daughter. The soap opera fuses drama and comedy and has become a global sales phenomenon, and its leading lady is already one of the highest paid actresses in the country.

The story is based on a novel, adapted in 1986 for the cinema; but the real commercial success was with the melodrama, converted into a global triumph. The story of a woman, who faces one difficulty after another, made many identify with the character and, consequently, had an incredible reception from the international audience. In fact, it had a great impact in the Arab countries, leading to an increase in the number of tourists to Istanbul to visit the restaurant where Fatmagül worked and other locations in the soap opera.

A love story that starts off on the wrong foot amid misunderstandings. A businessman whose favorite book is The one thousand and one nights, falls in love with Scheherazade. Love even went beyond the screen and the actors, who play the protagonist couple, got married after acting together in the melodrama.

Medcezir (in Portuguese, “Maré”) is an adaptation of the American series OC: A Stranger in Paradise. It had a great acceptance and a second season was recorded, although it evolved differently from the American series.. It was an attractive project, with fashionable actors, which resulted in success in many countries, even surpassing the popularity of the series on which it was inspired.

It is an adaptation of the English series Shameless. It debuted in Turkey in 2017 and, a year later, arrived in Peru. Recently it also premiered in other Latin countries. It tells the life of a poor family, whose eldest daughter becomes a mother to her siblings. She believes there is no room in her life for love, but an adorable young man will change her mind.

Elif is the story of a poor girl who, due to various circumstances, ends up living in the house of a rich family, under the care of a maid, without anyone knowing that she is the daughter of Kenan, the eldest son of the family. The series had very good acceptance in several Latin American countries. In Colombia, it was even divided into 1,150 episodes broadcast over three years, and more than a thousand girls were registered under the name of “Elif”.

What is Feriha’s secret? She lives with her family as tenants in the basement of a luxury building, but she managed to get into a university for millionaires and will pose as one of them. There, she will find love, but also many obstacles. Since its debut in 2011, the soap opera has been sold to over 80 countries and is one of the most watched Turkish productions in the world.

It is an adaptation of an Italian series broadcast in Latin America under the names matter of honor and Honor and Respect. The story is about a family coming from the countryside to Istanbul, which causes changes in everyone’s lives and puts their family ties to the test. The melodrama received positive reviews for the quality of the plot and production.

A story in which betrayal is in evidence. It is an adaptation of a novel published in 1899, which from the beginning won over viewers, as in Turkey itself the Parliament of Ankara paused to follow the outcome of the melodrama, which held an audience record. It also had good acceptance in Hispanic countries, where it was adapted and, in Brazil, it was broadcast by Rede Bandeirantes.

Are you also a fan of Turkish soap operas? Which is your favorite?