




































AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH 11(1) (2022), 35-42 

 

35 

 

 

SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH 

AIJSSR VOL 11 NO 1 (2022) P-ISSN 2576-103X   E-ISSN 2576-1048 
 

Available online at https://www.cribfb.com 

Journal homepage: https://www.cribfb.com/journal/index.php/aijssr 

Published by CRIBFB, USA 

ADEN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS'S REACTION TOWARDS THE 

TURKISH DRAMA           

 
 Mohammed Arfan Salem Ba Yashot (a)1   
 

(a)  Department of Radio, Television and Film, Istanbul University, Turkey; E-mail: mmaabb2015@gmail.com 

 

 
A R T I C L E I N F O 

      
 

Article History: 
 

Received: 21st March 2022  

Accepted: 24th April 2022 

Online Publication: 28th April 2022 

 
Keywords: 

Yemen, Turkish Dramas, Audience 

Research 

 
      JEL Classification Codes:  

 

      Z13 

       
        

 
A B S T R A C T 
 
The main purpose of this study is to investigate the general reaction of the students in Yemen, Aden 

University, Faculty of Mass Communication, the Turkish drama and the effects of it on the research 

sample. The results of the research are based on the use of the descriptive approach. Online interviews 

were conducted with eight students. Among the research sample, there were many reasons to watch 

Turkish TV series since 2007. The most important of which were raising the importance of social issues, 

reinforcing national values and increasing the national belongings. It resulted out that the most watched 

Turkish TV series in Yemen are those series which belong to war and conflict, while women prefer 

romantic or drama TV series that deal with family and social issues. Turkish TV series have created a 

good image about Turkey and Turkish people, and there are great similarities between Yemen and 

Turkey in the culture in some traditions and customs and there are also some differences. Turkish TV 

series also contributed to the promotion of Turkey in general. 
 

© 2022 by the authors. Licensee CRIBFB, USA. This article is an open access article  distributed 
under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license  

(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

  

 

INTRODUCTION 

Media plays an important role in the society and drama was one of the most important forms of media that has recently 

contributed in shaping trends and ideas among the people in the world. This is because of the diversity and multitude of 

ideas inspired by drama which has positive and negative cross-border effects between countries. It has a high impact power 

in the action and tension components. 

After Turkish drama has become widespread in the world especially in the Middle East in a broader sense, and in 

Arab countries. In the last decade, the Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Eros, in an interview with 

Anadolu Agency in 8th March, 2019 stated that his country is the second in the world in terms of films and TV/ cinema 

series exports. He said he was competing with the global movie industry empire "Hollywood". Arson announced that the 

value of his country's film and TV series exports is 350 million dollars (Mutaf, 2021). 

The people of Yemen are one of the people who love and follow the Turkish drama, and Yemen has become one 

of the Arab countries affected by the Turkish drama. Turkish drama the main source for the majority of Yemenis to learn 

about the natural beauty of Turkey Besides learning about the customs and traditions of the Turkish people. Yemenis formed 

an opinion about the Turkish people and Turkey in general through Turkish serials (Şentürk & Eken, 2017). 

With the increasing speed of Turkish drama production, the variety of topics discussed in recent years, it has 

managed to attract most viewers in Yemeni society, after foreign dramas, especially Mexican and Brazilian dramas, 

dominated the audience for a long time. 

The importance of this study is that the studies examine the effects of Turkish Drama in Yemen on the youth are 

very few and limited to only reviewing Turkish serials as well. Therefore, the importance of this study is that it was carried 

out on young people. 

                                                      
1Corresponding author: ORCID ID: 0000-0003-2550-446X 

© 2022 by the authors. Hosting by CRIBFB. Peer review under responsibility of CRIBFB, USA.  
https://doi.org/10.46281/aijssr.v11i1.1701 

 

To cite this article: Ba Yashot, M. A. S. (2022). ADEN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’S REACTION TOWARDS THE TURKISH  
DRAMA. American International Journal of Social Science Research, 11 (1), 35-42. https://doi.org/10.46281/aijssr.v11i1.1701  

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
https://doi.org/10.46281/aijssr.v11i1.1701
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2550-446X


Ba Yashot, American International Journal of Social Science Research 11(1) (2022), 35-42        

  

36 
 

Yemeni Society and Turkish Drama 

Turkish TV series attracted the attention of researchers, journalists and clerics in the Arab world in general and Yemen in 

particular, as they reached a large number of viewers with all their details. In August 2008, approximately 85 million Arabs 

watched the last episode of the Turkish series "Silver" on MBC. Serials are still in prime time in the programs of Arab 

channels, Arab channels have started to compete fiercely to attract more followers by broadcasting more Turkish series. 

