Erdogan-Gollum comparisons not defamatory, says director

Filmmaker Peter Jackson has commented on criminal charges a doctor faces in Turkey for comparing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Gollum.

A court in Turkey has been deliberating the nature of the character Gollum, who features in the novels and film adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, after a defence was offered on behalf of Bilgin Ciftci claiming that his comparison was not defamatory of the president - a punishable crime in Turkey - as Gollum was not necessarily evil.

Jackson has pointed out, in a joint statement with filmmakers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens given to the Wrap entertainment site, that the character depicted in the photos was not even Gollum, but Smeagol, the other half of the character’s split personality.

"If the images below are in fact the ones forming the basis of this Turkish lawsuit, we can state categorically: none of them feature the character known as Gollum,” it read.

“All of them are images of the character called Smeagol, Smeagol is a joyful, sweet character. Smeagol does not lie, deceive, or attempt to manipulate others. He is not evil, conniving, or malicious — these personality traits belong to Gollum, who should never be confused with Smeagol."

Ciftci was sacked from his job in a hospital in October sharing an array of photos showing Erdogan pulling various faces in comparison with Gollum.

He was also briefly detained by Turkish police and now faces two years in jail for violating Article 301 of the constitution, which punishes anyone who “publicly denigrates the Government of the Republic of Turkey, the judicial institutions of the State.”

Many have expressed concern about the erosion of civil liberties in Turkey and particularly threats to freedom of the press.

According to Reporters Without Borders there are currently 9 journalists being prosecuted in Turkey’s jails in 2015.