Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
13th INTERNATIONAL ZEUGMA CONGRESS ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, Gaziantep, Türkiye, 24 - 26 Şubat 2025, ss.273-285
Television series are significant narrative forms that reconstruct the social, cultural, and political
atmosphere of a given period while shaping collective memory. These narratives function as powerful
media productions in the formation of identity politics, the direction of public diplomacy, and the
reproduction of collective memory through nostalgia. This study examines the relationship between
space and memory in television narratives by analyzing how the first episode of Bir Zamanlar İstanbul,
which premiered on TRT in February 2025, constructs a nostalgic framework related to the past and
urban identity. The first episodes of television series are particularly crucial as they establish the
fundamental themes, character structures, and overall narrative framework. The series places 1990s
Istanbul and the pursuit of individual justice at its core, presenting a narrative that not only revives urban
memory but also reflects contemporary discussions on justice, power, and secularism in media
representations. Thus, beyond creating a nostalgic atmosphere, the series offers a structured narrative
framework that explores urban-space relations, societal transformation, and the struggle for individual
justice. This study aims to analyze the representation of space, the discourse of justice, and the
connection between the series and Turkey’s media strategies within the scope of public diplomacy. In
this context, it will examine how the series constructs urban identity, addresses individual and collective
justice struggles, and contributes to Turkey’s international media diplomacy narratives. Furthermore,
the study will explore how nostalgia and collective memory practices intersect with Turkey’s digital
diplomacy strategies. The research will employ narrative analysis to examine the series’ plot structure,
character development, and dramatic conflicts, while discourse analysis will be used to investigate how
justice and public diplomacy discourses are constructed through media representations. Additionally,
the study will discuss how Istanbul's historical context is represented and how urban memory is
reconstructed. In conclusion, this study highlights that television series are not merely entertainment
products but serve as crucial media productions that shape cultural memory, reinforce national identity
politics, and function as instruments of public diplomacy.
Keywords: Television Narratives, Urban Memory, Justice Representation, Nostalgia, Public
Diplomacy, Turkish TV Series.