Perhaps, in the first place, the cultural and social effects of Turkish TV series attracted the attention of researchers. However, 

the political and economic effects of this phenomenon cannot be ignored (Tala, 2021). 

Turkish TV series started broadcasting in the Arab world and Yemen in 2007. The first TV series was "Çembermde 

Gül Oya". It was broadcasted and followed by the "Ihlamurlar Altında" series in February 2008. Then the Nour and 

Muhannad series, which were voiced in the Syrian dialect, and viewed in the Arab world and Yemen. It was also screened 

on MBC4, one of the most watched and most famous old Turkish TV series (Tala, 2021). 

In this context, Yemeni journalist Bushra Al-Faili interviewed families in the Yemeni society who gave names to 

their children after the characters in the Turkish TV series. 

Nusseibeh al-Qubati, whose views were included in the interview “With the emergence of Turkish TV series and 

the intense interest of women following them, the heroine of the series, which was broadcasted at the time of the birth of the 

child, became the name of the baby. But this can be embarrassing for newborns, many of these names are meaningless or 

inappropriate. Choosing a newborn baby's name is very difficult and there are factors to be considered. Perhaps the main 

reason why the child's name was named after Turkish TV series is that parents name their children with modern and strange 

names” criticizes it (Hasaida, 2009). 

Turkish series especially affect young viewers in many ways. In a study conducted with Lebanese university 

students. It was revealed that young people emotionally imitate the words used and the movements of the actors, and this 

affects the dressing styles of the young people (Hasaida, 2009). 

Nabila Sabounji, a social psychologist, deals with the disadvantages of young people's being influenced by TV 

serials on the axis of moral panic and the argues that these serials should be avoided, as this situation will cause 

inconveniences for the society: 

“Constantly watching Turkish serials makes a person addicted to it and cannot stop watching it. He also performs 

the same behaviors and actions as the actors in the series whether negative or positive. Sometimes people become obsessed 

with these serials or the characters in them and randomly imitate them. This tradition is often negative and lacks rationality 

or thought and affects the personality. He may lose his character and be similar to the actor in the series character. If he 

can't imitate her/ him, he will feel frustrated and anxious. There are some people who have a crazy way of admiration that 

makes them unable to live without this character and avoid watching it affecting their psyche and putting them under 

psychological pressure. Our traditions and customs are different from other societies. The community should not trust this 

serial. Actors in Turkish soap operas have become popular with young people, influencing various segments of society. The 

tradition of many young actors in Turkish TV series is a wrong behavior. Because not all actions of actors are correct. They 

may fall for misbehavior and imitate. Therefore, this trend should be blocked, because its negative aspects are much more 

than its positive aspects” (Rim, 2012). 

 Turkish series are popular in the Arab world. This interest also manifests itself in celebration and entertainment 

organizations. While the scenes witnessed in the TV series were added to the wedding organizations, Turkish names began 

to be given to the restaurants. 

An article titled "Diriliş Ertuğrul' at Yemen Weddings" was published in Watan News newspaper on 29.11.2018 

in Yemen. The TV series Diriliş Ertuğrul, which attracts attention around the world and especially in the Arab world, has a 

large audience in the Yemeni society. It was Influenced by the wedding scene in the TV series "Diriliş Ertuğrul. Yemenis 

made an animation of this scene at their wedding. The groom, who came to the wedding area accompanied by dombra 

music, almost reproduced the series scene by passing on a horse between the guests lined up in two rows. When the wedding 

images, which were shown on horseback, were shared on social media, they received great attention and appreciation from 

the followers. These images are one of the positive interactions of Turkish TV series in Yemeni society. There are many 

news about the Diriliş Ertuğrul series in the Yemeni press. With the release of the 115th episode in which the character of 

"Sadeddin Dog" was killed in the series, Yemenis went out into the streets, detonated fireworks and celebrated 

enthusiastically. Some stores even celebrated this event by going on sale for three days (Bayashot, 2018). 

