A Tale of Prinkipo

The draft scenario/ screenplay described below is completely fiction/ set up, has nothing to do with reality nor with any real person.

This is a draft screenplay, prepared to present to Italian/ US film director(s) Ferzan Özpetek? or Woody Allen?, to enable them to shoot the film in historical Roman island Prinkipo (Büyükada in modern times in Turkish). This draft scenario has passages on Turkish food, Turkish kitchen, Turkish wine, Turkish gays, there are also Italian architectural elements in Prinkipo island at the turn of 20th Century and the problem of energy supply security, as well as protection of nearby environment.

This scenario is completely fiction, it explains local energy / environmental concerns and intended to draw attention to the energy/ environmental problems in a small island near Istanbul.

Film starts depicting, Architect Ayşe (40+ years of age Turkish-American woman) living in New York, with her Italian-American husband, Al (Aldo) Fretelli, in ferry from Bostancı (Anatolian side of Istanbul) to Büyükada (Prinkipo island in ancient times for Buyukada, Prince islands), expedition begins with images of the city line services aboard ship. The camera approaches to luggage tags. JFK-Istanbul THY Turkish airline luggage tags appear. They landed a few hours ago. Couple have 2 little cute girls at 5-7 years old with them.

Ferry arrives to Büyükada seaport/ docks, Ayse meets her mother and father. They pull wheeled luggage at a crowded square, enter the crowded queue of horse carts. Ayşe her mother and her small daughter in one cab, Al his father-in-law and eldest daughter of Aldo on the other cab to ride. Horse Carts leave from the travel range, they pass by Hotel Splendid Palas and Anatolia Club, along the way watching magnificent old stone houses (mansions) built mostly designed by Italian architects at the turn of 20^thcentury. Father-in-law owns the stone house by an Italian architecture at the end of the road.

House helper rushes to open the gate and carry the luggage. Together, they pass to a large balcony overlooking the sea, the cold white wine is serves, women in the kitchen rush for dinner. Guys wear kitchen aprons, help to slice bread, make salad, cut melon, and watermelon, nothing more. They sing together Puccini opera arias, which is in the environment from a CD player.

Ayşe’s American husband, the groom (Italian American AL / Aldo Fretelli), is an important International Hedge Fund manager in New York. He is well educated, well trained, very rich and very intellectual. Ayşe has Post-Doc degree in Architecture and old house renovations from the University of Firenze in Italy, so Ayse speaks Italian as well as English and Turkish. Conversations continue in mixture of Italian, English, Turkish languages.

Ayşe's father, a medical doctor, with the money he has earned from his clinic, had invested in healthcare / hospital industry. Early evening time his son, Ayşe’s brother Ali and his young wife come. Ladies exaggerate the cooking work in kitchen. Ali makes salad, in the meantime he explains the local investment climate to his brother-in- law. They have new investment in IT sector but they need to find a new investment sector. Local IT sector is very competitive, energy sector may create new opportunities to earn more money.

Properly cooled local white wines are served, while Aldo has 2 each Italian Barberesko wines with himself, bought in Airport duty-free brought as present for his hosts. After white wines, they open up the Italian red wines first, each takes half-cup, then taste. After they open up local red quality wines, of Öküzgözü, Boğazkere, KalecikKarası grapes. Other invited guests of Prinkipo island appear at the gate, academics, gay couples, rich Turkish/ Jewish businessmen/ businesswomen with their spouses, speaking in French/ English/ Italian/ Turkish in the highly educated intellectual environment. Sisyphus of Prinkipo and his wife enters the environment, they bring a cup of fresh bean dish.

The family house/ mansion is almost 100-year old stone structure with high ceilings also the work of an Italian architect. Trotsky mansion is also known as "Arab Izzet Pasha mansion" the first owner, designed by Architect Nicholas Dimadis, construction completed in year 1885, is located adjacent. Guests talk about Trotsky, the period of his stay in Prinkipo island between 1929-1933. They talk about those years. Then they discuss about how to renovate Trotsky mansion without disturbing the original structure.

Environment consistently have filled with sounds of Puccini operas via CD player. A young girl enters, the room, turns off the CD player and starts to play Beethoven's 3rd piano concerto from her memory. In the end of that impromptu piano solo concert, they all applaud the young pianist.

