Staging Nişantaşı: Cultural Conflicts and Ideological Representations of Urban Space in Turkish Tv Culture

Abstract

This paper examines how urban spaces become sites of ideological contestation through their representation in popular media, focusing specifically on Ni & scedil;anta & scedil;& imath;, a historically significant neighborhood in Istanbul that embodies the class tensions within T & uuml;rkiye's modernization narrative. Drawing on cultural geography as a theoretical framework, the study analyzes how this distinctive urban space functions as both physical setting and symbolic element in post-2000 Turkish television dramas. Since the expansion of private broadcasting, these TV series have emerged as powerful agents in shaping public consciousness about space, class, and identity. Through semiotic analysis of selected programs, this research reveals how Ni & scedil;anta & scedil;& imath;'s portrayal constructs and reinforces social class distinctions in contemporary Turkish society. The findings demonstrate that urban geography serves as a reflective surface for cultural and social conflict, with television representations amplifying Ni & scedil;anta & scedil;& imath;'s multi-layered spatial identity formed through historical processes, societal dynamics, and personal narratives. By connecting these representations to broader patterns of class differentiation in T & uuml;rkiye, this study contributes to our understanding of how media portrayals of urban spaces simultaneously reflect and reinforce class distinction through collective social imaginaries.