Günay pleased with Bond filming in city

ANKARA - Anatolia News Agency

The James Bond team continues making the film in Istanbul’s Eminönü neighborhood. The team will also go to Fethiye this week for the shooting of some scenes. DHA photo

Despite damage done by film crews, the James Bond film will promote Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar to a global audience, Culture and Tourism Minister Ertuğrul Günay has said.

“Some shops are extremely neglected. There are unbelievable additions. While all these things are not considered, I can’t understand why such a film, which will promote a traditional shopping mall to the world, is being criticized so much,” said Günay, who returned from Tunisia yesterday.

Günay said they attempted both to preserve and promote cultural places to the world as much as possible in granting permission for films to shoot in cultural and historical locations.

The shooting of “Valley of the Wolves” or “Kurtlar Vadisi” in the seraglio (sequestered living quarters used by wives and concubines) of the Topkapı Palace in was an exceptional situation, and they have since limited the permission for film shooting in such places, he said.

Günay said that restorations were continuing in those locations. “In the last memorandum, I expressed that such places should not be used in film shootings, unless there is a big necessity, until the restorations are finished,” he said.

Aside from being a shopping mall and living area, the Grand Bazaar is a cultural legacy that the whole world should know about, Günay said.

“This venue is not affiliated with us. We told the film team that we could be of help to them on some issues. They took permission and paid the money. I think some small damages have been exaggerated,” Günay said.

There are many problems the Grand Bazaar needs to overcome, Günay said, adding that municipalities were currently preparing a new project for the bazaar.

Some scenes to be shot in Fethiye
Meanwhile, a number of scenes for the new film are set to be filmed in the Aegean province of Fethiye, the province’s Police Chief İbrahim Saffet Koçer said in a written statement yesterday.

Shooting will take place on Koca Çalış Beach on April 24 and 25 and at Fethiye Port on April 26 and 27, he said.