Histoire – « Devam edecek… »

“TRT mirrors history of Turkey’s broadcasting at a new museum” – Hürriyet Daily News

AA Photo. Source : Hürriyet

“A newly opened museum in Ankara reveals the history of Turkish broadcasting. The facility, opened by state-owned television TRT, displays all materials relating to broadcasting from Turkey’s past, and functions as a repository of the country’s heritage

Turkey’s state-owned television TRT is displaying its long sojourn in broadcasting for the first time with a new museum in Ankara.

The Museum of Broadcasting History TRT in the country’s capital displays old microphones, current virtual studios, outfits from the past, cars driven by the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, as well as many materials used in radio programs and television series.

The museum, which was made possible by the labor of more than 200 workers and four years of work, was recently opened with a visit by President Abdullah Gül.

Through documents that have acquired great pertinence throughout Turkey’s history, the museum depicts the transition from radio to television in a step-by-step fashion.

The entrance welcomes visitors with film-mounting machines, the microphone through which Atatürk made his 10th-anniverary speech (10. Yıl Nutku), hand-made voice recording machines, as well as posters. In the same area, which takes visitors on a journey through history, visitors can also watch programs from previous years on monitors. […]

The museum is also home to a drama studio, a television studio, television exhibit hall, animation section, education hall and a corner for children. The lower floor of the museum displays more than 50,000 dresses and accessories worn by the leading stars of actors and actresses of historical productions such as “Yaprak Dökümü” (The Fall of Leaves), “Aşk-ı Memnu” (Forbidden Love). […]

Source : Hürriyet

“Ottoman Empire in 1913, Turkey in 2013 ” – Hürriyet Daily News

“Like the republican history, the history of the Ottoman Empire is quite rich as regards military takeovers, upheavals and rebellions.

Those incidents were either triggered by major defeats or very tense periods of uncertainty and chaos created thanks to great contributions of some allies of the empire. The interregnum period, for example, was a product of a “touristic trip” of Tamerlane. Sultan Yıldırım Beyazid was defeated by Tamerlane in the 1402 Ankara War. Then, four sons of Beyazid, for 11 years, fought each other until Mehmed Çelebi defeated all his brothers, restored the integrity of the empire and became Sultan Mehmed I in 1413.

The neo-sultan would be enraged again, but the “ancestors” had some very barbaric traditions. For example, no one can deny the barbaric practice of extermination on the orders of the new sultan of his own brothers. One fundamental reason of that barbaric tradition was to annihilate all probable sources of future dissent or challenge to absolute rule and avoid at any cost situations like the interregnum period.

The 1913 coup, or as it is often called the “Bab-ı Ali Ambush,” is generally considered as the “mother” of republican coups. It was staged by the Union and Progress Party in the aftermath of the humiliating Balkan defeat that produced such a strong syndrome that it still continues in Turkish society. On Jan. 23, 1913 Enver Paşa, with a group of mutineers ambushed the Cabinet in session, murdered an adviser to the chief vizier, shot to death Defense Vizier Nazım Paşa and at gunpoint forced Chief Vizier Kıbrıslı Mehmet Kamil Paşa to resign.

With the coup Union and Progress came to power and sealed the death edict of the Ottoman Empire by entering World War I along with Germany. Union and Progress stayed in power less than a decade, but the ideology and mentality of it has survived in some form to this day.

In the Turkey of 2013, talking about a military coup threat would be absurd. Society has changed a lot since 1913, and the strong emotional links with “heirloom” Balkan lands are being replaced with a feeling of friendship and brotherhood toward peoples who fought us in the Balkan War.

