Russian veterans fear Turkish TV shows push Russian baba to despise her muzhik

Veterans of Russia public movement has joined MP Vitaly Milonov in calling for a ban on Turkish television series in the country. Activists argue that such content:

Photo: Gülcemal TV series is licensed under public domain

Gülcemal TV series

• negatively impacts demographics,
• reduces Russian women's interest in local men,
• undermines the institution of the family.

A formal request for the ban has been submitted to the State Duma, Roskomnadzor, and the Ministry of Culture.

The movement claims that Turkish TV series create an "unrealistic image of men," which distorts expectations and damages relationships.

"Women, after watching these soap operas, lose interest in our men, expecting unrealistic behavior shaped by foreign productions," said Veterans of Russia chairman Ildar Rezyapov.

He asserted that the rising popularity of Turkish dramas contributes to declining birth rates and family breakdown in Russia. The group proposed introducing the concept of "destructive propaganda" into law to define what elements of film content should be restricted.

Previously, MP Vitaly Milonov also advocated for banning Turkish shows, calling them "utter nonsense" in a radio interview last summer. Such shows mislead Russian women into believing life in Turkey is as glamorous as depicted on screen and making marriage to Turkish men seem appealing. In reality, he claimed, Turkish men behave differently at home - they may even cane their wives, the MP claimed.

In 2024, Turkey earned more than $500 million from selling rights to TV series filmed in the country, TRT Haber reported. Turkish film productions were sold to over 150 countries, and the number of viewers around the world almost reached 1 billion.

*'Baba' (Russian: баба) is a common word widely used among Russian speakers to formally address women of all ages. 'Muzhik' is a word widely used in relation to men.