Turkey, India to collaborate on $20 mn entertainment content

India's Doordarshan and Turkey's state broadcaster TRT will sign a MoU to collaborate for entertainment content exports worth $20 million to India by 2018, Turkish Ambassador to India Burak Akcapar said here on Thursday.

The two state-owned companies will sign an MOU shortly, he said at the ongoing three-day FICCI Frames 2016 here on behalf of the biggest delegation of Turkish companies led by the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce and Tourism which is attending the major global entertainment conclave.

Turkey will also enhance its collaboration with Indian film industry and is in talks with MAMI Film Festival to showcase Turkish cinema for the Indian audiences in its October 2016 edition, he added.

Stating that the world is in pursuit of Turkish content, Akcapar said its original content touches lives of billions of people in around 100 countries worldwide.

"As the world's second rapid growing country, Turkey's export figure in content business is projected to be $1 billion by 2023," he said.

He said Turkey's first TV content export to India - "Feriha" on Zee Zindagi channel -- has been well-received by Indian audiences with an average viewership of 36 million each week.

Spurred by its success, many Indian television networks and general entertainment channels are in discussions with Turkish content providers to roll out more Turkish serials for the Indian audiences.

The ICC has brought Turkey's leading content industry representatives to interact with representatives of Indian media and entertainment industry at its 'Turkey Home of Content' stall at the FICCI Frames.

Some of the companies participating include Turkish Radio and Television Corporation, Ayyapim, Kadraj, Kanal 7, Outline Ajans, Pana Film, Tax Medya, ULKE TV and others seeking collaborations with Indian media-entertainment companies.