This time, however, Ömer Seyfettin (an ethnic Kurd but ideologically of pan-Turkist nationalism) is not trying to enchant crowds in support of the Union and Progress coup and people walking in his shoes are suffering an acute Balkan syndrome. Could a Balkan defeat be avoided and empire be maintained if reforms recognizing fundamental rights and liberties of Balkan peoples were achieved and they were firmly engaged with the empire? It was as oppressive as regards freedom of thought but the Ottoman Empire was far more “democratic” and “tolerant” than republican governance in many areas, headed by minority rights. Even the beginning period of the republic was far more pluralistic than now. Can anyone believe that in the 1950 Parliament there were two ethnic Greek deputies? Today the number of our ethnic Greek citizens is less than a few thousand.

We must have made a mistake somewhere while “advancing” our democracy. Peoples have inalienable rights, such as their mother tongue, and no one can be considered a democrat if he cannot ask for the same of what he has by birth for others. This is not related with any ideology. It is just a requirement of being a human.”

Source : Hürriyet

“Her Lafın İçinde Bir Başbakan” – Sol

“Ülkenin temel meselelerinin ötesinde her mevzuya dair yorum yapmasına yönelik eleştirileri “Bu ülkenin Başbakanı olarak bu da benim görevim…” şeklinde göğüsleyen Tayyip Erdoğan’ın gündemini şu sıralar Muhteşem Yüzyıl meşgul ediyor.

Yayınlanmaya başlandığı günden bu yana pek çok kez gerici köşe yazarlarının ve RTÜK’ün, tarihi çarpıttığı gerekçesiyle hedef aldığı dizi şimdi de Başbakan’ın gündemine girdi. Kütahya’da katıldığı hava alanı açılışında konuşma yapan Tayyip Erdoğan 2 senedir yayında olan ve Kanuni Sultan Süleyman zamanının Osmanlı’sını anlatan Muhteşem Yüzyıl dizisine ateş püskürdü. Başbakan; “Bizim öyle bir ecdadımız yok. Biz öyle bir Kanuni tanımadık. Biz öyle bir Sultan Süleyman tanımadık. Onun ömrünün 30 yılı at sırtında geçti. Sarayda o gördüğünüz dizilerdeki gibi geçmedi” diyerek dizinin gerçeği yansıtmadığını iddia etti.

Tasvip etmediği durumlarda ‘yargıya talimat verdiğini’ söylemekte bir beis görmeyen Başbakan, “Bu konuda da ilgilileri uyarmamıza rağmen yargının da gerekli kararı vermesini bekliyoruz. Böyle bir anlayış olamaz. Bu milletin değerleriyle oynayanlara milletçe gereken dersin, cevabın hukuk içinde verilmesi gerekir” diyerek yargıyla olan ilişkisinin altını bir kez daha çizmiş oldu. Başbakanın uzlaşamadığı kaç gazetecinin işinden olduğu anımsandığında, “Ben o dizilerin yönetmenlerini de o televizyonların sahiplerini de milletimin huzurunda kınıyorum” dediği yönetmen ve televizyoncuların akıbeti merak konusu oldu.” […]

Source : Sol

“Amid Ottoman series row, Gül welcomes history in TV shows” – Today’s Zaman

“Turkish President Abdullah Gül has hailed depictions of history in TV shows and movies, adding his voice to recent debates over whether the depiction of history by artistic circles distorts society’s perceptions about certain historical incidents and figures.

“The fact that historical events or people are being dealt with in movies or TV series is a welcome development,” Gül said during the annual Presidential Grand Awards in Culture and Arts on Thursday.

The president stated that history, especially the Ottoman era, has in recent years become a subject of curiosity and interest for people and that’s why we see historical events and figures being more frequently portrayed in TV series, films and stories.

“It is important to take lessons from history. As the Turkish saying goes, ‘history repeats itself’,” Gül further stated.

The debate on TV shows based on history was sparked by remarks from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who severely criticized “Muhteşem Yüzyıl” (Magnificent Century), a historical soap opera on Turkish networks centered on the intrigues of the Ottoman Palace. Those who criticize the series say it portrays şehzades, or the children of the sultan, as indulged only in sensual pleasures.

Erdoğan feels that the series undermines the golden age of Turkish history, as it portrays Ottoman Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent, known as Kanuni in Turkish, who reigned from his coronation in 1520 to his death in 1566, in a way conservatives in Turkey say is skewed.