 
Uses and Satisfaction Approach and Audience 

With the reaction studies, it is aimed to transform the unknown and passive audience into an active audience to determine 

the meanings conveyed by the mass media and to determine the relationship between the audience and the text code. 

Reception the studies have undoubtedly provided new openings for the Mass and Communication Sciences discipline. 

The uses and gratifications approach is first described in a 1959 article by Elihu Katz. Katz said that communication 

research has always been about persuasion, what the media does to people. People are looking for an answer to the question 

of what they are doing with the media. He claimed to have a question (Tekinalp & Uzun, 2004). 

The definition and scope of the uses and gratifications approach has been expressed by Katz et al. as follows: 

"Expectations created by social and psychologically based on needs which lead to different media usage patterns or other 

activities in mass media and other sources which in turn lead to needs satisfaction and other unintended consequences" (Katz 

& Gurevitch, 1973). 

After the 70s, uses and gratification studies became regular. Meanwhile, Katz, Blumler, and Gurevitch have noted 

that the theoretical foundations of the uses and gratifications perspective are based on the following elements:  



Ba Yashot, American International Journal of Social Science Research 11(1) (2022), 35-42        

  

37 
 

   The social and psychological origins of needs from the media and other sources of the mass produced by its 

need’s expectations. Distinctive patterns in the media driven by these expectations. These media activities direct the needs 

to their satisfaction and other (perhaps unintentional) consequences (Katz & Gurevitch, 1973). 

The uses and gratifications approach was originally created to help assess the attractiveness of different mass media 

and to explain and predict differences in mass media. However, the main contribution of the model has been better to define 

the types or examples of different media and different media contents in terms of audience, audience behavior and audience 

appeal. 

The uses and gratifications approach considers the use of media as a process of meeting needs and tension, and 

defines mass media as active and logical individuals who think, question, and make choices in line with their needs and 

desires and not passive in many views. According to the uses and gratifications approach, the individual has personal, social, 

and even psychological needs. These needs can only be met with different attitudes and new thoughts (Akova, 2014). 

When we look at the researches on the audience from a historical perspective, we can talk about two basic sets of 

values: dominant and critical values. The "Uses and Gratifications Approach", which has a positivist character based on the 

view that the audience is active, does not see the audience as individuals who only receive the messages presented. The 

approach seeks an answer to the question of why media contents are used. In addition to the purpose of using the media, the 

audience's satisfaction with the media content, that is, meeting the expectations, is the main problem of the approach. The 

"Reception Analysis Model" studies that emerged within the critical approach also argued that the audience is in an active 

position against the media content. According to the reception method originating from the Coding and Decoding Model 

developed by Stuart Hall, the audience reads the media contents differently (Serbes, 2016). 

The uses and gratifications approach on the other hand, is based on audience research. This interest in audience 

research is based on efforts to demonstrate the media's ability to influence audiences' perceptions of any cultural, political, 

or consumer product. Media studies are concerned with the presumed influence and persuasion power on audiences about 

options and products to sell. 

  

METHOD AND PURPOSE 

Research Purpose  

The present research aims to reveal the general reaction of Turkish drama by the students of the Faculty of Mass 

Communication at Aden University in Yemen and what the effects of Turkish drama are on the research sample. 

The study aims to explore the following aspects: 

 What are the main motivations for preferring to watch Turkish TV series over other foreign TV series in the 

research sample? 

 How does Turkish drama contribute in conveying the real image of Turkey and Turkish people (family - love 

stories - daily life style - Turkish - violence against women ... etc.) in the research sample? 

 What are the most important positive and negative effects of Turkish drama on the research sample? 

 How does Turkish drama contribute to the promotion of Turkey and attract tourists, as well as promoting 

Turkish products? 

Method 

In this study, semi-structured in-depth interview technique, which is a qualitative research method, was used. During the 

study, Turkish drama receptions will be determined for the student’s odd faculty of Mass Communication, Aden University 

in Yemen. 

Then, those who are working in the field of Turkish drama were reached with the purposeful sampling method. 

Semi-structured interview questions students of Aden University; Faculty of Mass Communication in Yemen will be 

researched and analyzed how they interpret their reactions and points of view of Turkish drama messages. 

 

Participants  

The boundaries of this research are limited to the studies of undergraduate or graduate students at the Faculty of Mass 

Communication of Aden University in Yemen. The reason for choosing this sample is that the researcher is a graduate of 

the Faculty of Mass Communication of Aden University and has full information about the research sample. 

