Turkish dramas are wildly addicting. And while dramas overall have been revamping their typical story lines, there are still certain cliches that never really go away.
Here are 15 Turkish drama cliches that never go away!
1. Handsome Male Leads
Whether they are blonde or dark, the male leads in Turkish dramas are always HOT and HANDSOME and CHARMING etc. They are always perfect in every angle. They wait the perfect woman that they have always dreamed about. They have a great body and perfect height. They at least once show their great body to the audience. Remember Kivanc Tatlitug’s fighting scene in North South (Kuzey Guney).
Brave and Beautiful (Cesur ve Guzel) – Cesur (Kivanc Tatlitug)
Lovebird (Calikusu) – Kamuran (Burak Ozcivit)
2. Beautiful Female Leads
The female leads in Turkish dramas are always BEAUTIFUL, helpful and kind-hearted. They are also WELL-INTENTIONED so that they can believe in whatever said.
Of course there are exceptions for the innocence of female leads. Remember female leads in Forbidden Love (Aski Memnu) where Bihter (Beren Saat) had an affair with her husband’s nephew and Magnificent Century (Muhtesem Yuzyil) where Hurrem Sultan (Meryem Uzerli) even caused the death of her husband’s famous shahzade Mustafa.
Black Money and Love (Kara Para Ask) – Elif (Tuba Buyukustun)
Blind Love (Kara Sevda) – Nihan (Neslihan Atagul)
3. Weird Psychotic Ex-Girlfriend
In Turkish dramas, there is always a psychotic ex-girlfriend who proves to be a real evil. She can be evil from the start or something may happen to push her in that direction, in either way, this secondary female character will do whatever she can in order to damage our innocent female lead. Psychotic ex-girlfriends are well-dressed, well-educated, jealous, and never want to be defeated.
Room Number 309 (No: 309) – Pelinsu (Irem Helvacioglu)
4. Evil Mother-In-Love
In Turkish dramas, there is always an OVER PROTECTIVE mother, who thinks that her child is the golden child of the world and deserves to get married to someone of equal perceived standing. Rich father, on the other hand, is a CEO and uninterested towards his child. These RICH parents usually own a big, well-known, successful family business. They have in mind a prospective daughter-in-love who comes from a rich family as well.
Love and Punishment (Ask ve Ceza) – Sahnur (Tomris Incer)
Aliye – İkbal Karahan (Ayten Uncuoğlu)
5. Protective Modest/Poor Parents
In Turkish dramas, evil rich parents are usually balanced by NICER parents with a poor background. These parents do whatever they can do for their children even if they do not have so much money. They are poor but HONEST, upfront, fair etc.
Fall of The Leaves (Yaprak Dokumu) – Ali Riza Bey (Halit Ergenc) and Hayriye (Guven Hokna)
Foreign Groom (Yabanci Damat) – Kahraman (Erdal Ozyagcilar) and Feride (Sumru Yavrucuk)
6. Bad Rich Boy Who Becomes a Good Boy
Male protagonist who starts off bad in one way or another eventually is changed by the lower class maiden that hates him. There is a snobby rich boy syndrome.
Waiting for the Sun (Gunesi Beklerken) – Kerem (Kerem Bursin)
From Fatih to Harbiye (Fatih Harbiye) – Macit (Kadir Dogulu)
7. Families with Big Residences and Conglomerates
In Turkish dramas, we always see big residences and conglomerates as if we all have rich husband, friend or relative. Characters have power and money and can do whatever they want. But we cannot understand how they earn money because they often do not work: they go to their workplaces, hang out there just a few seconds and do useless things that are not related to their work. We see these bosses usually attending to tender or signing an important contract but nothing else.
We also see what happens among the servants who live in these big residences. There are always scenes about servants who have chat in the kitchens. These servants know the secrets of the family: some of them are loyal while others are not.
Additionally, marrying with these super rich families comes with a price in Turkish dramas.