Erdoğan not only lashed out at the show but also at its producers, as well as the owner of the network that runs it. “We know no such Kanuni. He spent 30 years of his life on horseback [as opposed to the life of indulgence portrayed in the series]. I publicly condemn the directors of that show and the owners of the television station. We have warned the authorities about this. I expect the judiciary to make the right decision.”

The series has been running for two years. Erdoğan and other government representatives have occasionally expressed their annoyance with it, but this was the first time Erdoğan called on the judiciary to act against the show, sparking a major controversy about free speech in Turkey.”

Source : Today’s Zaman

“Turkish PM right to criticize TV series, minister says” – Hürriyet Daily News

Ertuğrul Günay is speaking at a ceremony, saying that Erdoğan was right to criticize the popular series. AA photos. Source : Hürriyet

“Culture and Tourism Minister Ertuğrul Günay has said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was right to criticize the popular TV series Muhteşem Yüzyıl (The Magnificent Century).

“The prime minister has a very reasonable approach. He has suggested that everyone should be more careful when they write a scenario,” said Günay, adding that the historical era in question was an important one and was not imaginary.

Günay said the clothes, environment, setting and events portrayed in such TV series should more closely mirror reality, which would increase the value of the work. “If this happens then the discussions would stop. We cannot deny the labor of people who are working on these series, but I think everyone could be more careful in terms of scenarios and reflecting reality,” he said.

Erdoğan had earlier heavily criticized Muhteşem Yüzyıl on Nov. 25, for its portrayal of the Ottoman ruler Süleyman the Magnificent.

“We alerted the authorities regarding this and we wait for a judicial decision on it,” Erdoğan said. “Those who toy with these values should be taught a lesson within the premises of law.”

‘Intervention in the judiciary’

The show, which airs in Turkey and abroad, follows the lives of Sultan Süleyman and his lover, the Hürrem Sultan. The show focuses on Süleyman’s personal and palace life, portraying characters from the harem as well as from the royal family.

Erdoğan’s critique of Sultan Süleyman’s portrayal has led to rigorous criticism from members of opposition parties.

Some described Erdoğan’s behavior as an intervention in the judiciary in light of his comments that regarding a judicial decision while others said the prime minister was trying to divert the country’s agenda.

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy chair Erdoğan Toprak described Erdoğan’s approach as “grave, authoritarian and unhealthy,” daily Radikal reported Nov. 26.”

Source : Hürriyet Daily News

“Turkish PM talks Ottoman Empire, slams Turkish TV show ” – Hürriyet Daily News

PM R.T. Erdogan. AA photo. Source : Hürriyet Daily News

“Turkey should follow in its ancestors’ footsteps and go everywhere they have travelled to, the Turkish prime minister said during the opening ceremony of Kütahya Zafer Airport on Nov.25.

“We move with the minds of our Dumlupınar martyrs,” Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said. “We move with the spirit that founded the Ottoman Empire.”

Erdoğan then criticized the opposition for asking “what [Turkey] was doing in Gaza, Syria and Sudan.”

“We must go everywhere our ancestors have been,” Erdoğan said. “We can not take [Atatürk’s philosophy of] peace at home, peace in the world as passivity.”

“We have no eyes on any country’s land,” Erdoğan said. “We want stability in the region as much as we want stability in our homeland. We always side with dialogue to solve problems, but if there is a threat against our country then we will not refrain from taking the necessary precautions. We will not remain silent.”

PM slams Ottoman TV show

In the same speech Erdoğan also dished out heavy criticism on the hit Turkish TV series, “Muhteşem Yüzyıl,” (The Magnificent Century) for its portrayal of the Ottoman ruler Süleyman.

“We alerted the authorities on this and we wait for judicial decision on it,” Erdoğan said. “Those who toy with these values should be taught a lesson within the premises of law.”

