Turkish TV series now shown in 36 countries

The number of foreign countries where Turkish television series are being aired has risen to 36, the Culture Ministry's Abdurrahman Celik said on Saturday. In the southeastern province of Mardin to visit the set of the series "Ask Bir Hayal" (Love Is a Dream), Celik said that a growing number of Turkish TV series are breaking viewing records in the Middle East, the Balkans and Turkic nations. "There is a great interest in Turkey throughout the world," he said. "In addition, many film production companies want to shoot movies or TV series in Turkey , as they are fascinated by Turkey 's natural beauty they see in our TV series." Celik added that the government is working to make it easier for foreign film crews to shoot in Turkey . Celik stated that many foreign production teams want to shoot in eastern and southeastern provinces, especially Mardin and Şanlıurfa, as they find the local lifestyles very interesting. Cappadocia is another popular spot for filming, he added.