US ambassador Flake poses as 'James Bond' on Grand Bazaar's roof
ISTANBUL
U.S. Ambassador Jeff Flake has published a photo of him running on the roof of Grand Bazaar, one of Istanbul’s landmarks, which looks similar to the iconic scene in the 2012 “Skyfall,” the 23rd movie of the James Bond series.
The photo uploaded on the envoy’s personal Instagram account shows Flake running in suits and being chased by a “man in black.”
“He’s gaining on me. Better shed the jacket,” Flake wrote as a note for the photo on Oct. 26.
The photo became the center of interest in Turkish media, with many outlets headlining, “The envoy imitates James Bond.”
In a statement made to daily Hürriyet by the U.S. Embassy, it was stated that “the ambassador took the photograph because of his appreciation for the history of the place.”
Built in 1455, Grand Bazaar is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops.
The site attracts between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily.
The post brought to mind the famous scene in the “Skyfall.” Bond, played by Daniel Craig in the movie, ran and rode a motorcycle on the roof of the Grand Bazaar.
Skyfall is the series’ third movie shot in Istanbul after “From Russia with Love,” and “The World Is Not Enough.”