American husband / wife Ayşe and AL, sleep long/late hours on the morning the next day. The window is open, the smell of the sea and nearby pine tree forest is in their sleeping room, the children rush in the room with pleasure. Breakfast is in a large spacious balcony. Helpers do act as if they are family members / relatives in comfort. There is an old but fit gardener / caretaker in the garden.

They leave the family mansion around noon time. They visit new exhibition in Çınar (Maple) square, “Islands- Buildings- Architects” on magnificent architectural stone buildings of the past, most of them are designed/ and/or built by Italian/ Greek/ Jewish Architects at the turn of 20^th century. They examine the pictures/ photos/ documents/ designed in the exhibition. Buildings are beautiful but old, dilapidated so they all need renovation. It is not possible to sell those houses to foreigners with no reciprocity agreements, so new application is long term leasing say for 49 years. They admire the Mizzi Palace which was designed by Italian architect Raimondo T. D’Aronco, who was also Royal Architect of Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamit-II.

They feel that there is a growing commercial / business capacity in the island for restoration/ renovation works of the old mansions/ houses.

At noon time, they go to Prinkipo SanPasifiko Italian Roman Catholic church (by Italian architect Domenico Giorgio Stampa, built in 1862) for weekly Tuesday ritual.

The Italian priest, Father Don Fellice meets the couple. He prays for them, then they all listen to Organ Church music. The organist of the San Pacifico church, Turkish / Italian young Renato plays "Je t'aime, moi non plus" passages within the player, Don Felice has half angry, half-scolding manner with his eyes.,

Fener Greek Patriarchate has received the ownership of the former Greek Orphanage -which was by Levantine French architect Alexander Vallauri. Ayşe receives the work order for its restoration (New York City architect, Nicholas Koutsomitis).

The New York Times, newspaper has released an article on this subject in the summer months. They climb the KadıYoran(Tired Judge?) slope in the late afternoon as the sun sets, through the path/road of Lovers, and TÜRKYILMAZ street route. They go to the old Greek orphanage, watch the old building outside, dilapidated wooden building, biggest wooden structure in Europe, second biggest in the world. The Patriarchate has received the ownership, but could not raise funds for renovation which has an estimated budget of 50 million U.S. Dollars.

The following day early in the morning, they plan 8-km cycling/ bike tour around the island, they arrive to Lunapark square at the middle of the island, witness an unfortunate accident of an inexperienced local not wearing bicycle helmet with a horse cart.

A young local girl is injured and transferred by ambulance to Büyükada Public hospital. Ambulance passes through path where Sisyphus (your writer) is collecting litter -plastic pets / glass / metal box.

At the square, they lock their bikes to a side pole. They climb the Slope of Misery (or Torture) leading to Aya Yorgi (Hagia Yorgi) Monastery - designed by Greek Architect Kapetanakis, construction completed in year 1906.
While climbing the Torture slope to AyaYorgi Monastery, they do not look back, they do not speak, they only prey to what they believe. Ayse explains, "Future is shaped by expectations, you ask/ pray/ request the best for yourself, for your loved ones, you get the best in time.” AL confirms, "Very true, but as in the economy, in this regard there was also a Nobel Prize in Economics in year 1995, for this principle given to Robert E. Lukas," he said.

They put light on candles for realization wishes of their prays in the monastery. The priest read the prayer, they pray. Don Felice of SanPasifiko is now the master in AyaYorgi / the same actor, with orthodox priest costume.

On the hill, they watch the Sea of Marmara and high flying migratory birds coming from Europe going to Africa, with some resting time on Old Greek Orphanage roofs.

They come back to LunaPark (merry-go-round) square, they take back their bikes. They ride towards Former Turkish PM "Fethi Okyar" House (architect Sedat Hakki Eldem, construction completed in year 1938), they pass by ViranBağ, then they arrive to South Park former old garbage dump, then they give a break in the recreational public park area, at south end of Prinkipo island.

Aldo is an important Hedge Fund manager in New York city, he says, "This place is empty, owned by the state land, or the Treasury". Asks his wife, 'What is the estimated area of this park?, Ayşe responded,"Probably 100 acres". (In fact, 10 acres). AL responds, "Here is a nice investment set up to build a new state-of-art nuclear power plant with 1000 MWe electricity output, adds “let’s see how we can do it.”

