Criticisms just increase ratings, Turk actress says

CAIRO - Doğan News Agency

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Criticizing a show like “Muhteşem Yüzyıl” (The Magnificent Century) is only likely to increase its ratings, veteran Turkish actress Hülya Koçyiğit has said in Cairo, weighing into a recent debate over the show’s historical accuracy.

“We know that when people express their ideas about a film or TV series and criticize it, this film or series draws more people’s attention. I think the more it is discussed, the happier producers are,” she said Dec. 5 at 35th Cairo Film Festival in a thinly veiled reference to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who recently slammed the show’s producers for seemingly only showing the show’s main character, Süleyman the Magnificent, involved in palace intrigues rather conquering new lands on horseback.

The show ultimately draws great attention not only in Turkey, but throughout the world, she said at a panel titled “Turkish Cinema and Arabic Audience.”

Meanwhile, due to recent incidents in Egypt, the organizing committee canceled the event’s closing ceremony, which was expected to be held today.