Mas-Kom-Yah

Mas-Kom-Yah is a theater play written by the future mayor of Istanbul, Prime Minister of Turkey and President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in 1975, based on the book Kızıl Pençe ("Red Claw") written by the Islamist preacher Mustafa Bayburtlu. The name Mas-Kom-Yah is an abbreviation for Mason, Komünist ve Yahudi (Freemason, Communist and Jew). (in Turkish). Sözcü. 2018-11-29. Retrieved 2025-06-23.

 Plot 
The non-religious factory owner Ayhan Bey sends his son abroad for education. Years later, the son, having left Islam, returns to Turkey. This leads to a fight between Ayhan Bey and his son. At the same time, the factory owner's workers rebel and take over Ayhan Bey's property. They are incited by a Jewish worker pretending to be a Turkish Muslim. He is shown in the play as extremely evil, and in the end incites his colleagues to murder Ayhan Bey.

 Performance 
Erdoğan, who wrote the play, also participated in the production as director and actor, playing the role of the factory owner's son. The play was performed throughout Turkey from 1975 until the 1980 Turkish coup d'état.

 Criticism 
In 2012, the German weekly news magazine Der Spiegel, described the play as an antisemitic piece and accused Erdoğan of seeing theater only as propaganda, and of hindering theater work by liberal and secular actors, directors and screenwriters as Prime Minister, because theaters and stages in today's Republic of Turkey are partly liberal and secular centers of society. (in German)

 References 

Category:1970s plays
Category:1975 in entertainment
Category:Turkish language
Category:Antisemitism
Category:Anti-Masonry
Category:Anti-communism
Category:Recep Tayyip Erdoğan