'Resemblance to Atatürk trend' facing backlash

ISTANBUL

The recent practice of people who bear a physical resemblance to modern Türkiye founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk attending national holidays and commemorative events and collecting money has caused outrage in society, with some legal experts expressing dissatisfaction with the current law aimed at protecting the memory of the leader.

Serdar Görel, one of people resembling Atatürk, refuted the claims that he earned almost $35,000 in his live broadcast on Oct. 29, Republic Day of Türkiye, and $17,500 in an hour in his broadcast on Nov. 10, the 85th anniversary of Atatürk's death.

"There were a lot of people who threw gifts on that day. They said it was $35,000 but just $768 was registered in my account. On Nov. 10, the money in my account was $105," he said.

After the recent incidents, Hüsnü Bozkurt, the president of the Atatürkist Thought Association, made statements about the situation, saying that they have launched an investigation.

"For us, Atatürk is an idea, an enlightenment, a revolution. It is not a form. We are not only against clowns like this resemblance, but also against applications like Atatürk photos and animations with artificial intelligence, and we do not find it right," he added.

"Atatürk is a mortal, his life in this world is over. It is his ideas and principles that live on. What is Atatürk doing going from table to table in such a uniform? We will carry out the necessary investigations," the president said.

Lawyers stated that disguise and imitation are not elements of a crime and that if there are insults and insulting attitudes, they fall within the scope of the law.

Berrin Akbulut, a law professor, emphasized that the Atatürk Protection Law only covers physical and public attacks and insults.

“There needs to be a new regulation and determination in the law so that such actions, abuses and misuses fall within the scope of the law,” she noted.