The exceptional circumstances in Yemen, including electricity outages, have not hindered Turkish TV series and dramas from having unlimited access and achieving widespread popularity among Yemeni girls and women. These women spend long hours weekly watching these series, a habit that has led Manal, a 20-year-old university student, to memorize many Turkish phrases and terms used in these series, which she often uses in her interactions with her family and university colleagues.
Despite the fundamental differences between the realities of the two countries' societies, this very contrast seems to be one of the reasons behind the growing interest of Yemeni girls in the details of Turkish drama plots. These shows serve as a means to escape from their well-known harsh reality. In most Yemeni households, television and satellite channels have become a thing of the past or a rarity that has been forgotten over the past ten years of war and service collapse.
Manal tells "Khuyut" that, due to the electricity outage, the TV screen has become an abandoned device. Instead, in recent years, she has turned to Turkish series and dramas available on internet websites that provide them illegally or sold on SD cards and USB flash drives at stores that offer mobile applications and services. Consequently, these storage devices are often shared among friends, while watching online—albeit often in low resolution—remains the most common method.
“The reasons behind the widespread popularity of these drama series among Yemeni women are varied, ranging from escaping their harsh realities and seeking relief in a better imagined reality, to fleeing from societal problems or unfulfilled dreams hindered by societal customs. These series often evoke a liberal culture, starkly contrasting with the conservative traditions of Yemeni society.”
Manal started watching Turkish series when she was a high school student. She tells "Khuyut" that her interest is driven by the compelling plots and diverse storylines, which vary in their ability to capture attention from one series to another. Additionally, she is eager to learn the Turkish language and explore cultural aspects beyond Arabic culture and language. She also explains that she avoids listening to any summaries of the series to prevent forming preconceived impressions.
Actually, Manal is one of many Yemeni women of various age groups, including those in their fifties, who passionately follow and watch these Turkish series. She recounts the story of a female relative who watches the dubbed series in the Syrian dialect and makes sure never to miss an episode.
Strong Plotlines and Breaking Traditions
In her interview with "Khuyut," Ahlam, a 30-year-old Yemeni woman, says that she spends more than two hours a day watching Turkish series. She adds, "Sometimes my attachment to a series is so strong that I postpone my tasks and avoid social events or leaving the house."
When asked whether she prefers watching series with written subtitles or dubbed in the Syrian dialect, as many do, Ahlam states that she prefers subtitled series. She feels that subtitles preserve the original emotional essence of Turkish dramas, whether they are dramatic, romantic, action-packed, historical, medical, or comedic. She adds, "What attracts me is the strong plotlines, unique scenarios and scripts, background music, and the Turkish language, which I’ve started to understand without needing translation."
Regardless of the many opinions on the motives, Ahlam's reasons are not much different. She says, "What attracts me most is how the characters in the series treat the women they love, which contrasts with how Yemeni men interact with their partners or wives. Additionally, Turkish series often address and depict breaking societal norms, customs, and traditions—some of which are similar to Yemeni traditions—but Turkish women are portrayed as standing up against society and their families, unlike what happens in Yemen."
She adds, "Turkish series also address issues such as social class and secret relationships between genders in educational or work environments, reflecting real aspects of Turkish society. In contrast, Yemeni dramas often lack exploration of these topics and fall short in terms of advanced filming techniques, resources, dramatic plots, background music, and lighting, which is why I do not watch them."
Escaping Reality: Episodes Full of Humor
Turkish series vary in episode count; some are short, ranging between 12 and 26 episodes, while others are long, exceeding 60 episodes, with each episode lasting over two hours. Despite the length of the episodes, Ahlem is keen to watch them. For her friend Taghreed (26 years old), the length of the episode is one of the reasons for her interest. She says: "Because they are long, they make the viewer feel a sense of belonging, as if he has a series to return to over time."
Taghreed explains to "Khuyut" why she is drawn to these series: "They offer a blend of action and exaggerated foreign and Indian drama, and the language is very enjoyable and easy to understand." She adds, "The difference between these series and Yemeni ones is like night and day. Although Arab series have similar themes and are not vastly different from Turkish dramas, the Turkish scripts always prevail and win because they resonate with people's hearts. They express emotions and feelings that are difficult to explain in words, presenting them easily."
