Today Hurriyet published an article by Mustafa Akyol headlined 'Ottomans, soap operas and Erdoğan.' "Turkey’s Prime Minister initiated yet another public controversy last weekend by publicly criticizing a popular television series titled Muhteşem Yüzyıl (The Magnificent Century). Referring to the title of the tenth and most powerful Ottoman sultan, Süleyman the Magnificent, this is a popular soap opera “inspired by historical events” but also adding a lot of fiction to them. Hence the passionate love between Sultan Süleyman and his beautiful wife, Hürrem, which is only noted in passing in history books, is dramatized in a very Hollywood-like fashion," the article begins.
"The great sultan, in other words, sometimes appears on the screen as a debauchee. Yet most conservative Turks, including Erdoğan, see him as a virtuous warrior who spent his life “on horseback” from one conquest to another. That is why Erdoğan slammed the on-screen Süleyman character, adding, “we don’t know a Kanuni like that” (Kanuni, which means “lawgiver,” was another title of the sultan)," Akyol writes.
"Up to this point, I think Erdoğan’s comments were acceptable. He, like all of us, has the right to like or dislike what he sees on TV and also the right to express his views," he says. "However, Erdoğan crossed the line when he called on the judiciary to “give a necessary verdict on this issue,” which was a clear call for prosecutors and judges to ban or censor the series. He took another terribly wrong step when he railed against “the producer of this series and the owner of the TV station,” which was obvious pressure on the people who create and air The Magnificent Century."
"The only good news is that there are liberal-minded religious conservatives, too. They would, for example, respect the Ottomans as Erdoğan does but not call for censorship to protect their image. How influential they will be in the conservative camp will be a key question for Turkey’s future," the author concludes.
