The Color of Victory

A domestic film is currently in theaters. Directed by Abdullah Oğuz, with a screenplay written by Abdullah Oğuz and Evren Oğuz, the film is being watched with great interest by audiences of all ages. 

The film focuses on the period of the War of Independence. Istanbul is under British occupation, while Mustafa Kemal Pasha is leading the struggle for liberation hand-in-hand with the people of Anatolia. Meanwhile, sports clubs in Istanbul such as Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray, Beşiktaş, and Beyoğlu are trying to keep public morale high by drawing young people to sports fields and organizing football matches. The film "The Color of Victory" (Zaferin Rengi) covers those days.

The film's screenplay is structured around the legend of the General Harington Cup, one of the most important sporting achievements in the history of the Republic in 1919. In the cup match, Fenerbahçe defeats the British team, which was assertive in football, and wins the cup. For a people in the midst of a struggle for independence, this is a great victory that also holds symbolic value. 

Those who win on the football field also win in war.

Why shouldn't those who win on the football field also win on the battlefield? Fenerbahçe's tough struggle on the pitch becomes a great source of morale and motivation for the difficult struggle on the front lines. 

Like everyone else, I watched the film with great emotional intensity. There were moments when I could not hold back my tears. This nation fought a great struggle for the sake of independence, and it will never forget it, and will cherish it forever. The pride of victory and the pain of so many martyrs have combined and become so deeply embedded in our hearts that is it possible to forget? If one cannot hold back tears even at a small touch, if emotions are stirred, rest assured that this people, this nation, will never compromise on the Republic, on Mustafa Kemal, or on the unity and integrity of this country. While watching "The Color of Victory," my belief in this direction became clear once again, and it brought peace to my heart. 

On one hand, I felt proud to be a member of this people, an individual of this nation, and a citizen of the Republic of Turkey, and of course, to be a Fenerbahçe fan. 

Recently, theater plays and films depicting our Republic and our War of Independence have been produced, and all of them have been met with great interest and watched with intense emotion. While watching "The Color of Victory," I thought about how much we need productions that tell us about ourselves and present slices of our history. Especially the new generations need to be informed. 

Today, the prevalence of information technologies also presents an environment of serious information pollution. Generations wrapped in technology are under a great threat in this sense. It is necessary to recognize this danger and ensure that young generations and individuals of this nation have access to accurate information so that they can grasp their own history, their own past, and see the details. 

Today's technology-wrapped children and young people possess the characteristic of being dynamic in time but static in space. Because they think that everything they need is provided to them by digital channels, they prefer a very static, space-fixed lifestyle and live that way. Since they create a significant portion of their social life in virtual spaces, they do not feel the need for physical mobility. For instance, they keep visiting museums, art galleries, or walking the streets and avenues of the city almost entirely out of their daily life practices. Even for the shopping they love so much, they prefer home delivery from virtual stores instead of getting up and walking around shops. 

In that case, information needs to be delivered to these new-trend generations through the new trends they prefer. If they are too lazy to go to museums, we must ensure that museums are brought to them. If they do not pursue information about their own past, what is necessary must be done so that the past pursues them. The way to do this is to deliver historical knowledge to new generations through films and new-trend digital channels. Whatever the method, our own history, the experiences of the past, and our political, social, and cultural heritage must be presented to them in a language and format they can understand, regarding the difficult struggle given for the sake of independence. 

We have a past to be proud of. We have a rich history with the Seljuks, the Ottomans, and the Republic of Turkey. The geography we live in today has political-strategic importance. Therefore, we must be sensitive to maintain and strengthen our presence here, and more importantly, we must come to our senses and be conscious. 

Since the homeland, the nation, the republic, the flag, and independence are our sensitive touchpoints, we must strengthen them on a knowledge-based foundation and convey them to new generations with all their simplicity, objectivity, and an impartial attitude. 

I congratulate the producers of the film "The Color of Victory" and Fenerbahçe, which sponsored it, for their contribution in this direction.