TV drama revives Türkiye’s identity debate

By Shabana Ayaz

ANKARA, Turkiye (MNTV) – These days, anyone walking through the city centers of Ankara or Istanbul is likely to notice large billboards carrying the image of a woman in a headscarf and the title “Şule: Senin Hikâyen” (Şule: Your Story).

What appears at first glance to be another historical television drama has quickly become one of the most discussed cultural productions in Türkiye.

Broadcast by the state-run TRT network, the series tells the story of Şule Yüksel Şenler, a writer, columnist, and social activist whose influence extended far beyond literature. Decades after her rise to prominence, her name still evokes strong emotions among Turks on both sides of the country’s long-running debate over religion and secularism.

The drama has attracted a large audience, but its significance lies less in television ratings than in the public conversation it has reignited. Newspapers, television panels, academics, politicians, and social media users are once again debating questions that have shaped modern Türkiye since the founding of the Republic more than a century ago.

At the heart of the discussion is a familiar question: How should Türkiye balance its secular republican foundations with its Ottoman and Islamic heritage?

For some viewers, the series is an overdue recognition of a woman who represented the aspirations and struggles of a large segment of Turkish society. For others, it reflects a broader effort to reinterpret modern Turkish history through a more religious and conservative lens.

When Mustafa Kemal Atatürk established modern Türkiye in 1923, he introduced sweeping reforms designed to create a secular nation-state. Religious institutions were separated from political authority, and public life was reshaped according to modernist principles.

Supporters of this model argue that secularism enabled Türkiye’s modernization and integration with the contemporary world. Yet many Turks have long maintained that the country’s Islamic and Ottoman heritage remains an inseparable part of its national identity.

Those competing visions have never fully disappeared. Instead, they have resurfaced repeatedly through elections, constitutional debates, educational reforms, and cultural productions. Today, a television drama has become the latest arena where those questions are being contested.

Woman behind debate

 To understand the intensity of the discussion, one must understand the figure at its center.

 Şule Yüksel Şenler emerged as a prominent public voice during the 1960s and 1970s, a period marked by political turmoil and fierce arguments over the role of religion in public life. Through her columns, books, and public speeches, she spoke about identity, morality, social values, and the place of faith in modern society. Her writings reached readers across the country and helped shape a generation of conservative thinkers.

Her influence became especially significant during debates surrounding the headscarf.

For much of the late twentieth century, restrictions on headscarf-wearing women in universities and public institutions became one of the country’s most contentious issues. Supporters of strict secularism viewed such measures as necessary to preserve the neutrality of public institutions. Critics argued they violated personal freedoms and religious rights.

Şenler became one of the most recognizable voices challenging those restrictions. To many conservative Turks, she symbolized resistance against state-imposed limitations on religious expression. To her critics, she represented a political movement that sought to blur the boundaries between religion and public life.

One defining moment came when she openly criticized comments by then-President Cevdet Sunay regarding religious expression. The criticism led to legal action against her and elevated her status among supporters who viewed her as standing up to state authority. Over time, her personal story evolved into a symbol of a broader struggle for freedom of expression.

More than entertainment

The significance of the series is also linked to the broadcaster behind it.

TRT is not merely another television channel. As Türkiye’s public broadcaster, its productions are often viewed as reflections of broader cultural and national priorities. As a result, dramas aired by TRT frequently generate discussion that extends beyond entertainment.

Supporters of the series argue that it shines a light on historical experiences that were overlooked or marginalized in earlier narratives of modern Turkish history. They say younger generations deserve to learn about such figures as Şenler and the social movements they inspired.

Government officials have defended such productions as efforts to preserve collective memory and strengthen cultural awareness. They argue that historical dramas help connect younger audiences with the country’s social and cultural past.

Burhanettin Duran, head of Türkiye’s Presidential Directorate of Communications, has described such cultural projects as contributing to a shared national narrative and reinforcing cultural continuity between past and present.

But some secular commentators argue that state-supported productions risk presenting a single interpretation of complex historical periods. They warn that historical dramas can shape public memory and therefore deserve scrutiny. Others see the debate as another example of Türkiye’s enduring polarization, where questions of religion, identity, and modernity continue to divide public opinion.

The passionate reaction on social media demonstrates how deeply these issues resonate. Supporters celebrate the series as recognition of neglected social experiences. But the question arises whether it offers a sufficiently balanced portrayal of history.

Ultimately, the discussion surrounding “Şule: Senin Hikâyen” is about far more than a television programme. It reflects a continuing national conversation over how Türkiye remembers its past and imagines its future.

The series may not answer those questions. But it has ensured that they are being asked once again. And judging by the debate unfolding across the country, that conversation is far from over.

*Shabana Ayaz is a Pakistani journalist based in Ankara, Turkiye