The study will be carried out with 8 participants. In selecting the research sample, in addition to the academic level, 

the focus will be on the diversity of the sample between men and women. 

Sampling: Sampling of research. The study was carried out with 8 participants. Participants were coded as P1, P2, 

P3, P4, P5, P6, P7, P8.  

 

 Table 1. The Demographic Characters of the Participants 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Participants No. Gender Age Education status 

P1 Male 27 Master's  degree 

P2 Male 23 Bachelor degree 

P3 Female 21 Bachelor degree 

P4 Female 22 Bachelor degree 

P5 Female 23 Bachelor degree 

P6 Female 21 Bachelor degree 

P7 Female 24 Bachelor degree 

P8 Male 28 Master's  degree 



Ba Yashot, American International Journal of Social Science Research 11(1) (2022), 35-42        

  

38 
 

RESULTS 

What are the main motivations for choosing to watch Turkish TV series?  

There were several reasons for watching TV series in the research sample, the most important of which are the stories of 

wonderful TV series that cover Turkish TV series, raise important social issues, reinforce national values and increase 

national belonging. Also, Turkish drama chooses actors in high beauty and beautiful shooting locations, in addition, Turkish 

drama steals people's love as it simulates human desires and inclinations like courage. 

P4" The reason I followed Turkish TV series was because Yemeni society talked about Diriliş Ertuğrul, then I 

watched many TV series". 

P1" The reason I watch Turkish TV series is because they bring up important social issues, establish national 

values and strengthen national belonging". 
P8" The reason why I follow Turkish serials is the state of passion. Turkish drama steals people's love as it imitates 

human desires and tendencies such as courage and valor". 
P2" The reason for watching Turkish TV series is that Turkish TV series are closer to reality, not fiction, as in 

Indian TV series and movies." 
P6" The reason I watch Turkish TV series is because they are successful and have strong stories". 

P7" The reason I watch Turkish TV series is the dramatic plots as well as the beauty of the actors". 

P3" The reason I watch Turkish TV series is because they are great stories and series that satisfy my needs as a 

viewer" 
P5" The reason I watch Turkish TV series is because I watch all family TV series, and I enjoy watching Turkish 

TV series" 
P3" What encourages me to watch Turkish TV series is the ease of their content and the attractive and smart 

production of them" 
P5" I loved Turkish Language very much by watching Turkish serials and learned many phrases and words" 
P6" The most important thing that encourages me to watch Turkish TV series is having a good time watching a 

Turkish TV series I love" 
P8" Yemenis have different motives to watch Turkish serials. Men's motives and women's motives are not the same, 

etc. As a young man, I prefer dramas with war and courage". 
 

What are the Most Watched Turkish TV Series in Yemen and Why  

According to the research sample, the most watched Turkish TV series in Yemen are the ones with conflicts, fights and 

wars, while the women prefer the romantic TV series that deal with family issues. I agree not to watch. 

P8"As a young man, I follow historical and crime dramas more because they give enthusiasm and encouragement, 

unlike women who follow romantic TV series more. The last TV series I followed was A.Rıza and I watched Diriliş Ertuğrul 

and Payitaht Abdülhamid knees." 
P8"Turkish TV series are preferred more by the Yemeni society than other foreign TV series such as Indian, 

Mexican and Korean because Turkish culture is close to us and it is a Muslim country. The stories in Korean TV series 

repeat themselves, on the contrary, Turkish TV series that make you wait for the next episode. It's coming will be eagerly 

awaited." 
P8"I prefer to watch all kinds of Turkish drama, love, historical and detective series" 
P5"I prefer romantic dramas like Saying Goodbye and Lost Years, but I don't like murder and Mafia dramas." 
P1"The Turkish drama I enjoy watching the most is the one that depicts Turkey as a regional power active in 

helping people, like the TV series Kurtlar Vadisi." 
P1"I'm currently watching The Organization and I really liked it because it increases belonging and defending the 

homeland." 
P1"I don't like dramas that go against some of our traditions and customs, like romantic dramas." 
P1"There are some scenes that don't fit with our culture, like extramarital affairs and having children before 

marriage, as well as some acts of absolute freedom." 
P2  " I prefer historical TV series to "Diriliş Ertuğrul and Kuruluş Osman " series, but I don't like watching TV 

series that have too much openness and freedom for women, including marital infidelities between the same family" 

