The Terrible Turk
SYNOPSIS
This is a story about a 19th century Turkish wrestler called Koca Yusuf known as Terrible Turk or Yousouf
Ishmaelo in Europe and USA. He global wrestling icon status between 1895-1900 still alive even today.
He was born in 1857 in Karalar village of Sumnu, Bulgaria where is an Ottoman territory at that time.
He became the champion of 649 year traditional oil wrestling in 1884 after defeating the 26 year champion Kel
Alico.
Because of the political view and defiance of the Sultan Abdulhamid against any activity bringing people
together, he went to Paris for wrestling in 1894 and to USA in 1898 and became the first Greco-Roman wrestler
of the nation.
He won all of his matches in Paris, Bordeaux, NewYork, Washington, Chicago, Clevaland and Toronto and many
other locations. He had been the major identity of wrestling and many sport shows in Europe and United States.
He had been fairly praised by European and American newspapers many times.
The Terrible Turk Yusuf lost in Atlantic after an accident on the 4th of July, 1898 when he was on his way back
to Turkey in French Liner La Bourgogne. According to a speculation, his collapsed body reached to Azores
Islands after the accident and he had been buried to the garden of one of the churches in the islands by a priest
with 20 other collapsed bodies.
Now 112 year after his death, “Koca Yusuf in Turkey” expedition team will chase after his marks in Europe and
USA where he had more than 100 matches with wrestlers from all over the world, the team will search the
archives and realize some experimental researches with the help of some professionals to find the truth about all
his life. The first researches showed that whatever the result will be, the expedition will present new findings
about this world famous wrestler as well as the European and American sports history. The target of the team is
to find his grave in Azores to bring back to Turkey.
This research expedition and documentary movie of it will be presented simultaneously with the story of a young
American wrestler who discovers “Terrible Turk” identity while trying to find the roots of American wrestling. Our
young American character will discover the common values accepted today in the life and death of Terrible Turk,
Koca Yusuf. These values will include Fairplay, cooperation and sharing, professionalism and discipline to
succeed.
Key findings about Terrible Turk’s wrestling life are, the realities about his oil wrestling matchs and the Sultan’s
approach to wrestling, his matches in Paris (Folies Bergeres, Casino de Paris), New York, Chicago, Washington,
Clevaland (Madison Square Garden, Metropolitan Opera House, London Theatre) as well as the countless
newspaper clipings from 1895 to 1898. (Le Petit Journal, Le Figaro, Le Journal, New York Times, The
Washington Post, Chicago Daily Tribune, Daily Nor'Wester, West Coast Times, Evening Post, Evening
Wisconsin…etc.
The Format
The format of the documentary can be described as a structure formed by
· Animation of the wrestling macthes in 1894-1898,
· Outdoor and indoor interviews with historians, sportsmen and other professionals like oceanography
experts,
· Presentation of still photography and illustrations from the newspaper clippings,
· Actual footages from the wrestling arenas and show centers like Madison Square Garden, Folies
Bergeres…etc
· Voice over supporting all
