Turkish soaps clean up with export rise

ANKARA - Turkey has become the world's second biggest scripted TV content exporter after the United States since the early 2000s, as its soap operas have reached more than 400 million people in more than 140 countries, covering the US, Russia, the Balkans, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America.

Turkish TV dramas enjoy an annual export revenue of $350 million, with some reaching $500,000 per episode, said Yusuf Gursoy, chairman of the Radio and Television Broadcasters Union.

According to the Turkish Exporters Assembly, or TIM, the value of Turkish soap opera exports were only around $10,000 in 2004 but increased to $200 million by 2014.