P2"I prefer historical drama more than others because it explains to me the real history of the Ottoman Empire, 

the history we learned at university was written by the British, and it describes the Ottoman Empire as an occupied country, 

not a Muslim one." 
P3"I prefer the TV series that are closest to my thinking, culture and general taste" 
P3"I don't prefer to watch Turkish serials that are about love stories with a foreign character without borders" 
P3"I like to watch Turkish serials that have a social character, because they embody the reality of society and 

address people's suffering and struggles, so they are closer to the audience." 
P4"I prefer to watch comedies and historical TV series while I follow Turkish TV series." 
P4"There are some scenes that do not fit our Yemeni culture, such as love and kissing scenes in Turkish TV series." 
P6"I love all kinds of Turkish drama because Turkish dramas are successful in Arab countries and 

internationally." 
P6"The Turkish TV series I always watch TV series which are about a family, neighbors in the neighborhood and 

cooperation between them. These series give me great optimism and make me feel that there is no difference between Arabs." 
P7"I don't like bold scenes in Turkish TV series, apart from our conservative societies" 

P7"I prefer to watch romantic dramas more than others" 



Ba Yashot, American International Journal of Social Science Research 11(1) (2022), 35-42        

  

39 
 

P5"I love dramas that show beautiful natural places" 

 
Thinking about Turkey and Turkish People 

The research sample through Turkish TV series has created a good image about Turkey and Turkish people that besides 

Turkey is a country of love and peace, as well as a cultural and social country with a deep-rooted history that the real history 

of the Seljuk and Ottoman states has been determined was done. 

P8"Turkish soap operas have changed the way Yemeni society thinks about Turkey so much that it is considered 

a paradise on earth." 

P1"For me, the image of Turkey in the series is a positive image that shows Turkey's strength as a regional country 

that plays a cultural role and enjoys democracy and cultural pluralism" 

P1"I developed a historically positive image of Turkey through Turkish drama, especially the establishment Osman 

and Awakening: Great Seljuk TV series." 

P2"I created the image of Turkey as a country of love and peace, as well as a cultural and social country with a 

deep-rooted history." 

P2"I prefer historical drama more than others because it explains the real history of the Ottoman Empire to me, 

the history we learned at the university was written by the British and it describes the Ottoman Empire as an occupied 

country, not a Muslim country." 

P3"After watching Turkish TV series, a good image has been formed about Turkey and Turkey has natural beauties 

and beautiful touristic places." 

P3"After watching Turkish serials, I started to like Turkish people and started to see them as creative people." 
 P4"After watching Turkish TV series, I created an image of a beautiful country, Turkey, and the Turkish language 

is beautiful, so I memorized many Turkish words." 

P4"After watching Turkish serials, I fell in love with Turkey's people and land" 

P5"The image of Turkey is that it is a beautiful country and Turks are good people." 

P5"I saw that Turkish people behave politely and kindly by watching Turkish TV series." 

P6"I created a beautiful image of Turkey with Turkish TV series" 

P6"After watching Turkish TV series for years, I really liked Turks and Turkish people." 

P7"I had the image that Turkey is a beautiful country and has a similar tradition with us, there are bad things like 

mafia gangs and drinking wine." 

P8"The image Turkey creates from Turkish TV series is that Turkey is a great country and tries to send its culture 

to the world through TV series." 

P8"I think Turkish TV series do not reflect the reality of Turkey. Most of the TV series are shot in luxury hotels 

and they choose the most beautiful places in Turkey for their shooting." 

 
Cultural, Religious and Historical Rapprochement between Turkey and Yemen 

Turkey and Yemen are our Muslim countries. According to the research example, there are great similarities in some 

customs and cultures as well as differences. 

P1"The real Turkey is a Muslim country that is culturally closer to us as Muslim and Arab peoples, and closer to 

all Muslim and Christian peoples and other sects as humanity." 

P1"There are many similarities in Turkish and Arab culture in general, as Turkish drama reflects the preservation 

of values, morality and social harmony, cultivates patriotism, and embodies sacrifices in the path of truth and values." 

P2"The desert or village life and simple social life that are suitable for my culture in the Turkish TV series, and 

the abundance of openness, kissing scenes and extramarital affairs in the Turkish TV series, which are contrary to my 

culture." 

