Turkey's government wants refund for movie following LGBTQ controversy
The move is widely seen as a fresh episode of the culture war the government has been waging against the country’s artistic scene over critical opinions and queer content.
It is not often that a film causes major controversy before it is even released, but that is exactly what happened with award-winning Turkish director Emin Alper’s latest film "Burning Days."
The surprising events have led to a debate in Turkey over artistic freedom, censorship and attacks against the LGBTQ community with the government demanding the funds it had provided to support the film.
Before being released in Turkey, "Burning Days" was received positively abroad. It was shown at the 75th Cannes Film Festival in May 2022, and honored with several awards this year. Then it made its Turkish premier at the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival in October, winning nine awards, including best director.
Yet, on Dec. 8, the day before the film was finally set to open in Turkish theaters after much anticipation, Alper and producer Nadir Operli made a shocking announcement: Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism had demanded the filmmakers pay back the funds the ministry had given to support the film — with interest.
