by Burak Akinci
ANKARA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- In the past decade, Türkiye, which hosted productions including Oscar-winning "Argo," James Bond's "Skyfall," "Charlie's Angels," and "Inferno," is emerging as a preferred destination for foreign film sets.
Thanks to the incentives Türkiye provided to global producers, a total of 223 foreign productions were made in the country in 2022, a 46 percent increase compared to the previous year, the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry said last week, adding that more foreign productions are expected to be filmed in Türkiye in the coming period.
In early 2020, Türkiye launched a new cash rebate of up to 30 percent based on local spending for feature films, documentaries and TV series, as part of efforts to entice international productions to the country.
Ahmet Ercan, an independent production professional from Istanbul, Türkiye's largest city where the bulk of Turkish TV and film production companies are based, told Xinhua that the cash rebate offered by the Turkish government has made Türkiye a very attractive country for all kinds of film production.
This industry veteran pointed out that shooting in Türkiye is cost-effective because "You can find a magnificent natural environment here and shoot for a much affordable price with a very proficient Turkish team."
Apart from foreign productions, Türkiye has also gained recognition in the industry for its domestically-produced series which have expanded in size and quantity during the past ten years and were sold to dozens of countries in the world.
According to a report on the Turkish entertainment industry published last September by the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, the country rose to the world's second-largest exporter of TV series after the United States, exporting more than 500 million U.S. dollars worth of Turkish series in 2022.
Several other industries have profited from the growth of the Turkish show business, especially tourism, a boon to a country reeling from high inflation and a weakening currency.
Some travel agencies offer foreign tourists guided visits to various film sets around the country. A tour of the fashionable shopping malls and trendy restaurants or cafés where their preferred Turkish actors usually hang out is also popular among travelers. ■