Muhteşem Yüzyıl is a popular TV show airing in Turkey and abroad, which follows the lives of the Ottoman ruler Süleyman and his love Hürrem Sultan. The show focuses more on Süleyman’s personal life and palace life, portraying characters from the harem, as well as from the royal family. “

Source : Hürriyet Daily News

“New period TV series accused of distorting well-known history” – Today’s Zaman

Sami, a major character in the series “Seksenler” (The 80s), is seen in this 2012 photo. (PHOTO SUNDAY’S ZAMAN)

By HATICE KÜBRA KULA

“New period television series launched in an attempt to share the history of the country with viewers, who have tuned in by the millions, have been on the receiving end of harsh criticism after claims that the series distorts the truth about historical events and figures.

The wave of harsh criticisms began with the launch of the TV series “Muhteşem Yüzyıl” (Magnificent Century), which is based on the life of Ottoman Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent and his love for Hürrem Sultan, a former slave who eventually became the sultan’s wife. Critics have argued that the costumes the actors and actresses wear in the series do not reflect the design of the clothing worn by members of the Ottoman dynasty but are rather similar to those used in the historical English TV series “Tudors,” which is about the reign and marriages of King Henry VIII. Also labeled by many as a “fake Tudors,” Magnificent Century has been criticized for its plot, which focuses on the harem life of Süleyman, about which, according to historians, there is no detailed account.

The negative reaction to historical series continued after “Bir Zamanlar Osmanlı: Kıyam” (Once Upon A Time in the Ottoman Empire: Rebellion), a series about significant events that took place in 18th-century Ottoman times such as the Patrona Halil Rebellion, started broadcasting in 2012. Viewers initially said the series, which was launched as a rival to Magnificent Century, was initially devoid of realistic characters and a consistent plot. The series underwent significant changes in the past year, including a change in the plot, and technical problems were also solved by producers.

Other television series such as “Seksenler” (The 80s), which revolves around the lives of people living in the1980s in the aftermath of a bloody coup d’état and “Öyle Bir Geçer Zaman ki” (As Time Goes By), which concentrates on the conflicts among members of a family living in the 1960s, have received similar criticism from historians.

Such series, however, have also revived people’s interest in historical figures and events. There has been a sharp increase in the publication and sale of books about history, according to historians. Women’s demand for accessories and jewelry worn by the main characters of these series has created new market opportunities. Historians have started to hold discussions about the figures and incidents in a number of TV programs with the aim of correcting the mistakes in the period TV series.

Ahmet Yaşar, a lecturer from Fatih University’s department of history, commented on the revival of interest in history through these series, saying they help people gain knowledge about history. However, Yaşar also criticized the series, noting that their producers can make changes or additions to historical events in order to increase ratings, adding that such changes or additions should only be made if there is no exaggeration. Yaşar said most people watch these series as if they reflect historical realities without questioning their authenticity, which makes it more important that they consult factual resources such as history texts.

Another historian, who wanted to remain anonymous, stated that the ideological views of the series’ producers also affect the way the characters and plot are rendered. The historian further commented that such TV series have unfortunately become a part of popular culture.

Followers of TV series, speaking to Sunday’s Zaman, talked about their positive and negative views on such series. Tülin Öksüz, a history gradate, noted that the series most of the time only focus on some particular figures and incidents, failing to talk about the lives of the common people, in which people are interested. Aynur Sezen, a fan of Magnificent Century, stated that the series contributes to her knowledge of history although at times the facts are not correct and events that did not occur in a particular period are depicted, which negatively affects the credibility of the series.

Zeliha Karlı, a housewife, noted that historical facts are merely touched upon with elaboration, which is why she chooses to avoid watching them. “However, I wonder if details about the historic figures and incidents were shared in a factual and detailed manner, would they be watched by as many people?” she said. “It is only the series that are set in more recent history that are credible for me since I know what happened during those times and can decide if the incidents are true or distorted,” noted Karlı.”

