Payitaht Abdülhamid
| Television series | |
|---|---|
| German title | Capital "Abdülhamid" |
| Original title | Payitaht "Abdülhamid" |
| Country of production |
 Turkey
|
| original language | Turkish |
| length | 150 minutes |
| Episodes | 118 in 4 seasons |
| Director |
Serdar Akar (Script: Osman Bodur and Uğur Uzunok Producer: ES Film ) |
| occupation | |
| |
Payitaht Abdülhamid , known in the English- speaking world as The Last Emperor , is a Turkish historical series drama starring Bülent İnal and Özlem Conker. It depicts the historical events during the reign of the 34th Ottoman Sultan Abdülhamid II. represents. Abdülhamid was known as the "Red Sultan" because of the massacre of the Armenians ; in the series, however, this criticism is countered.
The popular series is criticized for its use of anti-Semitic and anti- Armenian conspiracy theories, inaccurate and incorrect presentation of history and historical facts, obvious instrumentalization for government propaganda of the AKP and a lack of professionalism such as a lack of knowledge of the Ottoman language . In view of the series, the Dutch MEP Kati Piri called on Turkish politics to stop making anti-Semitism among Muslims socially acceptable.
action
The event takes place around 1896, the 20th year of Sultan Abdülhamid's reign. Abdülhamid fights against various dissidents and opposition members (muhâlifler) , mainly the liberal Young Turks , as well as against the “European states”, especially Great Britain . His "honorable goal" is to prevent the fragmentation of the state (bölücülük) and to defeat " foreign powers " (dış güçler) in order to protect Palestine and the Holy Land .
The Jew Theodor Herzl , founder of Zionism , is considered the "archenemy" and villain of the series. He is portrayed as a man so perfidious that he is imprisoning his penniless father for alleged ideological disagreements without his mother's knowledge. The show shows him at the First Zionist Congress where he wants to summon the elders of Zion . He plans to create a Jewish state that stretches from the Nile to the Euphrates in what is now Anatolia. This is a popular anti-Semitic conspiracy theory on Turkish internet forums and chat rooms and has been carried over to the series.
In production, “Jewish conspiracies” are merged with the “other shameful conspiracies” of the Catholic Church , the Freemasons , Great Britain and other Western and European powers as well as those of the Young Turks to form “a superordinate scheme”. The series also shows stories about Prince Sebahattin , Emmanuel Karasu and Fatma Pesend .
Criticism and controversy
The series is criticized, among other things, for an openly anti- democratic , anti-Semitic and conspiracy-theoretical world view that corresponds to that of Turkish President Erdoğan . In an opinion piece in the Washington Post it is noted that the series promotes a “worldview very similar to that of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: a free press, secularism and democracy are the work of foreign powers, religious minorities and godless liberals and ultimately serve to undermine national identity, honor and stability. Of all the villains in the series, none are more sinister than the Jews. "
Abstruse inventions are also suggested to the series: For example, the Sultan's coin-operated pinball machine is portrayed as a secret Vatican agent working on behalf of Herzl, although the Vatican was in reality against the establishment of Israel . The depiction of historical events is considered "extremely revisionist ", with the show claiming to have been "inspired by real historical events" and to show the world "the truth".
The tenor in the series is also considered generally anti-western . Among other things, the Vatican envoy is called “Hiram” - a name that is associated with Western Freemasonry in Turkey.
Political impact in Turkey
Several actors who are also active on the political stage in Turkey explicitly supported the opinions represented by the series.
A descendant of Abdülhamid supported the series and drew parallels with today's President Erdoğan by saying: "History repeats itself ... These penetrating foreigners now call our president a dictator, as they used to call Abdülhamid the Red Sultan ."
Turkish President Erdoğan praised the depictions in the series just two days before the 2017 referendum, claiming that “those schemes are being carried out in exactly the same way today ... What the West is doing to us is the same; only the era and the actors are different ”. Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmuş praised the show for “illuminating” Sultan Abdulhamid's life in an “objective way” and personally visited the set. The investigative journalists Aykan Erdemir and Oren Kessler reported that the Abdülhamid used the same political catchphrases as President Erdoğan in the series , including, for example, "If you have a plan, Allah also has a plan!"
Broadcasting abroad
In Greece the series is called Ο Τελευταίος Αυτοκράτορας ("The last emperor"). While Turkish soap operas in the Balkans are popular not only among the respective Turkish minorities by default, Payitaht Abdülhamid caused numerous controversies in various countries because of the obvious Turkish government propaganda . The series was received critically, especially in Kosovo .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Payitaht "Abdulhamid" cuma günü başlıyor. Habertürk , February 18, 2017, accessed on February 23, 2017 (Turkish).
- ^ Sultan Abdülhamid's era depicted in new TV series. In: Daily Sabah . January 11, 2017, accessed May 19, 2017 .
- ↑ a b Şehzade Orhan Osmanoğlu: O benim dedem değil! In: Turkiye Haber Merkezi. March 29, 2017, Retrieved April 3, 2019 (Turkish).
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k Aykan Erdemir, Oren Kessler: A Turkish TV blockbuster reveals Erdogan's conspiratorial, anti-semitic worldview. In: The Washington Post . May 15, 2017, accessed May 19, 2017 ( Foundation for Defense of Democracies ).
- ↑ Payitaht İstanbul. March 1, 2017, accessed January 24, 2019 (Turkish).
- ↑ TRT'nin yeni dizisinde dakika bir gol bir. February 25, 2017, accessed January 24, 2019 (Turkish).
- ^ A b Turkish Series About Sultan Causes Concern in Kosovo. In: Balkan Insight . March 9, 2018, accessed April 3, 2018 .
- ↑ Ayıptan da öte bir iş: 'Payitaht Abdülhamid'de eski harflerle olan herşey yanlış yazılıyor! In: Haber Turk . March 27, 2017, accessed January 24, 2019 .
- ↑ P'de 'Payitaht' önergesi. In: Hürriyet . May 18, 2017, accessed January 22, 2019 (Turkish).
- ↑ Erdogan degerlendirdi: Dirilis mi, Payitaht mi? In: Yeni Akit . Retrieved April 3, 2018 (Turkish).
- ↑ Numan Kurtulmuş, Payitaht Abdülhamid setinde. In: Sabah . February 15, 2017, accessed April 3, 2018 (Turkish).