A new biopic series on the founder of the Republic of Türkiye, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, will be shown both as a two-part movie on TV and in movie theaters, allowing it to reach a wider audience, said a statement from Disney and the production company on Wednesday.
The first part of the Atatürk movie will air on FOX TV on Oct. 29, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the republic. The movie will hit big screens a few days later, on Nov. 3, said the statement.
The second part will arrive in movie theaters on Dec. 22, it added.
Both movies will then air on FOX again in the summer of 2024, a move that was criticized by the ruling AK Party because it was previously decided to broadcast the documentary on Disney+.
“We are bringing our Atatürk content to our audience on the 100th anniversary of our Republic,” Cenk Soner, Disney’s general manager for Türkiye, was quoted as saying in the statement.
“After the first television special version of Atatürk, which we planned as two films due to changes made to our content strategy, is broadcast on our FOX channel, the two films will be in movie theaters and later on FOX TV. Thus, we will present the Atatürk film to a wider audience,”
“As part of the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of our Republic, we are proud to be able to reach a much wider audience by broadcasting Atatürk with a special television version on FOX starting in October,” producer Saner Ayar added.
“We will present this very special production in two separate films and show it in theaters as well as on television, allowing our viewers to enjoy watching movies on the big screen.”
The movie tells the story of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk from his childhood to the National Struggle – the years-long effort to win the nation’s independence – in a dramatized story that stresses his human qualities. The lead role is played by Turkish actor Aras Bulut Iynemli.
Armenian lobby put pressure on Disney+ for cancellation
Türkiye’s broadcasting watchdog said it was looking into the reports in Turkish and Armenian media.
The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) called on Disney+ in June to cancel the show.
Last month, Disney+ Türkiye announced the Ataturk series would be on air “very soon”.
“The original series #Atatürk will be on air very soon, on the 100th anniversary of our Republic,” it said in a post on X.
Ebubekir Şahin, chairman of Türkiye’s television watchdog RTÜK, announced the probe on Tuesday night in a statement on the messaging platform X, describing Atatürk as “our most important social value”.
Ömer Çelik, the spokesperson for President Erdoğan’s ruling AK Party, condemned the reported decision not to stream the series in a post on X, saying the decision was “shameful” and “disrespectful”.
Several Turkish and Armenian news reports said Disney had decided to cancel the series, including the Armenian independent media outlet 301, saying the decision was influenced by the lobbying activities of ANCA.
Breaking News Turkey with agencies