As for Afnan, she explains that what attracts her to these series, aside from their captivating and intriguing stories, is that they provide "an escape from harsh reality, as their reality is different from ours." Additionally, the series vary between drama, action, and romance, with each genre offering different stories and continuous events, which makes each series exciting and thrilling, unlike Indian dramas.
Regarding the liberal culture often depicted in these series, which contrasts with the conservative traditions of Yemeni society, Afnan tells "Khuyut" that Turkish series are somewhat "modest" compared to Egyptian ones. She also mentions another reason for her preference, by saying, "The diversity of actors and actresses, especially the characters of the heroes, makes each series unique and distinct from the others, unlike Yemeni series."
On the reasons behind the widespread popularity of these drama series among Yemeni women, Afnan believes they serve as a relief and an outlet for imagining a better reality, an escape from problems or unfulfilled dreams due to societal customs, and also serve as a way to pass the time.
Similar Customs and Media Influence
In the context of justifications and explanations Yemeni women offer when asked about their interest in Turkish series, Abrar (29 years old) suggests that "this interest stems from the similarities in customs and traditions related to women between Turkey and rural Yemeni communities." She notes that the bold way these issues are discussed in Turkish dramas allows viewers to experience and live through the stories and injustices women face.
“According to Google Trends data on searches for the term "Turkish series" conducted globally over the past five years, Yemen ranked third among the countries that appeared on the map, following Lebanon and Syria, with Jordan and Iraq came in fourth and fifth places, respectively.”
Nevertheless, Abrar believes, during her interview with "Khuyut," that viewers are not watching these series voluntarily of their own accord, but rather as a result of the extensive promotion targeted by Arab channels.
She further adds, "Not long ago, the predominant preference among women in the Arab world was for Mexican dramas, but the situation has changed now. In my opinion, it is the channels that dictate what viewers watch."
Logical Reasons and Negative Impacts
In this context, Dr. Mohammed Al-Faqih Kafi, Professor of Communication Theories and Head of the Radio and Television Department at the Faculty of Mass Communication at Sana'a University, points out in his interview with "Khuyut" that many studies have shown a significant increase in the interest of Arab women, particularly Yemeni women, in watching these series through Arab satellite channels. He notes that this interest has various effects, potentially altering women's behaviors and values as they attempt to emulate what they watch on screen in reality.
He adds that the reasons driving women to watch these types of series include "the decent and appropriate social behavior portrayed, the high-quality acting, and the overall allure. These logical reasons pertain to a general tendency among women to be attracted to anything presented beautifully and meticulously, which explains their fascination with these series."
Additionally, Kafi points out another reason for women's attraction to these series: their focus on socially and romantically themed content, which resonates with women's emotions and provides an escape from social realities. Regarding the effects, he believes that these series can impart negative values to women due to their immersion in the series’ events and storylines, particularly among divorced women, who may be more affected due to their emotional void compared to single and married women. However, he also acknowledges that women also gain some positive values from watching dubbed drama series, though to a lesser extent.
Kafi also mentions several effects, including the cultural impact on women’s dress and appearance and the imitation of series characters (the heroes). He notes that these series affect women's social values, such as family cohesion and healthy marital relationships, and even influence their daily behavior. These series, whether intentionally or unintentionally, promote certain negative values as if they represent the ideal behavioral norms to be adopted in society. Additionally, there is an economic impact, as they have reinforced a culture of consumption among women.
According to Google Trends data on search activity for the term "Turkish series" over the past five years, Yemen ranked third globally, following Lebanon and Syria, with Jordan and Iraq coming in fourth and fifth places, respectively. For searches of the term "Turkish dramas," Saudi Arabia tops the list of countries with the highest search volume. These search trends are also prominent in countries like Egypt, Oman, Algeria, Libya, Jordan, Tunisia, and others. However, these search keywords are not exhaustive and cannot be precisely quantified, but they serve as a relative indicator of the level of interest.
The data shows a significant increase in search activity in Yemen, with search volumes rising exponentially over the past five years, peaking at the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024.
