By Hossam Badawi</p> <p>KHARTOUM (AA) – Since they first appeared in Sudan in 2008, Turkish television dramas have become increasingly popular among Sudanese viewers.</p> <p>Anadolu Agency spoke to several Sudanese young people who explained why Turkish soap operas — which are dubbed into Arabic — had become so popular.</p> <p>Ahmed Osama, a student at Khartoum’s Sudan University, said his passion for Turkish television dramas stemmed from his desire to learn the Turkish language.</p> <p>"I have been watching Turkish soap operas for a long time, both for entertainment and for academic reasons," he said.</p> <p>Ahmed partially attributes the recent improvement in Turkey-Sudan relations to the burgeoning popularity of Turkish television dramas among Sudanese viewers.</p> <p>For Sara Sadeeq, a recent university graduate, her love of Turkish television dramas is driven largely by her passion for cooking and love of foreign cuisine.</p> <p>"I'm currently watching the Turkish series ‘Small Crimes’, which came out last year,” she said. "I love to cook, so when I follow a Turkish TV series, my focus is on the many kinds of food that is shown."</p> <p>Sadeeq does not hide her laughter when she declares her love for "simit", a traditional round bread topped by sesame seeds — a staple part of any Turkish breakfast.</p> <p>"Through Turkish TV dramas, I’m also familiar with Adana Kebabi [a hand-minced meat kebab]," she said. "Someday I hope to visit Adana [a city in southern Turkey] and taste it myself."</p> <p>"I’m also now familiar with Turkey’s most famous tourist destinations, such as Izmir, Afyon, Adana, Bodrum and — of course — Istanbul,” she added. "All of which I hope to visit someday."</p> <p>Haram Ahmed, a Turkish language student at the Yunus Emre Institute in Khartoum, is currently following the Turkish TV series "Fallen Leaves", produced in 2005.</p> <p>She especially enjoys the show for its portrayals of Turkish architecture and interior design. </p> <p>"Now I’m familiar with many sophisticated interior designs and architectural motifs," Ahmed said.</p> <p><br>
- 'Different perspective'
Musa Hamed, a Sudanese journalist and culture expert, told Anadolu Agency that Sudanese people are generally used to a “certain type” of television drama.
“Turkish soap operas, by contrast, give Sudanese viewers a different perspective from what is generally seen in TV dramas from Egypt, Syria or the Arab Gulf, ” Hamad said.
He believes television dramas are largely reflections of the societies in which they are produced.
“Turkish soap operas, for example, reflect Turkey’s modern and progressive society, ” Musa said. “This is one of the main reasons Sudanese viewers enjoy them so much. “