Source : Today’s Zaman

“‘It’s not real,’ scholars tell critics of historical dramas” – Hürriyet

Historical dramas, such as ‘Muhteşem Yüzyıl’ (The Magnificent Century), are fictionalized accounts of the lives of sultans rather than historically accurate documentaries, according to academics. Source : Hürriyet

“Academics gather to discuss the increasing popularity of historical TV series in Turkey, noting the distinction between fact and fiction is often misunderstood by audiences. “The fictional side needs much more work because no one knows how a sultan approaches his wife,’ says an academic

It is important for television viewers to understand that historical dramas, such as the wildly popular “Muhteşem Yüzyıl” (The Magnificent Century), are fictionalized accounts of the lives of sultans rather than historically accurate documentaries, according to academics.

“Turkish people confuse the idea of TV series and documentary. A TV series is a different thing than a documentary,” said Erhan Afyoncu, a professor on the board of the Atatürk High Institute of Culture, Language and History, as well as a former consultant for “The Magnificent Century.”

Fictional side

Some have issued criticisms of historical series, Afyoncu said during a recent symposium in the northern province of Tokat, but added that it was difficult to produce such series.

“Historic TV series have a reality side as well as a fictional side,” the former consultant said. “The fictional side needs much more work. You have to create a fiction. You know the political events from history and you stick to this reality when making a TV series. But no one knows how a sultan approached his wife or how he behaved in daily life. This is why you have to fictionalize it. We did it in ‘Magnificent Century.’ There were discussions about sending Süleyman the Magnificent on journeys in the TV series. But I added these journey scenes to the series. But it is interesting that the series had lower ratings in these episodes.” […]

Source : Hürriyet

“‘It’s not real,’ scholars tell critics of historical dramas” – Hürriyet Daily News

Historical dramas, such as ‘Muhteşem Yüzyıl’ (The Magnificent Century), are fictionalized accounts of the lives of sultans rather than historically accurate documentaries, according to academics.
. Source : Hürriyet

“Academics gather to discuss the increasing popularity of historical TV series in Turkey, noting the distinction between fact and fiction is often misunderstood by audiences. “The fictional side needs much more work because no one knows how a sultan approaches his wife,’ says an academic.

It is important for television viewers to understand that historical dramas, such as the wildly popular “Muhteşem Yüzyıl” (The Magnificent Century), are fictionalized accounts of the lives of sultans rather than historically accurate documentaries, according to academics.

“Turkish people confuse the idea of TV series and documentary. A TV series is a different thing than a documentary,” said Erhan Afyoncu, a professor on the board of the Atatürk High Institute of Culture, Language and History, as well as a former consultant for “The Magnificent Century.”

Fictional side

Some have issued criticisms of historical series, Afyoncu said during a recent symposium in the northern province of Tokat, but added that it was difficult to produce such series.

“Historic TV series have a reality side as well as a fictional side,” the former consultant said. “The fictional side needs much more work. You have to create a fiction. You know the political events from history and you stick to this reality when making a TV series. But no one knows how a sultan approached his wife or how he behaved in daily life. This is why you have to fictionalize it. We did it in ‘Magnificent Century.’ There were discussions about sending Süleyman the Magnificent on journeys in the TV series. But I added these journey scenes to the series. But it is interesting that the series had lower ratings in these episodes.”

Afyoncu said state-owned television channel Turkish Radio and Television (TRT) had made historic TV series but that they had not attracted much public interest.

“TRT made TV series without women and their intrigues. People criticize other TV series but do not watch these ones. This is what I don’t understand,” Afyoncu said.

Secrecy of privacy

Fictionalization is occasionally necessary when there is a dearth of historical documents, said Professor Ali Açıkel, another symposium participant and a historian at Gaziosmanpaşa University, but added that these dramatizations should not contradict historical facts, general customs, traditions and law.

Scenarios set in historical times should not be infused with the perceptions of the present, Açıkel said, adding that ethical values should also be reflected in perceptions.

