'Fetih 1453' continues to anger in Europe

ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News

The movie tells the story of Istanbul’s capture by the Ottoman sultan Mehmed II.

The upcoming Turkish movie “Fetih 1453” (Conquest 1453) has angered Christians in the German city of Cologne, with the Christian association Via Dolorosa boycotting the film. 

The association said Turks should be ashamed of what they did to Christians in the past instead of celebrating Istanbul’s conquest. 

The movie, directed by Faruk Aksoy, tells the story of Istanbul’s capture by the Ottomans during the reign of Sultan Mehmed II.

“We advise every Christian not to watch this movie. We will distribute brochures in front of the cinemas and inform the Christians who would like to see this movie,” said a spokesperson for the group, adding that the Hagia Sophia was transformed into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest.

The movie has also angered Greek viewers after it was released there in January. Greek weekly To Proto Thema described the film as “conquest propaganda by the Turks,” in a story published on its website. “The Turkish invaders present themselves as rulers of the world” and “[fail] to show the mass killings of Greeks and the plunder of the land by the Turks,” the piece said.

The film will be released in Turkey on Feb. 17.