Using the Internet against prejudices

What Lies Beneath the Midnight Express?

In 1978 Billy Hayes' book was adapted into a film called "Midnight Express" by Oliver Stone, directed by Alan Parker and won two Academy Awards. Most of those who watched the movie thought it did Turkey a lot of damage. There was a huge reaction and objection from the Turkish community even after Alan Parker's apology - which came years after - accepting that the movie was humiliating the nation. People who remember those times say it had really affected the foreigners and let to a false image about Turkey


By I. ILKER BACAKSIZ
from Ankara, TURKEY


In 1970 a man named Billy Hayes, was caught with hashis (a type of drug) taped on his body while passing the border. He was sentenced to jail for four years but after that his punishment was extended to life sentence by a higher court. He escaped to Greece in 1975 and wrote a book about his memories following his return to his country, USA. In 1978 his book was adapted into a film called "Midnight Express" by Oliver Stone, directed by Alan Parker and won two Academy Awards out of its six nominations.

No one can deny the movie's success and cinematographic aspects. It told to be based on a true story. Most of those who watched the movie believed it did Turkey a lot of damage. There was a huge reaction and objection from the Turkish community aimed at the producers and at Director Stone. Most of the Turks were sorry (if you don't count the angry nationalist side) even after Alan Parker's apology-which came years after - accepting that the movie was humiliating the nation. People who remember those times say it had really affected foreigners and led to a false image about Turkey.

Probably, Stone exaggerated some of details to make the impact deeper. All of the Turks in the movie were brutal. In addition, Hayes had been raped and torched. "No culture in the world, now or ever, is even remotely as bad as the Turks are shown here, and I can't think of another film I have ever seen that makes any other nation, ethnic, or political group (not even Nazi-era Germans) look so demonic. I am not a Turk, but I have also been to Turkey several times and I can say from personal experience that Turkey and Turks bear absolutely no resemblance to the nation portrayed here", says one of the comments about the movie, on international movie database webpage.

Before the internet invaded our lives, it was hard to delete this brutal image. Knowing that the movie was based on Hayes' book, people believed the whole story was true but just a bit exaggerated. Probably it made lots of people afraid of Turks and Turkey at that time. Today, according to my experience, I suppose people do not think that bad of this country and citizens.

Recently, while we started to forget about the movie and its effects, a video has been revealed on the internet by Alinur Velidedeoglu, who owns a big advertising company. Seven years ago he met with Hayes by coincident in Cannes at the screening of "La vita é bella (Life is beautiful)". He was surprised by Hayes' Turkish and asked him where it came from, knowing the fact that Turkish is not a popular language. When Hayes said he spent five years in a Turkish prison for smuggling drugs it started to be clear and Velidedeoglu found himself talking with the real Billy Hayes. During the chat Hayes explained that some of the things in the movie were exaggerated or not true (may be because of Stone's hatred and anger towards some issues like Vietnam) adding that he would prefer Turkish prisons to those in US. Hayes accepted Velidedeoglu's offer to tell the same things in front of a camera after a couple of days.

Now after seven years the interview is on internet. The whole interview is in two parts and you can find them on YouTube. For the new generation this could mean anything but for the people older than 25 it's like a gift. And people in Turkey are happy because of this proof, even if it's a bit late.