PM Imran Khan meets Ertugrul's team, discusses Pak-Turk joint project
January 08, 2021
- PM Imran met the founding team of popular Turkish drama serial Ertugrul, led by Kamal Tekden.
- The meeting discussed in detail the proposed television series on the famous Kardad Turk Lala.
- Several ministers and personalities from the Turkish and Pakistani film industry attended the meeting.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday urged the Pakistani entertainment industry to take inspiration from the famous Turkish show and come up with a quality local production to provide the youth with a welcoming Ertugrul-like alternative of substandard and glamorized content.
“If Pakistani film and drama industry presents quality local production, it will not only progress but also provide the youth with an alternative of substandard and glamorized content, which will be welcomed like that in the case of Ertugrul,” he said.
The prime minister expressed these views during a meeting here with the founding team of popular Turkish drama serial Ertugrul led by Kemal Tekden.
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz, Kashmir Committee Chairman Shehryar Khan Afridi, and the representatives of Turkish and Pakistan film industry were present in the meeting.
The meeting discussed in detail the proposed television series based on the role of renowned Sub-continent personality Turk Lala in the Khilafat Movement, to be produced through cooperation between Turkey and Pakistan.
The prime minister said Pakistani dramas were very popular in the world until the decade of 1980s.
He said the Pakistani film and drama industry were needed to work for the promotion of local culture so that the West-inspired youth could be made aware about their true culture and saved from social evils faced by the new generation of neighbouring countries due to the telecast of Western content.
The prime minister further said it was unfortunate that the new generation was not aware of the golden era of Muslims’ rule in the Sub-continent.
Efforts should be made to the foil the designs of propaganda mongers by producing films and dramas on that golden era, he added.
Chairman of Kashmir Committee Shehryar Khan Afridi apprised the meeting of the important role of Turk Lala in the Khilafat Movement and his importance in Turkey.
The meeting also highlighted the importance of creating awareness among the youth about their heroes in history.
Joint production
Kemal Tekden, while appreciating the prime minister’s decision of telecasting Turkish dramas in Pakistan, said Imran Khan and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shared the vision that the creation of awareness among the youth about their history and culture was vital for the development of a country.
Besides, he told the prime minister that June 30 was celebrated as a national day in Turkey every year in the honour of Turk Lala.
Television series on Turk Lala would not only create awareness among the youth about Khilafat Movement but also add a new chapter in Pak-Turkey relations, he added.
The prime minister, while appreciating the project of proposed television series on Turk Lala, assured full cooperation of the government.
Read more: Why are Turkish dramas being aired in Pakistan? PM Imran Khan tells Hamza Ali Abbasi
What is the Ertugrul series about?
Originally produced by the Turkish state-owned media company TRT in collaboration with a private company, the historic drama “Diriliş: Ertuğrul” has received a sweeping response from Pakistan and around the world.
The series was later dubbed into various languages and was streamed online around the world.
Read more: Makers of Turkish series 'Ertuğrul' overwhelmed by sweeping response in Pakistan
Created by Mehmet Bozdağ, the popular TV series features Engin Altan Düzyatan in the lead role.
The series depicts the pre-history of the Ottoman Empire, chronicling around the plight of the nomadic Kayi Oghuz Turkic tribe, led by Ertugrul, the father of Osman I, the founder of the Ottoman Empire.
“Diriliş: Ertuğrul” is also available with English subtitles on Netflix and YouTube which has contributed to its popularity beyond Turkey.
