The use of soft power element in television series in Turkey: The example of "Teşkilat series"

In international relations, the media, especially television series, are an important part of countries' soft power and cultural diplomacy strategies. Turkey has achieved a significant global cultural export success in the TV series sector and uses it effectively to create an image in the international arena. In this context, this thesis study aimed to analyze the content of the national security and intelligence-themed 'Organization' series within the framework of the soft power concept and to reveal the contributions and limitations of the series to Turkey's international image. The soft power elements in the plot, characters, places and dialogues of the series were analyzed by qualitative content analysis method on the first 14 episodes of the series broadcast in the first season. As a result of the analyses, it has been revealed that the 'Organization' series uses not only physical operations, but also many soft power elements such as intelligence, technology use (SIHA, KORAL), intra-team solidarity, national values emphasis, information management and psychological tactics strategically and aims to create a strong state image. Sunday Sunday, however, according to the specific market data examined in the study (UK and China sales), it was estimated that the series has a more modest international commercial performance compared to the general Turkish TV series sector and that intense national security themes may limit its appeal in certain markets. As a result, the 'Organization" series is a production that combines hard and soft power (smart power) and tells about Turkey's national security and determination. The study aimed to contribute to the academic literature by examining the place of security-themed popular media in soft power strategies, their potential contributions and possible limitations due to the theme. Keywords: Soft Power,, Television Series, Content Analysis, Organizational Series.