Historical series nothing short of controversy: report

Turkish series, "Magnificent Century ("Muhtesem Yuzyil") revolves around Suleiman the Magnificent, the slave who became his wife, Hurrem, and the height of the Ottoman Empire which he ruled between 1520 – 1566, the New York Times reported on Tuesday.

Critics were quick to berate the show, making comments on the disrespect towards the sultan because he was portrayed as a drinker and womanizer, which are frowned upon in Islam, to say the least.

However, warnings from media regulators did little to quash ratings with every episode that was aired since its pilot in January. Initially, the Supreme Board of Radio and Television said the channel which broadcast the show had carelessly exposed"the privacy of a historical person", whereby they issued a public apology.

Despite disapproval shown by the Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan, who deemed the show as an inaccurate representation of history, Leslie Pierce, professor of Ottoman studies at New York University expressed difficulty in knowing the exact details of that era. Not much was recorded and historians therefore resorted to accounts by Europeans.

“There’s a whole lot we don’t know about Hurrem and other successful products of the concubine track, so the producers would have to invent plausible scenarios there," she said.

Hurrem was set apart from all the other concubines. “She did play the politics but mothers of princes were expected to do that,”

“She acquired a public political role that no woman had had before,” Dr. Peirce said, “and she is the model for the queen mothers, or valide sultans, who come after her.”

Due to offended viewers, the screenplay had to undergo several changes and modifications, but Meral Okay, the screenwriter stressed the importance of making these characters as lifelike as possible.

“We have been saying the same thing from the start: This is a fiction inspired by history,” Okay was quoted by the paper. “By entering the harem, we made all those untouchable and respected characters of history closer to us. We gave them a material existence as humans, with fears, anger and passions.”

Producers stood firmly by the series' intentions, saying that issues were dealt with caution and sensitivity and assured viewers would become accustomed to the show with time. Accusations against the inaccuracy of the plotline were not expected to be tolerated.

Cem Sahin, 37, a textile merchant in the Eminonu neighborhood near Topkapi Palace, home of the sultans, said “I love the show because I love the magnificent Ottoman era. I really don’t get why people have protested: It’s only a TV show.”

Nonetheless, soap operas in Turkey are a global success, boasting 70 shows being broadcast in more than 20 countries, predominantly in the Middle East, generating $50 million from exports last year.