Turkey to woo Bollywood to shoot in its exotic locations
NEWDELHI: Days after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged to increase people-to-people contacts, Ankara is readying policy incentives to woo Bollywood to Turkey’s exotic locations that have for long attracted filmmakers from around the world.
Turkey’s culture and tourism ministry has firmed up a draft bill on attracting foreign filmmakers that has been circulated for inter-ministerial comments, sources told Hindustan Times.
The draft, which will also have to be reviewed by the Turkish Parliament’s National Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Commission, seeks to encourage filmmakers to shoot in the country through a series of incentives including cost concessions and infrastructure and logistical facilities.
Countries such as Bulgaria and Hungary already offer such support to international film crews. The Turkish government’s move is reminiscent of European nations such as Switzerland and Hungary, which have now become established locales for shooting Indian films.
Turkey is trying to building muscle in the movie business, where Indian films already enjoy popularity.The recent acquisition of a Turkish movie theatre chain by a South Korean major is an indicator of the growing trend in the country, leading to a renewed interest in the movie and entertainment industry.
The Turkish government is also mulling, among other elements, tax breaks and concessional costs on equipment procured from the country These and other measures are enshrined in the draft bill, which will soon be introduced in Parliament and be voted on, the sources said.
While there is no timeline for the passage of the bill, the sources said the Turkish government intends to ensure that the bill becomes law soon.
A handful of Bollywood films, including Ek Tha Tiger, Race 2, Dil Dhadakne Do and Baby, have been filmed in Turkish locations such as Antalya, Cappadocia, Istanbul and Izmir.
Turkish TV serials dubbed in Hindi that are aired on some Indian channels have become very popular in recent years. Turkey is also a popular tourist destination for Indians