Turkey as a “Willing Receiver” of American Soft Power: Hollywood Movies in Turkey during the Cold War

Abstract

Defining the relationship between the US and Turkey as one in which Turkey was a “willing receiver,” this study illuminates the general question of how Turkey's foreign policy orientation is relevant to the analysis of the success of US soft power in Turkey during the Cold War. For this purpose, it focuses on the centrality of Turkey's foreign policy orientation in facilitating the popular reception of Hollywood movies in Turkey by looking at how Turkey interpreted its regulations on films in favor of original or remakes of Hollywood movies. The paper concludes that while setting the scene for both the popularity of American movies and the effective use of US soft power strategies, Turkey's foreign policy orientation had far-reaching consequences for the development of the Turkish movie sector.