For our MIPCOM 2026 issue, we spoke with ICOC President Şekib Avdagiç.
For our MIPCOM issue, we sat down with Şekib Avdagiç, President of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ICOC), to discuss the continued growth of Turkish content exports and Türkiye’s strengthening position in the global content market. We also discussed the challenges posed by rising production costs and changing economic conditions, the opportunities presented by co-productions and new markets, and the transformative potential of artificial intelligence and emerging formats such as micro dramas and vertical content.
Looking ahead, Avdagiç shared his views on the sector’s transition toward digital distribution and recurring revenue models, as well as ICOC’s role in helping Turkish companies adapt to global trends and establish Türkiye as a permanent and institutionalized global player in content exports.
In our previous interview, you said that you expected Turkish content exports to continue growing in 2026 and that the industry would further strengthen its position in international markets. Looking at the first half of 2026, how would you assess the performance of the Turkish content industry? Has it met your expectations?
The content and TV series sector is like an island of hope amid the negative developments in the global economy… In the global TV series and content industry, which is measured in billions of dollars, Türkiye is also one of the strong countries. Every year, dozens of newly produced Turkish TV series attract hundreds of millions of people around the world. Turkish TV series exports continue to grow year after year and continue to play an active role as Türkiye’s “soft power.”
Therefore, the sector remains satisfied. The fact that, at the 42nd MIPCOM, the number of companies participating in the national participation organized by our Chamber, in addition to individual participation, increases every year and that Türkiye’s representation is expanding in terms of square meters is very important for us… Because what meets expectations is not only the figures; it is also the fact that the number of companies participating increases every year.
Rising production costs and challenging economic conditions have become increasingly important issues for the Turkish TV and film industry. How do you assess their impact on Türkiye’s international competitiveness, and what steps should be taken to ensure that Turkish content remains competitive in global markets?
Undoubtedly, the content industry is not independent of developments in the global economy. The wars in the Middle East and between Russia and Ukraine affect the markets and create serious cost pressures. Developments in the global economy are increasingly turning into a more complex equation. TV series production costs are rising; we have to acknowledge this. But the main issue is balancing costs with competitiveness. Türkiye has a global sales volume of more than 1 billion dollars in TV series exports.
Turkish productions are watched in nearly 170 countries. What this means is this: Turkish content is in demand on a global scale. As the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, our task is to bring this demand together with Turkish content-producing companies, expand our market, open the way for our companies, and guide them in the global content market.
As the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, we are successfully fulfilling this responsibility and trying to offset the impact of costs and other economic difficulties in the global economy.
Turkish content has already established a strong presence in markets such as Latin America, the Middle East, the Balkans and Western Europe. Which regions do you see as the next major growth opportunities for Turkish content, and does the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce have any specific plans to help companies enter these markets?
As you stated, Türkiye has a strong market share from Latin America to its immediate region. As the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, our first principle is to further strengthen our effectiveness and power in our existing markets. In other words, we need to turn Turkish TV series into a lasting habit for viewers in our existing markets. As a second step, I should emphasize the following: We can say that approximately one billion people around the world watch Turkish TV series. Our goal is to reach at least one quarter of the world’s population…
To further increase the number of people who are exposed to Turkish culture, language, geography and values. When we achieve this, we will not only generate export revenue for the Turkish economy but also create positive impacts across all areas of the economy.
That is why we do not settle for a single trade fair. We have made it a principle to be present at major fairs held in various parts of the world and, on almost every continent, to bring our companies together with buyers there. In this context, since 2011, we have participated in 10 different international fairs across 4 continents. Because we know that Türkiye’s strength is too great to fit into a single market.
We are seeing Turkish producers increasingly explore co-productions and international partnerships rather than focusing solely on content sales. Do you think co-productions could be the next important stage in the international growth of the Turkish content industry? What role can the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce play in developing such collaborations?