“The secrecy of private life should be respected. Otherwise, it is disrespectful to the private life of the Ottoman sultans. TV series are based on fiction when documents and information is insufficient. Documentaries aim to inform people according to a chronological order. There is no fiction in documentaries but some parts of TV series are fictional.”

Source : Hürriyet Daily News

Protégé : Istanbul et la production audiovisuelle turque : une approche territoriale (extrait)

” ‘Media published manufactured lies during Feb. 28 coup era’ ” – Sunday’s Zaman

Sabah’s former boss, Dinç Bilgin, says he is ready to testify in the Feb. 28 investigation. (Photo: Today's Zaman)

“The former owner of a media group has said Turkish newspapers published lies under orders from the military during Turkey’s Feb. 28, 1997 period, saying he is willing to testify in front of prosecutors, who on Thursday issued arrest warrants for 31 generals accused of orchestrating the coup.

Dinç Bilgin, a businessman who was the owner of the Sabah newspaper at the time, said Feb. 28 generals relied heavily on the media to manufacture stories about a growing Islamist threat and that there was a lot of pressure on newspaper owners and editors at the time. “I see the new developments as a very positive step forward. The military at the time saw itself as the hegemon of the country. They saw themselves as above all the country’s constitutional agencies.”

He said the media, as well as academia and the judiciary and other segments of society, were under significant pressure from the military. Bilgin also noted that he would be happy to testify and share what he knows about the Feb. 28 era with prosecutors or judges.

Bilgin said during the Feb. 28 period, he met once with generals Çevik Bir and Erol Öskasnak, who complained about Sabah’s staff, saying they were not doing enough to assist the military. “I was invited to the General Staff headquarters in Ankara. Chief of the General Staff İsmail Hakkı Karadayı invited me for dinner. Before dinner, we sat together with Çevik Bir and Erol Ökasnak in a room. It was a very unpleasant conversation. They complained about Sabah columnists. They complained because the writers weren’t writing the things they wanted to see. I tried my best to explain that newspapers don’t work like the military; however, at the time, it was impossible to explain this to those people. Being a strong media mogul, I gave snide, arrogant replies. It was very unpleasant.”

He said the press, instead of fighting a democratic struggle, published untruthful stories to instill fear about the imaginary threat of rising Islamism that the military had said it was committed to fighting. “After the media, the generals’ strongest ally was the judiciary. Think about the prosecutors of the day. If you opposed them, you would end up in front of Nuh Mete Yüksel,” he said, referring to the chief prosecutor of the State Security Courts (DGM).

Bilgin said some people that the media reported on, who appeared to be reactionary Islamists, were in fact hired actors. “I am saying this for the mainstream media. Generally, such stories on Islamic fundamentalism were being published through the Ankara offices. Whoever is the head of the Ankara office usually wants better ties with the General Staff. The military was the strongest institution in the country at the time, so they wanted to get along with them.” Bilgin stated he would be happy to testify and share his knowledge with the prosecutors if summoned.

Rector of Onsekiz Mart University Sedat Laçiner also made a statement evaluating the recent developments. He said the Feb. 28 intervention was a crime that went unpunished. “Because there were ongoing coup attempts inside the military, those responsible for the Feb. 28 and the Sept. 12 [1980] coups couldn’t be tried earlier,” Laçiner said.

He said the fact that the Feb. 28 intervention was a military takeover is accepted by both those who staged it and those who were victimized by it. He said there was a clear intervention by the military in the civilian government. “Just like the Sept. 12 coup, Feb. 28 also involved torture and many violations of human rights. This is more than the crime of military intervention; there are also people who have been victimized. People were fired from their jobs with no justification, people were treated as if they were second-class citizens. There are people who were put in a cell and interrogated there, people who were told they would be denied their right to education unless they changed the way they dressed. There are people who killed themselves because they were slandered.”

