Famous actress reacts to Yılmaz Güney tribute

ISTANBUL

The acclaimed Turkish actor, director and screenwriter Yılmaz Güney, known as the “Ugly King” and won the Palme d’Or in the 1982 Cannes Film Festival for his “Yol” (The Road), is being commemorated on the 37th anniversary of his death.

Writer Murathan Mungan commemorated Güney, saying: “It is the 37th anniversary of Yılmaz Güney's death. In addition to being a good director, a good actor, a good screenwriter, he was also the best walking man of our cinema. No one has ever touched the most remote part of us while side-bending their neck slightly and looking sad.

Actress Farah Zeynep Abdullah was among the names that reacted to this statement, saying: “The best walking man in our cinema! Let's say he beats women and uses weapons effectively among the types of violence,” she said.

While some supported Abdullah on the one hand, some criticized her on the other.

In his column in daily Milliyet, Ali Eyüboğlu wrote: “Is Yılmaz Güney, as Murathan Mungan wrote, ‘the best walking man’ in our cinema? I don't know this, but I know that Yılmaz Güney was a good director, a good actor and a good screenwriter, as Murat Mungan wrote."

“However, the same Yılmaz Güney, besides his artist identity and political stance, was someone who used violence against his wife, was imprisoned for hiding terrorists, and killed Yumurtalık Judge Sefa Mutlu by shooting her in the head during an argument at a restaurant," he added.

"For some reason, those who praise Yılmaz Güney's artistic identity and ignore this fact forget that we live in the 'communication age.' Nowadays, people can access any information, good or bad, on the Internet with a click of a button.

Even though some people persistently show others only the half-full part of the glass and conveniently hide the empty part, it is not difficult to see the whole picture. That's why those who look at life through the blinders of fanaticism can only deceive themselves, not others. Then, brave people like Farah Zeynep Abdullah tell the ignored fact of a person to one’s face.”