Turkish captain expelled from military for showing Game of Thrones, and other esoterica

Welcome to a dose of Game of Thrones-related what-have-you. We begin on vacation.

Have you ever wanted to visit some of the most famous Game of Thrones filming locations? Well, thanks to the Belfast Telegraph, you can…in video form. With this short film, the Northern Irish publication shows Thrones fans how to travel to some of the show’s most notable filming locations, including areas that have stood in for Winterfell, the Iron Islands, Dragonstone, and others.

"Grab your greatsword and enter the real-world Westeros with our 3-day Game of Thrones itinerary, taking you to the best filming locations in Northern Ireland. This is Game of Thrones territory…"

In other random bits of interest, check out this amazing Game of Thrones-themed maze, built in Toronto by Cooper’s Farm.

"Game of Thrones Maze"

Every year, this 10-acre corn maze depicts a different image. This year, features the house sigils of House Lannister, House Stark, and House Targaryen.  The maze was open to the public as of October 30.

And now, an odd bit of news from Habertürk, via the Hurriyet Daily News. It seems that Game of Thrones is at the center of a Turkish legal dispute.

Here’s what happened: some time ago, Captain İskender Gülbahar screened at episode of Game of Thrones during an English class at the Maltepe Military High School in the western province of İzmir. Gülbahar and three other officers were brought up on charges and, after a two-stage trial, expelled from the military in 2012, on account of their having “insulted Turkishness” by screening the episode. “Even though it is not directly said, it is easily understood by the audience [that the characters are portraying Turks],” a report stated.

The final report claimed that the series had “pornographic elements,” “perverted and violent methods of sexual intercourse,” and encouraged alcohol consumption.

After a number of twists and turns in the case, Gülbahar applied individually to Turkey’s Supreme Military Administrative Court (AYİM), which ordered a retrial. Said the court:

"Our institution has accepted that ‘Game of Thrones,’ despite being aired on national TV channels, should not be screened in classes. Moral values and discipline are of great value to military personnel. However, forcing an individual out of the Armed Forces without considering the quality and the quantity of the move is not possible."

So it’s hard to be a Game of Thrones fan in Turkey. I wonder what episode they showed.