Movie "Kurtlar Vadisi": The other side of free speech

We’re the bad guys?

Kurtlar Vadisi: Irak (“Valley of the Wolves: Iraq”), Turkey’s most expensively produced movie at $10 million, generated record crowds last month in Turkey and areas with large Turkish immigrant populations, such as Germany. It also generated labels in the US such as monstrous, blood libel, and anti-American. While this is the same Turkey that has strong relations with Israel and a robust spirits industry, it’s also the one that famously snubbed the US by refusing the use of Turkish air bases before the Iraq war started (though they backtracked in 2005). The film is based on a real-life incident where American marines in Iraq captured 11 Turkish soldiers in northern Iraq on July 4, 2003 (they were thought to be involved in a plot to kill an Iraqi politician and were later released). From there, it veers into a fictional story, though it’s based on the increasingly negative perception Turks (and others) have of US troop behaviour in Iraq. Due to the large budget, they were also able to bring in some recognisable American actors, such as Billy Zane, who plays the US commander who captured (and insulted) the original 11 soldiers and participates in grisly, indiscriminate killing. And then there’s Gary Busey, who – controversially and unfortunately – plays a Jewish American doctor who harvests organs from dead Iraqis for use in the US, Israel, and Britain. Naturally, both actors have since been denigrated in the US for their involvement in the film, which the two defend on free speech grounds. “Have we reached a time when we impose freedom of expression by force?” said Busey’s lawyer. Efforts, though unsuccessful, have been made by Jewish groups to ban the film in Germany. It was thought Germany’s Cinemaxx chain pulled the movie from its cinemas because of the controversy but the chain claimed they only ordered a two week run. US soldiers in Turkey have been told to stay away from cinemas, ostensibly for fear of political unrest. Adds General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, “It is a fictitious movie. It clearly does not have any basis in fact, and there is no reason for us to comment on fiction.” Not so, says the film’s screenwriter Bahadir Ozdener. “Maybe 60 or 70% of what happens on screen is factually true. Turkey and America are allies, but Turkey wants to say something to its friend. We want to say the bitter truth. We want to say that this is wrong.” This view is supported by the refusal of a British SAS soldier to work alongside US soldiers in Iraq last week, claiming he witnessed dozens of illegal acts. The Turkish Daily News concurs, saying, “However hostile the film may be, it is more likely to be the product of anti-American feelings in Turkey than the cause of it.” Elsewhere, only Jon Stewart seemed to notice the unbearable irony of stereotyping accusations in light of the Arabs/Muslims portrayed as terrorists in Hollywood. Meanwhile, White House spokesman Sean McCormack brushes off questions on what the movie shows about the United States’ efforts to garner support in the Muslim world, saying he doesn’t “do movie reviews.” Others do, however, and controversy or not, there’s always a case to be made for entertainment value. “There are few things as healthy as a change of perspective,” says one reviewer in the UK. “Go see it – it’s as subtle as Rambo and 10 times more entertaining.”

Zahed Amanullah is associate editor of altmuslim.com. He is based in London, England.