"Whack the whore" is a historical drama set during so called "Independence War". The film takes place in a small village in Aegean region of Anatolia. To give some brief historical info about this period, clashes between the irregular Turkish militia and Greek forces resulted in decisive Turkish victory and marked the end of Greek military presence in Anatolia and the beginning of severe Greek civilian depopulations. (Check "Great Fire of Smyrna") I first saw this film in Gender Studies class in university. The lecturer chose this film as a means to show the creation of "Turkish identity" by the early secular Turkish state through actors and actresses portraying ideal individuals possessing the essential virtues. This movie was perfect for this purpose as it is close to an unironic propaganda film. On the opposite side, the natural enemies of the Turkish race is created. The Greeks are portrayed as an external threat who came to take take the lands, plunder the settlements and rape the women while the internal enemies of the state are the Islamist traitors who willingly cooperate with the invaders for their personal gains.
The protagonist is Aliye, a young teacher appointed to teach (or brainwash) in the elementary school of the poor village. The undisciplined students are quickly put in line and their innocent minds begin to be filled with nationalist state ideology by the undaunted teacher. Soon, they are seen chanting anthems and waving flags during a parade when the teacher is attacked by the imam's mobs for dressing inappropriately. The mob spreads false information and manipulates the villagers about the heretical ways of Aliye and the harm she's doing to the village.
Aliye stays at the home of an elderly couple who adopt her because she reminds them of their dead daughter. For some time, they are all she has. Her father in law is the ideal religious man who regularly participates in public debates with the Islamist traditionalists. He differs from the members of the communion for "love for his country" and he believes in "true Islam".
Everything changes when Tahsin, the leader of the local Kuvay-ı Milliye (National Forces) militia makes an entrance to the town. He portrays the ideal Turkish male: A patriotic and courageous man, he quickly secures justice in town. Tahsin realizes Aliye's beauty and modesty and they fell in love with each other as they are the perfect fit.
Later, fearing Aliye's growing influence, the Muslim mob invites the Greek contingent to take control of the village while Tahsin's forces are out of town. Greek major also fancies Aliye and harasses her until she accepts to marry him. As a proud Turkish woman, she refuses his immoral offers and holds on to her honor. Tahsin arrives with his army, recaptures the village and frees Aliye from Major's hands. But the mob kidnaps Aliye. The movie ends when the mob publicly executes her and she's forever martyred.
This movie is essential to understand Kemalist mythology and mindset. Most of the secular Turks hold on to their previous ideals and they spread their hate under the pretext of being modern and Western. This results in a sharp polarization between the country's two types of people as one side sees the other as uneducated and dumb or unorthodox and corrupted.After years of oppression the religious people experienced, they eventually prevailed and the state ideology gave away to Islamist neoliberalism. The current ruling party successfully uses the memory of decades of oppression to consolidate its base voters while the main opposition continues to live in a nostalgic dream about the good ol' times when it had the power.
