AKP Politician Pockets Millions from Fund Meant for Young Filmmakers

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism, tasked with supporting young filmmakers and nurturing new voices in Turkish cinema, has become embroiled in scandal. Instead of empowering emerging directors, the ministry’s “First Feature-Length Fiction Film Project” fund—meant explicitly for young creators—was handed to 52-year-old former AKP MP Metin Gündoğdu. The revelation has fueled outrage and accusations of blatant favoritism, casting a dark shadow over a program designed to foster innovation in the arts.

Millions Diverted from Youth to a Political Insider

According to Cumhuriyet, the ministry approved ₺142.4 million in total support for 24 projects in its 2025-5 Cinema Support Board Decisions. Among the recipients was Gündoğdu, who was awarded ₺6 million. The issue isn’t simply his age—it is the sheer contradiction: a fund earmarked for young directors diverted to a middle-aged ex-politician with deep party ties.

This move undermines the very purpose of the fund. Instead of lifting new talent into the industry, the ministry handed a lucrative contract to a figure whose political connections overshadow merit.

A “New” Film That Isn’t New

Even more damning, Gündoğdu’s funded project, titled “Babamın Gölgesi 1915 – Küçük Kahramanlar”, is anything but original. Records show that this very project was sold three years ago to TRT Çocuk as a 26-episode series and has already been broadcast.

The absurdity is glaring: taxpayers are now footing the bill for a recycled production that has already been monetized. Instead of nurturing creativity, the ministry is effectively funding reruns under the guise of fresh artistic support.

Conflict of Interest at the Core

The scandal deepens when one looks at ownership. The project wasn’t pitched by an independent young filmmaker but by the Yerli Düşünce Derneği, an organization chaired by Gündoğdu himself. This means the state is channeling millions into a project controlled by the applicant, raising red flags of conflict of interest, self-dealing, and systemic abuse.

What was supposed to be a transparent, competitive process reeks of insider privilege. When the head of an association doubles as the beneficiary of state funding, the credibility of the entire cultural support mechanism collapses.

Youth Shut Out, Cronyism Rewarded

The betrayal is twofold: young filmmakers were denied opportunities, and the public’s cultural budget was diverted into the pockets of a political veteran. The program meant to democratize access to the film industry instead reveals the entrenchment of political favoritism in Turkey’s cultural policy.

While aspiring directors struggle to finance their first films, the state prioritizes a 52-year-old politician’s recycled project. This is not cultural investment; it is the misuse of public resources.

Why It Matters

Cinema funds are more than cash grants—they are lifelines for underrepresented voices and vital for the renewal of artistic expression. By channeling money to a politically connected insider for a project that has already aired, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism sends a chilling message: loyalty to power trumps originality, youth, and fairness.

Instead of building Turkey’s next generation of filmmakers, the ministry has turned cultural funding into another tool of patronage. The scandal is not just about one man’s project but about the erosion of trust in cultural institutions.