Turkey's public broadcaster sparks controversy with new series portraying Kavala as 'villain'

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Turkey's state-owned broadcaster has sparked controversy with its new series centered around Osman Kavala, a prominent businessperson and human rights advocate who has been imprisoned for nearly six years.

The show, titled "Metamorfoz," (Metamorphosis) features a protagonist named Teoman Bayramlı who bears a striking resemblance to Kavala. According to the series' synopsis on TRT's digital platform "tabii," Bayramlı undergoes a transformation from a renowned revolutionary in his youth to a full-fledged capitalist after inheriting his father's company.

Kavala criticized the series in a written statement yesterday, accusing TRT of tarnishing his reputation.

He expressed his astonishment at discovering that TRT had financed a screenplay based on his life and broadcast it as a television series. Kavala noted, "My name was not explicitly used, resorting to deception to evade the laws that protect one's reputation. As in the indictments used unlawfully to keep me in prison, it is apparent that the actual events have been distorted in this series, aiming to create a perception that I am guilty through conspiracy theories."

The philantropist's frustration extended to the participation of young artists in the project, stating, "What surprised and saddened me was that young artists did not feel uncomfortable participating in this project of character assassination."

Osman Kavala was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment in April 2022 on charges of attempting to overthrow the constitutional order, allegedly related to his involvement in organizing and financing the 2013 Gezi Park protests.

The Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers in 2021 initiated an infringement process against Turkey, accusing the country of failing to comply with a European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) decision calling for Kavala's release.

The committee recently demanded Kavala's immediate release on June 8, emphasizing the importance of upholding human rights and the rule of law. (AÖ/VK)