Forbidden Love (Aski Memnu)
Silver (Gumus)
8. Poor Becomes Rich
In Turkish dramas, there are always poor characters (usually males) who somewhat resemble to us. Their lives always seem similar to us. However, these poor characters find a way to become rich, most of the time, in order to take revenge. They become successful and start to appear as a businessman. We cannot understand how intelligent and smart they are, even though they are not well-educated. They appear to be capable of doing all sorts of amazing things.
Ezel – Ezel (Kenan Imirzalioglu)
Under The Linden Trees (Ihlamurlar Altinda) – Yilmaz (Bulent Inal)
9. Rich Girl and Poor Boy Love
In Turkish dramas, we always see the love between two persons who has different family backgrounds. Either female leads become rich while male leads become poor or vice versa. We want to see the discussions resulted from being poor and rich. By this way, we have a chance to discover cultural differences.
Poor male leads are always proud, honest and hard-working while rich female leads always seek for pure love instead of money.
Eid and Tide (Medcezir) – Yaman (Cagatay Ulusoy) and Mira (Serenay Sarikaya)
Dirty Money & Love (Kara Para Ask) – Omer (Engin Akyurek) and Elif (Tuba Buyukustun)
10. Rich Boy and Poor Girl Love
In Turkish dramas, we always see the love between two persons who has different family backgrounds. Either female leads become rich while male leads become poor or vice versa. We want to see the discussions resulted from being poor and rich. By this way, we have a chance to discover cultural differences.
When female leads are poor, they manage to attract multiple hot, rich guys.
I Named Her Feriha (Adini Feriha Koydum) – Emir (Cagatay Ulusoy) and Feriha (Hazal Kaya)
Life Song (Hayat Sarkisi) – Kerem (Birkan Sokullu) and Hulya (Burcu Biricik)
11. Secrets between Protagonists
In Turkish dramas, there are always secrets. Either female lead or male lead hides something. These secrets may be something hidden in their past. When they disclose the secrets to each other, there appears another secret.
Until Death (Olene Kadar)
Rebellious (Asi)
12. Eavesdrop
In Turkish dramas, we always see eavesdrop either intentionally or unintentionally. Usually, characters listen to the conversation, hear what they want to hear, and leave before the end of the sentence.
13. Flashbacks Galore
In Turkish dramas, you will always see a few flashbacks in each episode. Especially, when the female and male leads have a discussion and fall apart, we see their good memories. Music or a theme song accompany with these flashbacks.
There you have it. Turkish drama clichés that never go away. What do you think? Have any clichés that are all too common? Let us know!
14. The Second Lead Syndrome
The second male leads are polite, rich, caring, and gorgeous but they never get the girl. Eventually, the female leads pick a much deserving male lead over a very kind and sweet second lead.
1001 Nights (Binbir Gece) – Kerem (Tardu Flordun)
Rental Love (Kiralik Ask) – Sinan (Salih Bademci)
15. Kissing Scenes
Sometimes these kisses are overdramatized and static and sometimes they are passionate.
Most of the time, the audience waits the first kiss. When they will kiss? How will it happen? Will it be romantic or passionate? For instance, the audience waited too long to see the first kiss of Fatmagul and Kerim from the famous Turkish drama What is Fatmagul’s Fault? Since the characters portrayed an innocent love, we all expected to see an overdramatized romantic first kiss. However, we were not satisfied with their first kiss.
On the other hand, when the couples are discussing and yelling each other, they might happen to kiss all of a sudden. These kiss scenes are usually passionate.
What is Fatmagul’s Fault? (Fatmagulun Sucu Ne?) – Kerim (Engin Akyurek) and Fatmagul (Beren Saat)
Magnificent Century – Suleyman (Halit Ergenc) and Hurrem (Meryem Uzerli)
Black Uncle (Karadayi) – Mahir (Kenan Imirzalioglu) and Feride (Berguzar Korel)
