Today: Apr 14, 2026

Turkey’s soft power on the rise, one episode at a time

1 min read
14 years ago
Change font size:

By: Andi Balla

Economic and political ties between Albania and Turkey are at their highest level in a century, but it is the arrival of a highly popular Turkish soap opera that is bringing Ankara’s soft power directly to Albanian homes.

TIRANA, Oct. 20 – Whether it is old men in the southern Albanian city of Gjirokastra discussing the characters over coffee or middle-aged women rushing home from work to catch the latest episode, the current television obsession in many Albanian homes appears to be Gymysh. The Turkish melodrama, known as G

Latest from News

Albania Slips Into Electoral Autocracy

Change font size: - + Reset V Dem places Albania in a category dominated by African states, with Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina the only Western Balkan countries in the same group.
3 weeks ago
4 mins read

Albania Draws a Red Line on Iran

Change font size: - + Reset Parliament’s decision to label Tehran a state sponsor of terrorism formalizes a break years in the making and reflects a broad Albanian consensus that Iran has
4 weeks ago
5 mins read

Albania’s AI Facade Cracks While Neighbors Win EU Funds

Change font size: - + Reset Tirana Times, February 10, 2026 – Serbia and North Macedonia have secured concrete European Union funding to integrate into Europe’s emerging artificial intelligence infrastructure, while Albania—despite
2 months ago
4 mins read