Ali Avcı, the director of a soon-to-be-released movie about a failed coup attempt in Turkey on July 15, 2016, has been detained over links to the Gülen movement, which the government accuses of masterminding the putsch.
Avcı’s detention came on Thursday only hours after a trailer for his new movie, “Uyanış” (The Awakening), was released on social media, sparking a backlash from pro-government circles.
Set to be showcased soon, “Uyanış” starts with a poem President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan often reads during political rallies, glorifying efforts against the coup plotters. However, even though Erdoğan never encountered soldiers who allegedly followed him on the night of July 15, the trailer shows scenes in which a soldier holds a gun to the president’s head and Erdoğan’s family members are killed by coup plotters.
Avcı was also the producer of “The Chief,” a hyped biopic that traces the life of Erdoğan, released last year. (TurkeyPurge)