Laçiner noted that the civilian aides of the Feb. 28 architects kept tabs on hundreds of university students and reported on them regularly to the Higher Education Board (YÖK), saying this was a huge violation of human rights. “Despite the fact that millions of people have been victimized, the guilty ones are freely walking the streets. Letting this go unpunished is tantamount to encouraging the crime. You can’t have any statute of limitations here. This crime at hand is obvious.”

Source : Sunday’s Zaman

“Creative writers to have center in İzmir” – Hürriyet Daily News

The International Creative Writers’s Center will be established on a 8,000 square meter area in the Seferihisar district, a popular destination in the Aegean region. Source : Hürriyet

“İzmir’s Seferihisar district is set to become the site of an International Creative Writers’ Center at the ancient city of Teos, which was known as the city of artists in ancient times, daily Hürriyet reported.

The center will be the first and only international education center where writers will be trained for TV series, novel and ad writing.

The goal of the project is to create a center in the field of text and script writing, an industry that is worth $2 million worldwide. World-renowned writers and professors will give classes at the center, which will also host a writer’s house for famous writers to write books.

The center will be established on the Akkum beach of Seferihisar after a signing ceremony to be held next month. Seferihisar Municipality is providing full support to the project and has allocated 8,000 square meters of land on the beach for the center.

Although leading world universities have opened creative writing departments, the planned center will be the first one to be used by universities in concert, said Yavuz Demir, the head of Samsun’s Ondokuz Mayıs University’s Faculty of Literature and the mastermind behind the project.

“In this sense, this center will be the first of its kind. Its name will be Teos International Creative Writers’ Center. The education in the center will turn into a certified system in the next few years,” Demir said.

Ondokuz Mayıs, Oxford and the United States’ Ferris State universities are all collaborating on the project, Demir said, but added that Stanford and New York universities might also join the project in the future.

Postgraduate and doctoral degrees will be offered at the center, along with conferences, workshops, seminars and summer schools thanks to collaboration between the “dream sector and universities,” according to organizers.

Seferihisar Mayor Tunç Soyer told Hürriyet that the project was expected to make Turkey and Seferihisar a center of attraction in the field of literature. The mayor said an actors’ union was formed for the first time in history in the same region. “This project is suitable for the history of Seferihisar. We expect writers from all around the world to the center.””

Source : Hürriyet Daily News

“Istanbul becomes favorite setting for films and TV shows” – Hürriyet Daily News

“Istanbul looks to become a hub for TV series, film, documentary and commercial shoots. The city is like an open plateau with its cultural heritage sites

Istanbul became the setting for filming many series, documentaries, commercials and movies during the past two years.

The city boasted a total of 1,600 shoots for television series, films, documentaries and commercials in 2010 and 2011. Istanbul is like an open air plateau, according to Culture and Tourism Provincial Manager Ahmet Emre Bilgili.

Istanbul also hosted many international films and documentaries. The Culture and Tourism provincial manager said there were many recent developments in terms of film, series and documentary works in Istanbul.

While international teams visited Istanbul for daily and monthly broadcastings, international commercials and films also took place in Istanbul.

Permissions need to shoot at cultural site

“People come to us to ask permission to shoot a scene of a commercial or a series or a film on the Bosphorus Bridge,” said Bilgili. “The team should also get permission from the road managerial team to shoot the scene,” he added, noting that there was also another kind of permission that covered historical places, streets and venues.

Noting that Istanbul has a very exclusive place among the world cities, Bilgili said “Istanbul has a perfect potential to serve as a setting for series, documentaries, movies and commercials.”

With its historical sites, the Bosphorus and cultural heritage, the city was like an open air plateau, according to Bilgili. “We are trying to present the city with its exclusive historical heritage,” he added.

It was very important to present the city in foreign countries, Bilgili said. “If people get to know Istanbul in a positive way with its beautiful cultural heritage sites, they would visit more. For us, all the places should be presented in the best way we can,” he added.

Each cultural site has an exclusive fee

People who shoot commercials, series and films in cultural heritage sites pay a fee for this service, he said.

