Creeping conservatism
For more than 30 years Huysuz Virjin (the Petulant Virgin), a cross-dresser with a razor-sharp wit and a merciless tongue, has been winning the affection of millions of Turks. And his TV success has been vaunted as evidence of the tolerance of Turkey’s unique mix of Islam and secularism. But not for much longer, it seems (via). For the past year Huysuz Virjin has been replaced by his less exotic self, Seyfi Dursunoglu.
The 76-year-old entertainer claims to have been forced to trade in his trademark blonde wig, silk stockings and sexy gowns for more conventional male garb after Turkey’s broadcasting watchdog, the RTUK, put pressure on television stations to ban cross-dressing.
RTUK denies such censorship. But Mr Dursunoglu insists that he is the victim of a creeping conservatism that he believes has infected the country ever since the mildly Islamist Justice and Development (AK) party came to power five years ago. Although he was allowed to appear in drag for a special new-year programme, he says that “as a performer, I am no longer as free”. Similar concerns about artistic freedom and secularism were aired last month by Fazil Say, a Turkish pianist, who accused the AK party of being unfriendly.
Sunday 13 Jan 2008 | Paul | Turkey
