A record-high number of Turkish soap operas were sold last year to countries from Europe, the Balkans and the Middle East.

The Bulgarian News Agency reported that the number of Turkish soap operas sold in 2010 was 70. The information was stated by Firat Gulgen, Director of the Turkish media group Kalinos Holding, which is responsible for 80% of the sales of Turkish soap operas abroad.

According to him, one episode of a soap opera currently costs between USD 20.000 and USD 500.000, while at the beginning the cost was between USD 30 and USD 50.

"We have different projects in Russia and Germany. We are about to air "Binbir Gece" in Ukraine. Our biggest market is in the Middle East and it is 60%," Gulgen said, adding that the soap operas that focus on teenagers are not popular and the demand for them is low.

He has also stated that the airing of a new soap opera about Fatih Sultan Mehmet, the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, is scheduled for 2012.

"The series will have 30 episodes. The budget is USD 25 M. Besides, we have USD 50 M more, which will be spent on making a movie on the same subject," Gulgen said.

Turkish soap operas have gained an overwhelming popularity in Bulgaria. According to the Austrian paper Der Standard, Turkish soap operas have conquered the Balkans, reversing the country's negative image with the Balkan nations from the time of the Ottoman yoke.

The various series use well-known models - they focus on the head of the family but also feature tangled love affairs, often showing poor but talented young girls falling in love with their boss.

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