P2"From my point of view, I see that family life is not appropriate in the Turkish drama because the son does not 

have the authority of the father and the daughter is more free, but in reality in Turkey I do not know, is it really like that?" 
 P3"I can't say that Turkey is 100% Muslim by watching Turkish TV series because my country has a great 

openness compared to Yemen. Culturally, I can say that it is an ancient country with a great history." 

P3“In my opinion, what is against my culture in Turkish drama is women's freedom, travel and other things that 

against the traditions of my society.” 

P4"While watching Turkish TV series, I see that the lifestyle of the family in the village is more similar to our 

customs and traditions, and the lifestyle of the families in Turkish cities is closer to the West than to the Arabs." 

P4"I believe that Turkey is a Muslim country and there are many common cultures and traditions between Turkey, 

Arabs and Muslims" 

P5"There are some TV series in which the family is connected and collaborative, and some shows hatred and 

jealousy among family members." 

P5"It is close to my culture that it strengthens family ties in Turkish TV series." 

P5"What goes against my culture in Turkish serials is that they encourage confusion, openness, and sometimes 

suicide." 

P5"I see Turkey as a Muslim country and there are many common points between our culture and the culture of 

the Turkish people" 

P6"Family life and daily life in Turkish drama is a simple, beautiful and collaborative family life" 

P6"What is against my culture in Turkish TV series is excessive liberation, kissing in some scenes.” 

P6"Turkey is a Muslim country and the culture of the Turkish people is close to the culture of the Arab peoples" 



Ba Yashot, American International Journal of Social Science Research 11(1) (2022), 35-42        

  

40 
 

P7"My opinion about family life and daily life in Turkey through Turkish drama is that their life is complex and 

full of problems" 

P7 "What is suitable for my culture in Turkish TV series are the relationships of family members with each other 

and the way they behave towards them" 

P7 "It's against my culture in Turkish TV series, murders, exaggerated dramas from time to time, alcohol, 

Marijuana, drugs and premarital affairs." 

P8"There is something befitting Turkish culture that when I see some actors who pray to Allah and love to do good 

and help and they say a kind word to others." 

P8"We have Arab Islamic culture and there are traditions and customs from which we grew up. Like some romantic 

scenes, such as the scenes where the hero kisses the heroine and gets dressed half naked. In Yemen, a woman does not go 

out without wearing a black Abaya". 

P8"Turkey is a Muslim country and its culture is also Muslim and ruled the Islamic world earlier under the name 

of the Ottoman Empire." 

 
About Promoting Turkey 

Turkish TV series have made a great contribution to the promotion of tourism in Turkey. All research samples want to visit 

Turkey after watching Turkish TV series. Also, Turkish TV series are promoting Turkish products. 

P8"I was studying at an English language institute in Aden. The teacher asked the students where would you like 

to go? Everyone said, "We want to go to Turkey." The teacher said to them, "Why especially Turkey?" The students said, 

"Turkey, its land and its people are pink We love it in the serials” replied. 

P8 "Once upon a time, there was a proverb in Paris, when a person talked about going abroad, it was said, 'You 

want to go to Paris,' but today Istanbul has become the place of Paris, it is said that I want to go to Istanbul." 

P1"I hope to go to Turkey through Turkish serials and I applied to study there, but the conditions did not allow 

it." 

P2"By watching Turkish serials, I wonder if the circumstances will allow me to visit Turkey one day and enjoy its 

beautiful scenery." 

P3 "As I watch Turkish TV series, I think a lot about going to Turkey and vacationing there." 

P4"My longing and love for Turkey is increasing day by day and I hope to travel there one day." 

P5"I want to visit Turkey and I want to visit the beautiful places shown in the TV series" 

P6"I loved Turkey by watching Turkish series and if I had the opportunity, I would like to visit and live in it." 

P8"There is a great demand for Turkish products, especially clothing, in Yemen, and it has a name and place in 

the market, so that when a seller comes to a customer and says it's Turkish, she buys it directly." 

 

How Long Have Turkish TV Series Been Watched In Yemen, What Are the Most Important TV Series You Watch, 

and How These Are TV Series Watched 

I started watching Turkish TV series in Yemen since 2007 and there are many Turkish TV series being watched. While 

Turkish TV series were watched as dubbed over some Arabic channels in the past, TV series with Arabic subtitles are 

watched online today. 

