A talk titled "Whose Story Is Being Told? On the Representation of Minorities in Turkish TV Series," held under the HDV Minority Rights Academy, took place on May 14, 2026 at Anarad Hığutyun Building with the participation of Dr. Feyza Akınerdem.

The talk underlined that television series in Turkey are not merely a form of entertainment, but significant narrative spaces where social memory, identities, and relations of belonging are shaped. Through video clips selected from series across different periods, the discussion examined how minorities and various social groups are represented on screen, within which narrative frameworks they are made visible, and under what circumstances they are rendered invisible.

Akınerdem approached the question of representation not simply in terms of whether a character appears on screen, but through the questions of who tells the story, which perspective is centered, and which experiences are included in the narrative. The ways in which characters are positioned, the reproduction of stereotypes, and the processes through which "the other" is constructed were discussed through various examples. Attention was also given to the approaches of certain recent productions that challenge established patterns of representation and open space for more pluralistic narratives.

Following the talk, participants shared their own experiences and observations during the Q&A session. Screenwriters, actors, and researchers working on the subject enriched the discussion with examples from various series while offering assessments of representation practices in the television industry. Ideas were exchanged on the structural barriers to diversity in media production processes, the transformation of representation policies, and the possibilities of rights-based narratives.

The talk offered a productive ground for reflection on the role of domestic series in shaping social perceptions and the significance of storytelling for envisioning a pluralistic society.