Absolutely yes, I believe this is a very important strategy. It is an important way of being able to appeal to people belonging to different cultures, faiths and civilizations… Content sales generate revenue once; co-production provides know-how, networks and a long-term revenue model. We believe the most important platform for this is the Cannes MIPCOM Fair. That is why we have been representing the sector here since 2011. We bring our companies together with their professional counterparts and colleagues. We know that co-productions will naturally emerge because of these encounters.
Artificial intelligence is becoming one of the major topics in the global content industry, from development and production to post-production and distribution. With AI also becoming an increasingly important part of the wider business ecosystem, how prepared do you think the Turkish content industry is for this transformation? Could AI become a competitive advantage for Türkiye?
Artificial intelligence has firmly entered the agenda of the business world. It is now also an active part of our individual lifestyles… It provides significant contributions and efficiency at both the production and distribution stages of the content industry. But when it comes to the content industry, we need to consider this sensitive point: Technology alone cannot save an industry that has no story of its own, cannot ask new questions and cannot find new answers to change and developments.
The greatest advantage of the Turkish industry is its storytelling power, its ability to produce new stories and answers. More importantly, international audiences are in demand for these stories. As Eurodata data shows, the 25 percent share that Turkish TV series receive from the global market is proof of this; artificial intelligence will accelerate, expand and make this strength more interesting and effective. But without the Turkish content style, it will not be possible to achieve anything with artificial intelligence alone either.
MIPCOM 2026 is placing greater emphasis on emerging formats such as microdramas and vertical content, reflecting changes in the way audiences consume stories. Given the global success of the traditional Turkish drama format, do you expect Turkish producers to invest more in these new formats? Could Türkiye become a global player in this area as well?
My answer to the first part of this important question is that I expect investment to be made. Because this format does not appear to be a temporary trend. Global data shows the size of this market. In the first quarter of 2025, downloads of popular short drama applications exceeded 270 million. In an era when life and entertainment have become individualized, there has been a permanent structural shift in digital entertainment through mobile-first consumption and algorithm-driven platforms.
I believe Türkiye is fortunate in this field as well. Because the global success of short dramas depends on localization and cultural translation capacity. The Turkish TV series industry is also quite skilled in this regard. But Turkish producers should not view micro dramas as low-budget by-products. They need to build them as a new content field with its own language of storytelling and high-quality standards. Under these conditions, Türkiye will strengthen its position as a global player.
The Istanbul Chamber of Commerce has been organizing Türkiye’s participation at MIPCOM for many years. What are your priorities for MIPCOM 2026, and how do this year’s goals differ from those of previous editions? What kinds of opportunities do you hope Turkish companies will be able to pursue at the market?
Our primary priority is for Turkish companies to continue following the changes and new trends in the industry… To strengthen their existing markets and establish collaborations that will create new markets… For this, we believe the fair is an extremely suitable platform and offers an unlimited networking network. Because there are 2,700 international producers and 3,300 buyers at the fair. We are striving to prepare our companies in a way that allows them to take advantage of this opportunity. Our aim is once again to ensure that our companies take their seats at the table as strongly as possible at MIPCOM 2026.
Looking ahead to the next three to five years, where do you see the Turkish content industry in the global market? And what role does the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce aim to play in supporting the industry through this next stage of its international growth?
First, let us look at the picture once again: The Turkish TV series industry is in a leading position in the world. Our TV series has reached one billion viewers. We have export figures reaching/exceeding one billion dollars. In my opinion, our most important advantage is that Turkish TV series are not a passing fad; they still have strong demand. The fact that demand for Turkish TV series increased by 184% between 2020 and 2023 alone is an important indication of this…
Now, looking to the future from this point: We should say that the address of growth for Türkiye in the period ahead will be digital distribution, namely platforms. The next stage should be moving from one-off sales to their own platforms and models that generate recurring revenue. Turkish content producers will be adept at this.
Because our greatest ability is to integrate into changing conditions without wasting time. In this context, the role of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce is to position our companies in the global market through trade fair organizations and buyer meetings and to accelerate the sector’s transition to this new stage. Our goal is to make Türkiye a permanent and institutionalized global player in content exports by rapidly adapting to changes in global industry trends, and to keep it there.