P3"I started watching TV series through Yaprak Dökümü, Ihlamurlar Altında and Tek Turkey since 2007." 

P3"These Turkish series were shown by some Arab channels and I was watching Turkish series through these 

channels." 

P1"I started watching TV series with Kurtlar Vadisi from 2010 and now I watch TV series that are very popular 

here, as well as the Foundation Osman series, Miracle Doctor and Çukur series." 

P1"I got to know Turkish dramas through social networks, I like them after watching some small scenes, so I 

download and watch them." 

P2"I started watching TV series with Lost Years series in 2009 and these are one of the oldest TV series, as well 

as Kurtlar Vadisi and Aşk Sözlerinunderstanding." 

P2"At first I got to these dramas through television, but recently I like some scenes through social media sites, and 

then I watch them on mobile over the internet." 

P4"I started watching TV series about five years ago and watched these series (Diriliş Ertuğrul series, Ramo 

series, Savasci series, Establishment Osman series, Çukur series, Miracle Doctor series, Kirgın Flowers series, My name 

is angel series, Heartbeat series, Kuzgun series), Mehmetçik Kutulamare series". 

P4"I watch Turkish serials on YouTube or download episodes to my flash drive and watch them on my computer 

in my spare time". 
P5"I started watching TV series about ten years ago and watched these series (Ihlamurlar Altında, Gümüş, Lost 

Years, Broken Flowers, Little Bride, Saying Goodbye, Sefirin Kız and many others). 

P5"I got to know Turkish TV series through my family, who used to watch Turkish TV series every day, and I heard 

some of them from my friends." 

P5"I prefer to watch Turkish series on TV with my family" 

P6"I started watching TV series since 2007. I followed many Turkish TV series, the last of which is the Black Sea, 

Early Bird TV series, Hercai TV series, Alev Alev TV series." 

P6"I got to know Turkish TV series through the chats of my friends as well as watching some clips of TV series 

online." 



Ba Yashot, American International Journal of Social Science Research 11(1) (2022), 35-42        

  

41 
 

P6"I prefer watching Turkish TV series on YouTube because there are not many commercials like TV and I can 

watch episodes in my spare time" 

P7 “I started watching TV series when I was a kid and I started watching TV series Aşka Exile, Vatanım Sensin 

TV series, Silver TV series, Güneşin Kızları, Rebel TV series, Aşk-ı Memnu series, Kurtlar Vadisi, Ezel series, Lost years 

series, Cherry Season...etc. I followed many Turkish TV series like TV series" 

P8 "I started watching TV series in 2007. I watched many TV series such as Acı Hayat TV series, Ayrılık TV series, 

Tek Turkey TV series, Kurtlar Vadisi TV series" 

P8 "I used to watch Turkish series on Abu Dhabi TV, and the channel mostly aired TV series about Kurdish issues, 

terrorism and borders." 

P8"Currently, Turkish series are watched on YouTube or internet cafes, and internet cafes are competing to 

download Turkish series to win the most cafe visitors." 
 

DISCUSSIONS 

I started watching Turkish TV series in Yemen since 2007 and there are many Turkish TV series were being watched. While 

Turkish TV series were watched as dubbed over some Arabic channels in the past, TV series with Arabic subtitles are 

watched online today. 

There were several reasons for watching TV series in the research sample. The most important of which are the 

stories of wonderful TV series that cover Turkish TV series, raise important social issues, reinforce national values and 

increase national belonging. Moreover, Turkish drama chooses actors who are in high beauty and beautiful shooting 

locations, in addition, Turkish drama steals people's love as it simulates human desires and inclinations like courage. 

According to the research sample, the most watched Turkish TV series in Yemen are the ones with conflicts, fights 

and wars while the women prefer the romantic TV series that deal with family issues, which I recommend not to watch. 

The research sample through Turkish TV series has created a good image about Turkey and Turkish people that 

besides Turkey is a country of love and peace, as well as a cultural and social country with a deep-rooted history. The real 

history of the Seljuk and Ottoman states has been determined was done. 

Turkey and Yemen are our Muslim countries. According to the research example, there are great similarities in 

some customs and cultures as well as differences. 

Turkish TV series have made a great contribution to the promotion of tourism in Turkey. All research samples 

want to visit Turkey after watching Turkish TV series. Also, Turkish TV series are promoting Turkish products. 

