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| Mehsa Mehdili |
Greek director and journalist Nina Maria Paschalidou says that Turkish TV series, which are popular in the Middle East, Balkans, and North Africa, have broken taboos and helped women change the course of their lives.
South Azerbaijani cultural activist Mehsa Mehdili expresses similar views in an interview with Voice of America.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Turkish TV series are sold to about 70 countries. Mehdili believes that the lack of quality entertainment programs on television in countries like Iran contributes to the increasing popularity of Turkish series.
The southern activist states that Turkish TV series are most watched in Iranian Azerbaijan and other Turkish-speaking regions due to the language factor.
"Iranian television does not have programs aimed at Turks. Turks in Iran do not hear their language in its literary form in official and emotional contexts," says Mehdili, who lives in exile in Turkey.
Originally from Salmas in the West Azerbaijan province, located near the Turkish border, Mehsa Mehdili highlights that Turkish channels are especially popular in this region.
In addition to the language factor, she points out the importance of shared cultural ties and similar traditions between Turkey and Iran. She also mentions that the lifestyle promoted in Turkish TV series and the new world values portrayed in these series have a significant impact, particularly on women and young people.
"In South Azerbaijan, the most oppressed groups are young people and women. They can see the lifestyle they desire in Turkish TV series... Even including regional channels, Iranian TV does not have programs for Turkish children. Even aside from the language factor, Turkey's children's programs are of higher quality, and there is more diversity in Turkish media," she adds.
Some Iranian nationalists have regarded the fact that children in Iranian Azerbaijan learn "Istanbul Turkish" through Turkish films broadcasted via satellite as a "threat to national security." They have warned authorities to take action on this issue.
Despite Iranian laws prohibiting citizens from using satellite dishes, many regions of the country, especially Azerbaijani cities and villages, watch foreign television channels through satellite.
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Məhsa Mehdili: Güneydə Türkiyə kanallarını ən çox gənclər və qadınlar izləyir