| Valley of the Wolves | |
|---|---|
| Creator | Osman Sınav |
| Original work | Valley of the Wolves (2003-2005) |
| Films and television | |
| Films | Valley of the Wolves: Iraq (2006) Muro: Damn the Humanist Inside (2008) Valley of the Wolves: Gladio (2009) Valley of the Wolves: Palestine (2010) |
| Television series | Valley of the Wolves (2003-2005) Valley of the Wolves: Terror (2007) Valley of the Wolves: Ambush (2007–Current) |
Valley of the Wolves (Turkish: Kurtlar Vadisi) is a popular Turkish media franchise created by Osman Sınav, which has been very popular obtaining high ratings for the television series and one of the highest box office returns in the history of the Turkish cinema for the first movie.
The franchise has also been very controversial from time to time because of its non-Western ideological underpinnings. The title, according to Bünyamın Köselı, writing in Today's Zaman, "evokes mythological images from a story beloved by nationalists of a lone wolf that guided Turks out of a Central Asian valley where they had been trapped by enemies."[1]
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Valley of the Wolves (Turkish: Kurtlar Vadisi) is the original series created by Osman Sınav, which followed a Turkish agent working under the assumed identity of Polat Alemdar (Necati Şaşmaz) attempting to infiltrate the Turkish mafia. It ran for 97 episodes from 2003 to 2005.
Valley of the Wolves: Iraq (Turkish: Kurtlar Vadisi: Irak) is a controversial 2006 spin-off film directed by Serdar Akar, which follows Polat Alemdar (Necati Şaşmaz) and his team as they go to northern Iraq during the Occupation of Iraq to avenge the death of his brother. Its perceived anti-Americanism and anti-semitism generated interest among American and European media and other organizations, such as the Anti-Defamation League. It went on general release across Turkey on February 3, 2006 and was one of the highest grossing Turkish film of 2006.[2]
Valley of the Wolves: Terror (Turkish: Kurtlar Vadisi: Terör) is a short-lived spin-off television series, which followed Polat Alemdar in his attempts to infiltrate Kurdish separatist terrorist networks in Turkey. The first episode of the program aired on the night of February 8, 2007 and earned considerable ratings, but the political reflection of the painful issues of Turkey and the violence shown in the first episode triggered a harsh response from RTÜK (Radio and Television Supreme Council). As a result the series was cancelled after its first episode, creating a controversy about censorship in Turkey.
Valley of the Wolves: Ambush (Turkish: Kurtlar Vadisi: Pusu) is the current spin-off television series, which was launched by Pana Film some time after the cancellation of the previous series, and has been running on Show TV since April 20, 2007. It has not faced any responses from RTÜK yet and it attracts high ratings.
The new series deals with the relations between the state, mafia, business circles, and the deep state phenomenon in Turkey. According to the plot, Ali Candan/Polat Alemdar decides to wage a vigilante struggle against four powerful Turkish families that control the national economy, helping Ahu Toros, a young businesswoman who lost her father in a conspiracy by the said families. Polat Alemdar's biggest rival is "Alexander the Great" (Iskender Buyuk), who trails him at all times. Polat marries Ebru Duru and lives happily, but things take a turn for the worse in the ensuing episodes. The two other protagonists are Memati and Abdulhey. Memati is a former specialized Mafia (working for Cakir at the time) but now Memati is converted into a good person with a brave heart and a patriot like Polat, he always follows Polat's orders. Abdullhey is like Polat, an agent working for Turkey intelligence and serving his country like a real patriot. The main antagonist arrives after the third season and is named Aron Feller, an ex agent of CIA and working in Turkey (or controlling Turkey in some ways). Iskender Büyük is considered like an anti-hero, instead of Aron Feller being the main antagonist.
Muro: Damn the Humanist Inside (Turkish: Muro: Nalet Olsun İçimdeki İnsan Sevgisine) is a 2008 spin-off film, directed by Zübeyr Şaşmaz, starring Mustafa Üstündağ and Şefik Onatoğlu as two revolutionaries recently released from prison, who stumble across a illegal organization run by a former friend. The film, which went on general release across Turkey on December 5, 2008, is the third highest-grossing Turkish film of 2008.[3]
Valley of the Wolves: Gladio (Turkish: Kurtlar Vadisi: Gladio) is a 2009 spin-off film directed by Sadullah Şentürk, which follows retired security intelligence agent Iskender Buyuk (Musa Uzunlar) as he decides to strike back against his one-time employers by revealing all he knows about Gladio. "It addresses Turkey’s years-long adventure with the deep state and illegal formations nested within the state" and "aims to provide an opportunity for movie fans to closely look at the 'deep gangs' that attempted to stir and divide Turkey with subversive plots," according to Betül Akkaya Demirbaş in Today's Zaman. It went on general release across Turkey on November 20, 2009 and was the fifth highest grossing Turkish film of 2009.[4][5][6][7]
Valley of the Wolves: Palestine (Turkish: Kurtlar Vadisi: Filistin) is a 2010 spin-off film directed by Zübeyr Şaşmaz, which follows Polat Alemdar (Necati Şaşmaz) and his team as they go to Israel to track and bring down the Israeli military commander who planned and put into force an attack on a Gaza aid flotilla.[1][3][8]
"Kurtlar Vadisi became an instant hit with its references to Turkish politics, its unabashed abuse of social sensitivities on patriotism, and with unprecedented scenes of violence that included assassination and torture on television," Hürriyet Daily News reviewer Emrah Güler. "Not unlike John Woo’s Face/Off an undercover Turkish agent goes through a set of plastic surgeries to infiltrate the mafia, along with a gunman who walks surefooted in this muddy underworld," Güler continues, "the two go through ordeals of every kind for Polat to become the next baron so that he can break them apart." "The hype eventually got so big that the final episodes featured Andy Garcia as the big American mafia boss and Sharon Stone as his wife, eventually lending a kiss to our hero."[7]
Lead character Polat Alemdar (Necati Şaşmaz) "established in the image of a mafia-macho Turkish guy," according to Hürriyet Daily News reviewer Emrah Güler, and was "admired by the unemployed and frustrated young men all over Turkey". Güler describes him as "the Turkish equivalent of "'24's' Jack Bauer, entangled in the deep state, disguised as a mafia boss." "Short and ordinary looking," according to Güler, "Polat has a self-defined sense of justice that included hanging traitors in the city center of Istanbul." "The series had reached such a cult status that many young men officially changed their names to Polat Alemdar," Güler concludes.[7]
An episode of Valley of the Wolves: Ambush that depicted Israeli Mossad agents spying inside Turkey and kidnapping Turkish babies was roundly criticized by the Israeli government and media.[9] The Turkish government's refusal to act on Israeli requests to more strictly censor the show had contributed to a deepening of a row between the two countries, culminating in Turkey's threat to recall ambassador to Israel Ahmet Oguz Celikkol after a controversial diplomatic meeting with Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon in January 2010.[10]
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