Cover for Turkish president’s novel lifted directly from TV show poster

ISTANBUL

The front cover of writer Fehmi Demirağ’s book is suspiciously similar to promotional posters for season one of ATV series 'Tatar Ramazan.'

It’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as you’ve never seen him before – except maybe you did two years ago, on a promotional poster for a TV series about a dark-haired desperado fighting for justice everywhere.

A new controversy over copyright infringement is brewing after a new book dramatizing Erdoğan’s early years, “The Man from Kasımpaşa: I’ll End This Game,” was released. The front cover of writer Fehmi Demirağ’s book features Erdoğan looking mean in a brown vest, while assorted associates in pursuit of justice look on in the background.

However, a glance through promotional posters for season one of ATV’s “Tatar Ramazan,” reveals that Erdoğan’s head has merely been superimposed over that of Bülent İnal, the actor who reprised the role of the prisoner in the TV show.

Promotional material for the book claims that the front cover was “an original design” from Özcan Orhan.

The phrase, “I’ll end this game,” is also remembered as an immortal line by legendary actor Kadir İnanır in a 1992 film rendition of Tatar Ramazan.

“The Man from Kasımpaşa” is being marketed with slogans including, “He wrote history, now we’re writing about him” and “the Boss’ novel is being written for the first time.”

Speaking about his work, Demirağ told daily Yeni Şafak that it was important to not raise Turkish children merely with the “West’s virtual culture.”

“Turkey witnessed the Gezi incidents. The Gezi people have written close to 60 books about the incidents, but in 15 years there hasn’t been anything written about a leader who has put his mark on Turkey and the world,” Demirağ said.

“I wrote [the] book so that Tayyip Erdoğan’s personal traits would serve as a role model for our youth. It’s about being the tough guy of Kasımpaşa and taking a stance. We’re challenging the world with Erdoğan’s Kasımpaşa attitude,” he added.

Kasımpaşa, which is located in Istanbul’s Beyoğlu district along the Golden Horn, has long been famous for its tough streets and for producing people with a "no-compromise" attitude.