“Turkish Rambo” Going Transnational: The Polarized Reception of Mainstream Political Cinema among the Turkish Diaspora in Belgium

Abstract

National identity has become a key theme in discussions about the Turkish media. Yet this is a topic less studied in the field of diasporic media studies. This article takes up the issue of political cinema and its reception among the Turkish diaspora. Through the example of the Valley of the Wolves (Kurtlar Vadisi) franchise, this article discusses how facts, fictions and geo-political motives converge into political cinema. Reporting on a mixed-method audience research that includes surveys, in-depth interviews, focus groups and participant observation among the Turkish community of Antwerp, this article describes the highly polarized reception of Valley of the Wolves among the diaspora.