Disney Plus should stream Atatürk on October 29, 2023, the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye, to promote values that are foundational to the entire democratic world, especially the United States.
The power of Disney’s storytelling, experiences, and simply the name itself inspire people and resonate through generations. The story of Atatürk deserves to be told by Disney.
Atatürk gave women the right to vote in Türkiye in 1930, decades before Europe (including Greece, France, Italy, Belgium, and Switzerland). He transformed the crumbling Ottoman Empire into a democracy, rooted in secularism and human rights. As the first president of Türkiye, he ushered in a new era of modernization with civil and political equality for minorities, including Jews, Greeks, and Armenians, legally enshrined in the new Turkish constitution.
Today, the democratic values of secularism, freedom of expression, and human rights are under threat around the world. A special interest group in the US falsely claimed that Atatürk orchestrated a genocide. In the spirit of cancel culture, Disney reflexively bowed to pressure by canceling the series on its platform, threatening to throw a chapter of enlightened human history into the dark.
In the United States, citizens are entitled to freedom of expression and freedom of the press. Succumbing to cancel culture does a disservice to these democratic ideals that the United States is founded upon, and to the ideals that Atatürk founded in Türkiye.
Sign this petition so that Disney Plus streams its Atatürk series on October 29, 2023, as planned. People around the world want to see the story of the visionary leader Atatürk on Disney Plus. Atatürk's enlightened legacy will inspire us today, and will inspire future generations bearing the torch of democracy.
Click here to sign the petition.
