Türkiye has become a global hub for cinema and cultural productions, reaching audiences in more than 170 countries with over 20 billion viewers, according to Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy.
Speaking at a press conference in Istanbul on Friday, Ersoy highlighted the growth of Turkish films and TV series as key cultural exports, alongside plans for the 2025-2026 season, including the eight-month Culture Road Festival across 20 cities featuring nearly 7,000 events and 45,000 artists.
Ersoy said: “The Culture Road Festival has been one of the most important projects contributing to our achievements. What began as the modest yet impactful Beyoğlu Culture Road Festival has now expanded to new cities, bringing cultural and artistic events to our people.”
Ersoy outlined plans for future expansions, noting that the festival will grow to 26 cities next year. “By 2026, Aydın, Eskişehir, Kahramanmaraş, Mersin, Ordu and Sakarya will also join the festival calendar. We have already completed our plans not only for next year but also for 2027. In 2027, the program will expand further to include Balıkesir, Denizli, Hatay, Kocaeli, Muğla and Tekirdağ, reaching a total of 32 cities,” he said.
The minister also highlighted the Anatolian Festival and Living Heritage programs. “Under the coordination of the Directorate General of Living Heritage and Cultural Events, we held the Anatolian Festival this year in five cities. The first Anatolian Festival began on Aug. 22 in Hakkari, followed by Tunceli, Şırnak, Bingöl and Bitlis. Next year, we plan to extend it to four more provinces. By the end of this year, Living Heritage celebrations will have taken place in 10 cities, and next year we will add another five. With nine Anatolian Festivals and 15 Living Heritage celebrations, we will have brought cultural and artistic events to the people of 50 provinces across the country.”
State Theater productions reached 59 stages nationwide in 2024 with 6,676 performances and 2.269 million spectators. “This season, 237 plays were staged, including 99 local and 138 foreign productions,” Ersoy said.
The State Opera and Ballet also showed growth. “In the 2024–2025 season, more than 1,200 performances attracted 703,000 spectators, alongside 99 additional shows at national and international festivals, reaching 125,000 more attendees,” Ersoy said.
On cinema, Ersoy said government support for film projects has grown significantly, with TL 382 million ($9 million) provided in 2024 and nearly TL 473 million approved for 2025. He added that the Turkish Cinema Festival on Sept. 27–28 set a September attendance record, drawing over 1.18 million viewers across 20,000 screenings in 1,500 theaters. To encourage more audiences, the ministry is introducing “Cinema Wednesdays,” with tickets at TL 120.
Ersoy emphasized the global reach of Turkish TV series, stating, “Thousands of people around the globe have even learned Turkish thanks to our dramas.”
Other highlights included the growth of fine arts and libraries. “From 585 events in the 2017-2018 season, the number rose to 1,006 in 2024-2025. The Presidential Symphony Orchestra played 108 concerts last season and will celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2025-2026,” Ersoy said.
Regarding libraries, he said: “We currently have 1,301 libraries affiliated with the ministry. In 2002, library space was 234,000 square meters; today it exceeds 751,000 square meters. The number of books has grown from 12.5 million in 2002 to nearly 26 million today. User numbers have risen from 23 million in 2002 to 39 million in 2024. Borrowed materials have grown from 424,000 in 2002 to 7.6 million today.”
Ersoy also noted progress on copyright and publishing. “Copyright issues, which had remained unresolved for decades, were addressed through a new protocol on music licensing, resolving more than 5,000 legal cases in a single night. Similarly, the number of banderols issued has grown steadily over the years, with hundreds of millions issued in recent years and already a significant number in 2025 alone.”
