Turkish PM scorns Ottoman ‘ruler on a bender,’ says Time magazine 

ISTANBUL

Hürriyet photo

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan resents the hit TV show "Muhteşem Yüzyıl (The Magnificent Century) for its contradiction of conservative values, according to a recent article published on Time magazine's website.
 
The article, titled "Why is Turkey's Prime Minister at War with a Soap Opera?" looks into the recent debate around the hit TV show that was sparked by Erdoğan's negative critique of the show.
 
Time writer Piotr Zalewski cites Erdoğan's conservative line of thought for his disapproval of the show, which resulted with Turkish Airlines removing it from its on-flight programs.
 
"What Erdogan appears to resent, however, is any interpretation of the Ottoman past that is less than adulatory — or at odds with Islamic values," Zalewski said. "A sultan on horseback is fine. A sultan on a bender is not."
 
The article also touches upon the increasing impact the prime minister has on the government and policy-making, referencing the abortion debate that was similarly started by Erdoğan himself, and was soon picked up by the Parliament in the form of new regulations that were eventually shelved.
 
"What the prime minister says, or thinks, is what goes," the article said.
 
Erdoğan dished out heavy criticism of “Muhteşem Yüzyıl” for its portrayal of the Ottoman ruler Süleyman the Magnificent. “We’ve alerted the authorities on this and we await a judicial decision on it,” Erdoğan said earlier in fall. “Those who toy with these values should be taught a lesson within the premises of law.”
 
“Muhteşem Yüzyıl” is a popular TV show airing in Turkey and abroad that follows the lives of the Ottoman ruler Süleyman and his love, Hürrem Sultan. The show focuses on Süleyman’s personal and palace life, portraying characters from the harem as well as from the royal family. The show’s critics claim the serial degrades Turkish history with its caricaturesque portrayal of Süleyman in his harem.