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Michael Taylor

In the unlikely event that Jackie Chan ever finds himself out of work as an actor, he might consider going to work for Turkey's tourism authority. Following four months of filming on location in what for many centuries was considered to be the centre of the civilised world, Hong Kong's favourite stuntman has become a very persuasive spokesman for the country's charms.

'I've become a Turkish ambassador,' Chan said.

'Everything there is the best.'

Speaking at his New Territories office, Chan raved about the country's weather, scenery, cuisine and architecture. But he reserved his highest accolades for its hospitable inhabitants.

'They're very nice people,' Chan  confided. 'They were not just good to me because I'm a star. They were also good to my assistants. Ask any of the girls. When they went shopping or wanted something to eat, no one would let them pay for it. They were very nice to tourists,' he said.

Chan's next movie, Accidental Spy, is scheduled for release early next year.

With scenes in both Hong Kong and Seoul, about 80 per cent of it was shot on location in Turkey, Chan estimated. He hoped it would help clear up some misconceptions - misconceptions that he and his staff once shared.

'Before going to Turkey, we were afraid of everything,' Chan admitted.

'We thought it would be like in Mid night Express. If the police came, there would be trouble,' he said.

As a result of these misgivings, the film crew and every one else exercised a  lot of caution.  But their apprehensions were soon put to rest.

'We thought about a lot of things [that could go wrong]. We didn't expect production people to agree to anything. Now we trust them. They did the best they could,' Chan said.

Istanbul, with its layered history, stands at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. With attractions such as the Topkapi Palace, the Blue Mosque and the Grand Bazaar, Turkey's largest city, with 12 million residents, has long been a favourite with movie producers.

'The surroundings are very mystic,' Fatih Ulusoy, vice consul, Consulate General of Turkey, said. 'It's full of history and beautiful scenery. The Topkapi Palace, for example, has a stunning display of diamonds and other gems.'

If Chan was upbeat about Turkey, the people of Turkey were equally upbeat  about Chan. According to Mr Ulusoy, Hong Kong's favourite son had an ardent following in Turkey - and it predates the release of his latest Hollywood blockbusters, Rumble in the Bronx and Shanghai Noon.

So they were thrilled to learn of his plans to film a movie in their homeland. 'It was a surprise and it was a big event for Turkish people,' Mr Ulusoy said. 'Huge crowds turned out whenever he was filming a scene. He is really very popular there.'

Calling Chan 'the best known living Chinese actor in Turkey,' Mr Ulusoy said his films were shown in both theatres and on television and that they were always dubbed in Turkish.

'All of his films are shown in Turkey - his old films and new films,' Mr Ulusoy said, adding that the actor's popularity is largely owing to his talent.



After making a movie in Turkey, Chan takes on different role