Ayşe says "Don't be silly," she adds, "You need to have at least 400 acres for 1000 MWe Nuclear power plant, could you get construction permission, in city of Istanbul?"

AL answers, "That would be great, it's a hard rock bottom, we fill the rest of the sea a little, we place heavy load on solid rock island floor, we put light weights on the filling construction, we generate 1000 MWe of electricity, and transfer to main land through 3km coastal HVDC cables, it is easy at about 300+ US Dollar per meter cost at current market plus some auxiliaries, to transmission transformer on the other end of the channel. We supply power to all Istanbul to almost 15 million people, we have supply security, You have ever raising energy prices due to very expensive Russian natural gas. We do not have environmental pollution, we can manage waste disposal and security with high technology, no problem, lots of money.”

He adds, "We need to learn more about Turkish energy / investment incentive legislation, then we need to meet with the Minister of Energy and Chairman of the Energy Markets Regulatory Board in Ankara. We need to find an experienced and financially secure local partner company in energy investments. Your family is good in health / hospital/ IT sector, but Energy is a new investment sector for them. Let me explain the situation here to my British partners, Lord Humphrey (head of the British financial group) and Sir Barnard responsible for energy investments, (names adapted from ”Yes Minister” BBC TV serials)."

“We need to find local investor partners for sharing risks with us, and help/teach us. Your father mentioned a local friend who got involved in similar thermal power plants, where environmentalists have objected, by talking to him we may learn more about business and investment climate. He has experience, he knows how this type of investment is realized, how to get license, how to get land expropriation if/where necessary".

Later in the day, they visit Hamidiye Mosque (construction completed 1895, architect unknown, Raimondo T. D'Aronco?) Imam Mesut Bakhtiyar Effendi (same actor playing the priest role), usually on the mosque backyard, playing football with the local kids. He responded to the angry pious believers, "Children's voices are not bothered by the Great God!"says. He tells about the importance on the environmental sensitivity in Friday prayers. Most of the Muslim male roles/characters go to Friday prayers. Writer / restaurateur, begins local environmental organization to oppose Nuclear power plant investment on the island.

Closure. The end of the movie:

We all know that NPP is a long term investment. Financing, tendering, construction, operation are all very difficult. Waste disposal and security problems are not yet solved. On the other hand, the island's south coast is very deep, the landfill is not possible, parking space is very small for nuclear power plant construction. Nuclear / thermal power plant can’t be installed, however a small solar power plant with a capacity of maximum 10-MWe can be installed. Wind power plants can’t be installed, because on the air corridor above the island of Prinkipo, perhaps thousands of migratory birds fly every year from Europe to Africa, which continued for millions of years on the natural route. Wind turbines, propellers, if mounted on the island hills, perish thousands of birds while passing, and wind turbines can’t work, they immediately deteriorate. Solar panels can be placed in front of the empty construction site on AyaNikola beach. Solar power plant can be established here to generate electricity for the people of the Prinkipo island for their domestic household electricity needs.

I got no response yet from “Ferzan Ozpetek”. I wonder if it helps to change “Italian ALDO” character to "Jewish Aaron" with Sefarat heritage, whose family emigrates to New York from Prinkipo at the turn of the 20^th century. His old relatives still live in Prinkipo island. So I tell about more details of Jewish Prinkipo culture. They go to “Hesed Le’Avraam” Synagogue in Prinkipo- (built in 1904 designed by Gabriel Tedeschi, contractor Behar Parali) for Saturday praying, where they meet with local Rabbi, the same actor who played priest and imam earlier. I wonder, if the world famous Director "Woody Allen" gets interested with our draft scenario? Could he shoot a similar movie to "Midnight in Paris" in Prinkipo?? For example, say "A Tale of Prinkipo". This may also help to reduce unnecessary tension between Israel and Turkey.

Sisyphus of Prinkipo Island, August 2011

Haluk Direskeneli, is a graduate of METU Mechanical Engineering department (1973). He worked in public, private enterprises, USA Turkish JV companies (B&W, CSWI, AEP), in fabrication, basic and detail design, marketing, sales and project management of thermal power plants. He is currently working as freelance consultant/ energy analyst with thermal power plants basic/ detail design software expertise for private engineering companies, investors, universities and research institutions. He is a member of ODTÜ Alumni and Chamber of Turkish Mechanical Engineers Energy Working Group.