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Politics

Turkey: The Wrong Suleiman

04:27

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Fabian ChristMarch 24, 2011

The Turks are rehabilitating the Ottoman era. A television series about Suleiman the Magnificent is especially successful. But the erotic scenes in the harem have provoked criticism.

In Turkey, the Ottoman legacy was long rejected as backward. But for several years now, Turkey has experienced a renaissance of nostalgia for the Ottoman Empire, especially for the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent. He led his conquering troops to the gates of Vienna, erected splendid buildings in Istanbul, and left an important body of laws. But many Turks are indignant about the television Suleiman, who treats his slaves badly and lives it up with naked concubines.