The Turkish Presidency and neo-Ottoman leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan released a video to remind the Turkish people short before the elections in June that despite the economic problems and the free fall of Turkish Lira that the country had once a glorious past.
The video released on the 565. anniversary of the Fall of Constantinople, starts with Sultan Mehmet II who lead his army against the Byzantine Emperor Constantince XI Palaiologos and takes control of Constantinople on 29. May 1453 after a 53-day siege.
Although sultan Mehmet was just 21 years old, the video shows him as a much older and therefore per definition as a much experienced army commander. But that’s the least evil in the technically perfect but kitsch film.
In the neo-ottoman Turkish narrative, the special visual effects make the impossible possible: Ottoman warriors ride on the sea in the company of grey wolves. According to the Ergenegon myth, associated with the Turkish ethnic origins in the Mongolian steppes. According to real Turkish political life, the grey wolves and the 3 half moons on the riders’ banners are symbols used by the neo-fascists companions of Erdogan, the MHP party of Bahceli.
A little bit of Bollywood, a little bit of soap-opera and much of the same technique as in Hollywood film “300“… the Turkish fantasy gallops as quick as the horses on the waves of Bosporus – in the film.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2_k8L1_YvE
From the fictionalized battle of Constantinople make huge historical jumps – just like the horses – and from 1453 it lands in the beginning of 20th century and the Battle of Gallipoli. The films jumps from last Sultan Abdul Hamid to founder of modern Turkey Kemal Ataturk to the visionary leader in the 1980’s Turgut Ozal and form there to May 2018 with president Erdogan waving to voters.
A magniloquence voice urges the Turkish President “Go in the name of Allah!”
King Leonidas from Sparta
Watching the film I was surprised to see a familiar face at the 0:33 min. The face of King Leonidas in epic war film “300” captured in the equally glorious moment where Gerhard Butler shouted to Persian warriors “This is Spartaaa!”
In Erdogan’s film, King Leonidas is not a king but just one of the many Ottomans pulling the Ottoman ships ashore.
The resemblance is astonishing: the nose, the beard, the mouth, the expression…
King Leonidas has nothing to do with the Fall of Constantinople and he is certainly misplaced. He died on 11. August 480 BC during the Battle of Thermopylae against the Persian invaders. After all, the Spartan warrior king was the son of a lion and not of a she-wolf.
But as said: in Turkish narrative everything is possible.
PS I am sorry I didn’t manage to get another more clear screen shot of the Ottoman/This Is Sparta guy, it was just 1/4 of a click away.
After the economic collapse within 5 years at the most EVERY country will have had a glorious past!
Once again we see that Turkeys stories are based on stolen Greek history.