 

 

 
Author Contributions: Conceptualization, M.A.S.B.Y.; Data Curation, M.A.S.B.Y.; Methodology, M.A.S.B.Y.; Validation, M.A.S.B.Y.; Visualization, 

M.A.S.B.Y.; Formal Analysis, M.A.S.B.Y.; Investigation, M.A.S.B.Y.; Resources, M.A.S.B.Y.; Writing – Original Draft, M.A.S.B.Y.; Writing – Review 

& Editing, M.A.S.B.Y.; Supervision, M.A.S.B.Y.; Project Administration, M.A.S.B.Y.; Funding Acquisition, M.A.S.B.Y. Authors have read and agreed 
to the published version of the manuscript. 

Institutional Review Board Statement: Ethical review and approval were waived for this study, due to that the research does not deal with vulnerable 
groups or sensitive issues. 

Funding: The authors received no direct funding for this research. 

Informed Consent Statement: Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study. 

Data Availability Statement: The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available 

due to restrictions. 

Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

 

REFERENCES 

Al-Faili, B. (2019, December 3). Turkish series Name Our Children .La Media Newspaper. Retrieved from 

https://laamedia.net/news.aspx?newsnum=4968  

Akova, S. (2014). The effects of Turkish TV series in the Balkans "Sample of Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and 

Herzegovina", Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Maltepe University, Istanbul. 

Bayashot, M. (2018, February 20). Ertugrul in Yemeni weddings. Watan News. Retrieved from https://wtn-

news.com/news/58852/?fbclid=IwAR3bBoqTX2rfaz2W4Zhdl8xAWZVR1IzOKdUgqh4017DeKT7ArfUplyTN

yrM. 

Hasaida, A. (2009, October 15). Israel summons the Turkish ambassador to protest against a TV series that harms Israel. 

All Arab Newspaper. Retrieved from https://www.alarab.com/Article/195113    

Katz, E., & Gurevitch, M. (1973). Uses and gratifications research. The public opinion quarterly. 

Mutaf, M. (2019, March 3). Turkey became a rival to Hollywood in the export of TV series. Anadolu Agency. Retrieved 

from https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/kultur-sanat/turkiye-dizi-film-ihracatinda-hollywooda-rakip-oldu/1408437 

Rim, M. (2012, February 20). Guys and girls derive fashion looks from Turkish series. Peace Today. Retrieved from 

https://www.djazairess.com/essalam/8361 

Tala, H. (2013, June 26). Turkish series and influence in the Arab world. Jadaliyya Net.  

https://www.jadaliyya.com/Details/28842 

Serbes, E. (2016). Last Excavation: Behzat Ç. An Ankara Crime. Communication Publications. Selcuk Universit, Turkey. 

https://laamedia.net/news.aspx?newsnum=4968
https://wtn-news.com/news/58852/?fbclid=IwAR3bBoqTX2rfaz2W4Zhdl8xAWZVR1IzOKdUgqh4017DeKT7ArfUplyTNyrM
https://wtn-news.com/news/58852/?fbclid=IwAR3bBoqTX2rfaz2W4Zhdl8xAWZVR1IzOKdUgqh4017DeKT7ArfUplyTNyrM
https://wtn-news.com/news/58852/?fbclid=IwAR3bBoqTX2rfaz2W4Zhdl8xAWZVR1IzOKdUgqh4017DeKT7ArfUplyTNyrM
https://www.alarab.com/Article/195113
https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/kultur-sanat/turkiye-dizi-film-ihracatinda-hollywooda-rakip-oldu/1408437
https://www.djazairess.com/essalam/8361
https://www.jadaliyya.com/Details/28842


Ba Yashot, American International Journal of Social Science Research 11(1) (2022), 35-42        

  

42 
 

Şentürk, R., & Eken, İ. (2017). Film Industry in Turkey. Istanbul: İTO Publications. 

Tekinalp S. & Uzun, R. (2004). Communication Studies and Theories. Istanbul: Derin Publications. 

 

 
Publisher’s Note: CRIBFB stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. 

 

 
© 2022 by the authors. Licensee CRIBFB, USA. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons 

Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). 

American International Journal of Social Science Research (P-ISSN 2576-103X   E-ISSN 2576-1048) by CRIBFB is licensed under a Creative Commons 

Attribution 4.0 International License. 

 

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

