Can Dündar faces criminal complaint
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hurriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Kasım 15, 2008 00:00
ANKARA - Director of the documentary, "Mustafa," Can Dündar, who aimed to introduce audiences to the human side of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, is now facing a criminal complaint, accusing him of insulting the founder of Turkish republic.
Chairman of the Democratic Mass Organizations’ Union and member of the Association of Kemalist Thought’s Çankaya branch, Ali Berham, filed a criminal complaint against Dündar, alleging the documentary violates laws that protect Atatürk’s reputation.
"In the documentary, Atatürk is shown as a person who always drank, smoked and who had a fondness for women," Berham said in his petition.
Pointing to the controversy following the movie’s debut, the petition argues the movie damages the esteem of the Republic and Atatürk.
"Atatürk is a model for every Turk. What holds Turks together is Atatürk’s idealism and the Turkish language, Turkish flag, Turkish armed forces and the unity of Turkish land," Şahbudak said, calling for screenings of the movie to stop.
Dündar’s movie has been criticized for overemphasizing the drinking habits of Atatürk and his private relationships. Atatürk’s loneliness is one theme frequently denied by critics of the movie, who also claim the movie depicts the republican revolutions as a result of Atatürk’s "whim."
"In the documentary, Atatürk is shown as a person who always drank, smoked and who had a fondness for women," Berham said in his petition.
Pointing to the controversy following the movie’s debut, the petition argues the movie damages the esteem of the Republic and Atatürk.
"Atatürk is a model for every Turk. What holds Turks together is Atatürk’s idealism and the Turkish language, Turkish flag, Turkish armed forces and the unity of Turkish land," Şahbudak said, calling for screenings of the movie to stop.
Dündar’s movie has been criticized for overemphasizing the drinking habits of Atatürk and his private relationships. Atatürk’s loneliness is one theme frequently denied by critics of the movie, who also claim the movie depicts the republican revolutions as a result of Atatürk’s "whim."