At TIF 2024, the panel titled “Art, Soft Power, and the World” was moderated by Ali Güreli, Founder and President of the Contemporary Istanbul Foundation. The panel featured Işık University Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Bülent Kahraman, architect Han Tümertekin, and film producer Timur Savcı as speakers.

Işık University Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Bülent Kahraman stated:
“We are in a period where global conditions are changing, and problems are increasing. The concept of soft power is particularly appealing because it enables us to solve these issues without resorting to war or conflict. When we talk about soft power, culture and tourism must be considered together. We need to analyze a culture that is inseparable from tourism and a tourism that is inseparable from culture. The problem is right in front of us. Without an interdisciplinary approach that integrates different fields, it is impossible for a culture to establish itself within another society through culture and tourism alone.”

Architect Han Tümertekin shared insights about projects carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. He stated: “All cultural events in Istanbul are currently concentrated in the European side of the city. With our new projects, we aim to extend this reach to Anatolia as well.”

Turkish cinema, TV series, and film producer Timur Savcı said:
“Today, Turkish TV series are watched in 172 countries. It is impossible to reach the countries where these series organically spread through conventional advertising campaigns. No other investment outside of TV series could provide this kind of organic promotion without requiring a significant advertising budget. This industry initially grew through investments made by producers like us for the domestic market, and it expanded over the years. Muhteşem Yüzyıl (The Magnificent Century) was a turning point in this journey. Its success was not coincidental. We worked on this project for two years with the late Meral Okay, collaborating with esteemed history professors. A tremendous amount of effort and dedication went into it, and ultimately, we succeeded.

The export journey of Turkish TV series began in the Middle East and has now expanded significantly across North and South America, Europe, and the Far East. Fifteen years ago, many people had no idea about Turkey, not even its location on the map. Now, through TV series, they have been introduced to our lifestyle, gastronomy, culture, and architecture. Viewers visit the locations where we film, and some even try to learn our language from these shows. These are significant developments, and we have all benefited from this transformation on a global scale.”