Veteran actress explains the reason for the 'Türkan Şoray laws': 'They made me kiss when I was very young...'

Veteran actress Türkan Şoray met with inmates at the Bakırköy Women's Closed Prison as part of the Istanbul Culture Route Festival, organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and held a talk.

According to the statement made by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the talk was moderated by Birol Güven, General Director of Cinema at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Pointing to the impact of her previous visit, Türkan Şoray said, "You are my dears, you are my one and only. I am very happy to be here with you today. What I experienced when I came here years ago left deep marks on me. That is why I wanted to come again. I wanted to share your troubles and have a chat with you."

Emphasizing that she had written a letter the night before thinking about the inmates in the prison, the artist gave examples of the character Ümmühan from the film "Mahpus" (The Prisoner), which she starred in years ago.

"THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THE EXISTENCE OF A BEAM OF HOPE AT ALL TIMES"

Underlining that the female characters in her films always managed to stay on their feet, Şoray stated the following:

"The most important thing is the existence of a beam of hope at all times. Let us always carry that light within us. Even though you are going through difficult times here, never lose that light inside you. Life sometimes presents you with the most difficult paths, but these paths also make you stronger. They are not by your side right now, but you also have children. They are the greatest hope for our future. Do not teach our children hostility, malice, hatred, and revenge, but love and hope. Because their lives can always change and become beautiful. Just like in my films and in Yeşilçam, a story with a happy ending is always possible."

"TRUST THE POWER WITHIN YOU"

Responding to questions from the inmates, the veteran actress commented, "Looking at everything with good intentions, trusting yourself despite everything, accepting that you can do anything, believing that you can overcome every difficulty; these are very important in life. I didn't know these things at a very young age, but I learned them as difficulties arose in life. If I feel strong right now, it is because of my self-confidence. I can overcome every difficulty. I advise this to all women as well. Trust the power within you."

"THEY MADE ME KISS WHEN I WAS VERY YOUNG"

The famous artist also responded to a question regarding the "Türkan Şoray Laws" as follows:

"When I first started in cinema, when I was very young, they made me kiss. Without knowing what it was. After my bond with my audience strengthened, I didn't know if society would accept this. I had the condition of 'no kissing scenes' added to my contracts. This went on for years. It even became a subject of mockery. In the films, just as two lovers were about to kiss, the cameras would turn in another direction. There are now many such scenes in films shown on television. People stopped finding it strange. A period came, the era changed, and women's rights began to be discussed. A women's movement came to Turkey in the 1980s. All of this was reflected in the films in cinema. After a while, I saw that there was no other choice. We gradually relaxed them. Then I quit cinema anyway."