Hit Turkish movie ignites heated debate

Sunday, February 26, 2006
FULYA ÖZERKAN
ANKARA - Turkish Daily News


Since the day it was first screened, the hit Turkish movie “Valley of the Wolves -- Iraq” has caused a political firestorm, especially in Germany, a country that takes a principled stand on free speech. “I have difficulty in understanding reactions in Germany to ‘Valley of the Wolves -- Iraq',” Professor Faruk Şen, head of the German-based Center for Turkish Studies (TAM), told the Turkish Daily News. “Many American ‘Rambo'-type films have been shown in Germany. They were much worse and bloodier than this Turkish movie, but they were never discussed as much.”

Apparently responding to a German politician's attempts to censor the movie on grounds that it was anti-American and anti-Semitic, Şen said: “This contradicts freedom of expression, freedom of the press and the German Constitution because moviegoers will decide whether a movie is good or bad. The state should not intervene.”

The movie, produced with a $10 million budget and Turkey's most expensive domestic film ever, has also been shown in Britain, Egypt, Russia, Syria and the United States.

IMDb user comments for
Kurtlar vadisi - Irak (2006)

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American capital is behind this film, 20 February 2006

Author: AlphaF from Turkey


This film serves two major American purposes; It will not surprise me at all if the whole idea was funded by USA and the lead guy, POLAT, turns out to be a US citizen of Turkish origin in real life.

1.)Message to Turks: It acts as a relief valve to ease the pressure built up in Turkish minds, over the incident of 160 American (friends and allies) bravely storming a Turkish base in Iraq, manned by only 11... three meter tall Turks.

2.) Message to Americans: It is an advance message to American public, planting the notion that Turks may well become a nuisance to be dealt with in near future, and that they are no longer the old time allies who once saved US military honor in Kunuri/Korea. Without such advance ground preparation, how else likes of Mr Bush can explain a possible US-Turkey confrontation in Middle East to the US public. People will definitely demand to know why Mr.Bush fell at odds with a 50-year old ally, if such a confrontation becomes necessary in NeoCon strategies.

off...Alpha, you scare me. My Turkish friends keep talking about the possibility of conflict between Turkey and America, but generally they are macho military lads who declare that they would fight and die for Turkey tomorrow against any foe (and love every minute of it)

However....

to see you, the calm, educated voice of reason suggesting the same possibility frightens me to death. I immediately suggest a D Day type rescue operation, whereby we all go to Turkey and kidnap our loved ones so they a) can't fight and b)wont get hurt!

I am beginning to see myself as a kind of latter day resistance fighter....

Don't worry about it.But it is true that we all love our country more than the other nations.Because we made this country hardly.So the turkish people don't want to let the other countries do the bad things to Turkey.The people think the 1.world war(and the french,english,italian,russian,grek occupation)and they don't want to destroy the ideas of Atatürk.Also they don't want to let Abd's politics(such as "divide and control it")

i think thats true,turkish people do love their country and for very good reasons i think.if i was turkish i would love it too! (Lol i am in love with it now and i am english)

if u send me a dvd i can find it and write a dvd...but u should pay for the cargo

Hehe - that is a very kind thought Ramayan - but somehow I think it might work out cheaper to just go and see it here....

ooofffff - you know how to hurt