“Take for example Topkapı Palace. If someone would like to shoot a scene in Topkapı Palace, they have to pay a fee, which was determined by the ministry earlier,” said Bilgili.

Bilgili said people usually ask for permission to shoot a scene at mysterious and old historical places. “Istanbul is a mysterious city with its open air venues and it attracts visitors. Usually bridges, palaces, coastal shores and libraries become the setting for series, commercials and films,” he added.

Noting that usually teams from abroad prefer to shoot movies and documentaries in the old places of Istanbul, Bilgili said because of love for the old, “The teams from abroad love to shoot documentaries, series and films in Istanbul.” Bilgili said they do not give permission to shoot movies in every old venue of Istanbul. “Our first aim is to protect our heritage and history, and this is possible only by protecting the cultural heritage sites in Istanbul. “We are still continuing the project to preserve the historical places in Istanbul. If there is a danger of damage we do not give permission for shootings,” he added.

The historical movies should be shot in a studio, some say, added Bilgili. “However, it is impossible to sustain a real original historical venue with the studio environment,” Bilgili said.

Bilgili also said if there were a possibility to damage the historical venues then the Culture and Tourism Ministry does not give permission. “We would like to use Istanbul as an open plateau, because there is not another city that contains a sea through it.” The Bosphorus and historical venues give an exclusive attraction to the city, according to Bilgili.

“That’s why we can say that there is no city like Istanbul anywhere in the world,” he said.”

Source : Hürriyet Daily News

Istanbul demography and Turkey timelines (1900-2011)

Last update : may 5rd, 2011 (262 historical events in 10 categories)

I just produced a basis for a timeline mixing some historical datas I wanted to compare : economics, medias, political events, global context, demography, etc. related with Turkey’s and Istanbul’s history. The purpose of this little work is to contextualize on a century scale the apparition of TV medias in Turkey and in Istanbul metropolis, and also to share with other searchers a timeline resuming Turkey’s important events.

This chart would need more further precisions, especially on sources, and would need more informations on medias major events (legislation and so on). So this article should be updated regularly…

NA : This article and the chart are in english because the sources were so.

Timeline06 — Click on the picture to a full-view size

The events are classified between 10 families of events :

01 – INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT
02 – ECONOMY
03 – POLITICS
04 – MEDIAS
05 – ISTANBUL GOVERNMENT
06 – INDUSTRIES
07 – CULTURE
08 – TRANSPORTS
09 – URBANIZATION
10 – BUSINESS DISTRICT

Sources : “Development chart of Istanbul metropolitan area” / N. Monceau (dir.) “Istanbul”/ J.F. Pérouse “La Turquie en marche” / Wikipedia

Continuer la lecture de Istanbul demography and Turkey timelines (1900-2011)

Julien Paris

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“The Dirt, and the Soap, on the Ottoman Empire” – New York Times

“For the show’s producers, it is nothing less than a Magnificent Controversy.

“Muhtesem Yuzyil,” or “Magnificent Century,” a lavish prime time soap opera about the life of Suleiman the Magnificent and Hurrem, the slave who became his powerful wife, is as admired here as it is reviled.

Suleiman ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1520 to 1566 at the height of its glory and is still revered as Kanuni, or Lawgiver.

The series attracted a wave of protests from irate viewers and even government officials. Critics said it was disrespectful to the sultan because it showed him drinking alcohol — banned in Islam — and womanizing with concubines in the harem. They also complain that its scriptwriters take liberties with historical events and depictions of royal lives.

Still, despite warnings from the government media regulator, or perhaps because of them, ratings remain sky high on Wednesday nights as each colorful chapter of fictionalized history unfolds.

After receiving what it said was more than 70,000 complaints when the drama first aired in January, the Supreme Board of Radio and Television, known by the Turkish acronym RTUK, said that Show TV, the channel broadcasting the series, had wrongly exposed “the privacy of a historical person” and owed the public an apology. […]”

Source : New York Times

Julien Paris

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