I'm holding out for a hero… and his name is Polat
Maryam Ismail
- Last Updated: December 28. 2008 9:30AM UAE / GMT
I really need a hero. We are all looking for someone to take up the baton and lead, with courage, love for his people, strength and a brilliant mind, and I have found him. No, not Barack Obama: the man I want to save me is Polat Alemdar, hero of the TV series Kurtlar Vadisi Pusu (Valley of the Wolves: Ambush).
Polat is an undercover agent with the fictional Turkish intelligence service KGT (short for Kamu Guvenligi Teskilat, or National Security Organisation) . He is smart, brave, and has a twist of Islam, which for me makes him the perfect hero for desperate times.
Polat made his first appearance six years ago in the series Kurtlar Vadisi (Valley of the Wolves), in which he infiltrates the Turkish mafia, rises to the top of the organisation and destroys it. Since then, there have been two more series (one of them banned by Turkish censors after only one episode) and a controversial movie, and the franchise has attracted big-name actors such as Sharon Stone, Andy Garcia and Billy Zane.
The movie was the most expensive in Turkish cinema history, and it was where I first encountered Polat. Kurtlar Vadisi Irak (Valley of the Wolves: Iraq) is set in northern Iraq during the occupation and begins with US troops capturing 11 Turkish special forces soldiers.
The film (it was much criticised in the West for its "fictional" account of the behaviour of US soldiers: but Abu Ghraib, shown in the movie, was no fiction) illustrates the horrors endured at the hands of the US military and its mercenaries by those living along the Iraqi-Turkish border: they shoot people as if they were scoring points in a video game. Polat and his brothers take out the enemy and avenge those who suffered at the hands of the Americans.
Like the movie, the TV show has caused much controversy on issues such as nationalism, violence and corruption: yet it is enormously popular, mainly thanks to the internet. It is there that I can visit my hero, who is now back home in Istanbul and doing battle with mafia gangsters who have infiltrated almost every aspect of Turkish life and aim to gain control of not just that jewel of a city, but all of Turkey. Have no fear, Polat is there.
My daughters chant "Polat! Polat!" the minute the show starts. "Polat is so strong," my little girl says. I know some say it's too violent, but if you live in the Middle East you are bound to know about wars, bombings and human suffering. And when it comes to role models and heroes, these days Muslims have very slim pickings. Don't we need a hero? Of course we do.
If only I could make it true: a Muslim leader who would stand up to the West and say, "Get out of here and don't you dare come back": a leader with savoir faire, strength and daring. And I know what you are thinking: "Come on now, it's just a TV series." I have one friend who thinks that it's the silliest thing she has ever seen. I, however, watch it and feel empowered. And if you take the trouble to track it down on the internet, you will see what I mean. It's so powerful. The meaning of the programme is clear: we must protect ourselves, our nations, and have no fear of taking the necessary steps.
And you mustn't think that the show features only unrelenting violence. Other characters that are my family's favourites include Memati, who, like Polat, is fearless. In fact, he inspires fear, and yet deep inside you know that he is as soft as a teddy bear – when he wants to be. Omer Baba, Polat's religious father, adds a calming spirituality that is as beautiful as the Ebru artwork that lines his shop walls when he gives Polat and his comrades advice on all of their troubles.
Polat is played by the actor Necati Sasmaz, who has a fascinating story of his own. He was born in Turkey, studied tourism and hotel management, and had lived in the US for several years before coming home to visit his parents in 2001.
After the visit he was on a flight back to the US when his plane was ordered to return to Turkey. The date? September 11. He decided to stay in Turkey and set up his own insurance business, and later he met the renowned Turkish director Osman Sinav, who offered him the leading role in Valley of the Wolves.
So, thanks to the world's most devastating terror attack, an anonymous insurance agent with no training or background in acting is the star of the most popular show ever to come out of Turkey.
At the moment the series is homeless because of a dispute between the makers, Pana Film, and the Turkish broadcasters, Show TV. But you can still find it on the internet, and I've heard that Abu Dhabi TV may start to broadcast it soon in the UAE.
The sooner the better: I want my hero back!
Maryam Ismail is a sociologist who divides her time between the UAE and the United States
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