Dubai: Famous Turkish superstar Engin Altan Duzyatan was all praise for the ‘Dubai Can’ initiative launched early this year to reduce the use of plastic drinking bottles.
Duzyatan, who shot to fame around the world for his role as ‘Ertugrul’ in the famous historical Turkish TV serial ‘Resurrection: Ertugrul', said that he was touched by the initiative taken by Dubai to protect the environment. Duzyatan, commonly called ‘Ertugrul’ worldwide, is visiting Dubai these days. He visited the Dubai Media Office on Thursday for an interactive session moderated by Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM).
Dubai Can initiative
The ‘Dubai Can’ initiative, launched by Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, in February this year, encourages communities, businesses, residents and visitors to undertake simple changes such as using refillable water bottles and public water stations and installing water filters in their homes, offices and schools, which result in the reduction of single-use plastic water bottles.
The initiative has resulted in a reduction in the usage of more than one million 500ml single-use plastic water bottles in just 100 days since its launch.
Documentaries on enviroment
Duzyatan, who is a producer now, is also an environmentalist and is working on different projects to protect the environment. “I am working on two big documentaries on environment. One of them is about water issues in Africa. Apart from highlighting the water crisis in Africa, I have also helped dig several wells in Africa to provide clean drinking water to thousands of people.
“My second documentary focuses on ‘dangers’ of plastic. I have shot this documentary in five countries, including Japan, UK and Turkey to highlight plastic hazards,” he added.
Currently, Duzyatan is working on a movie and is also busy shooting another historic TV serial ‘Barabros.’
Big fan of Dubai
Duzyatan told Gulf News that he is a ‘big fan of Dubai’ and has been a regular visitor to ‘this amazing city’ for the last ten years. “My wife probably knows all the best restaurants and shopping malls in the city,” he said laughing.
“I would love to work on a joint venture production in Dubai, including TV serials, films and commercials,” he said when asked about his future plans. “I am open to work on joint projects in Dubai as there is a lot of potential here and I have many friends in the city. So far, there is nothing concrete, but we are talking about some projects that will be revealed at an appropriate time if they materialise,” he said.
Visit Dubai
He said that highlighting Dubai’s diverse culture, rich and modern lifestyle and amazing landscape through TV serials, films and commentaries for such projects would help attract more tourists and investors to the city. “You will never know how much Dubai has to offer unless you visit the emirate. I never knew there are mountains in Dubai,” he said in a candid mode.
Expats' TV serial
When asked what he felt upon visiting Dubai, Duzyatan said that he always felt that Dubai should have a TV serial on the huge number of expats from more than 200 countries living in the UAE. “I would love to watch such a TV serial revolving around expat lives, their friendships, joint business ventures, love stories, shopping, lifestyle, co-living and the cultural harmony,” he noted.
Why is Engin Altan Düzyatan so famous?
Engin Altan Düzyatan is a famous Turkish actor who got famous all over the world for his role as Ertugrul Bey in the Turkish historical play 'Dirilis: Ertugural', translated as 'Resurrection: Ertugrul', produced by Mehmed Bozdag. The show is set in the 13th century and is based on the life of Ertuğrul, the father of Osman I, the founder of the Ottoman Empire. The TV serial has been translated and dubbed in a number of languages including Urdu, Arabic and English. It is also the most expensive TV serial produced in Turkey.
The show ran for five years from 2014 to 2019, spanning over five seasons and 450 episodes. At first, Engin thought that it would be a ridiculous role, but his perspective changed when he read the 13th century work, 'Book of Dede Korkut', the most famous among the epic stories of the Oghuz Turks. Later on, Engin Altan agreed and said “Ertugrul was a real hero, smart, mature and just”.
