UNITED KINGDOM: Turkish internet celebrity claims he is the inspiration for spoof Kazakh character 'Borat'

Turkish Internet celebrity Mahir Cagri is in London to press his case that he is the inspiration for the spoof Kazakh journalist 'Borat', a creation of British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, whose movie of the same name is taking the world's box office by storm. The 44-year old's web site, with its "I Kiss You!!!!!" greeting, made him an unlikely Internet hero seven years ago. Web surfers were hooked by Cagri's larger-than-life persona, cheesy holiday snaps, prominent nose and moustache. "I like to take foto-camera (animals, towns, nice nude models and peoples)," his site explains in less than perfect English, giving his personal details as: "My tall 1.84 cm (6.2 feet) My weight 78 kg. My eyes green. I live alone!" In an interview on Thursday (November 9), Cagri appeared and sounded uncannily like the fictitious Borat, the moustachioed man from Kazakhstan who offended people there by saying that they kept women in cages and drank fermented horse urine. Interviewers could be forgiven for thinking they were being led into the kind of comic set-up that Cohen engineers. After seeing the film 'Borat', Cagri now worries people who watch it might think he is like the on-screen character, who mocks Kazakhstan, indulges in naked wrestling and makes jokes at the expense of Jews on a raucous trip across the United States. "They used these words, this character, bad way. I decide when I watching movie - then I decide it, I must do. And I'm... somebody, for example you, if you don't know me anything about for me, you no visit my wife side... Many English newspaper, magazine, writes about Mahir. (Looks for papers) No no no, London papers, Time, Guardian write one page 'The real Borat Mahir'. 'Borat imitate Mahir'. If you read this what you think about me? 'Mahir's very bad comedian, Mahir's maybe homosexual, Mahir's maybe say the bad things about Jewish people - I said no, this is very bad. I am gentleman," said Cagri. Cagri set up his Internet page (www.ikissyou.org ) in the late 1990s to make new friends and possibly find a partner. At first he was taken aback by the sensation caused by the page, featuring photographs of him in skimpy swimwear on a beach, surrounded by young women and playing table tennis. Computer billionaire Bill Gates was reportedly among his fans, and he embarked on a world tour on the strength of his sudden popularity appearing on chat shows and in commercials. "I am (a) normal man - same (as) you. I never dreamed I will be famous, I want to go America, I want... this is not my dream. Because I love my life, I have home, I have car, I need money. No, normal life - I don't need anything. But suddenly I am famous. All people know me. All famous people know me too. First one week (I was) very surprised," said Cagri. Now he is seeking publicity in the wake of Cohen, whose film 'Borat' opened at the top of the U.S. charts earlier this month - taking an impressive 4 million U.S. dollars in its first weekend. "You know, all media, world media, writes: 'Borat imitate, copy Mahir'. All people think this. Unimportant, my think (What I think is not important.) But I watching his film, movie - yes, he's stolen many things about, from me. He tried to imitate me, to copy me but I don't like movie," said Cagri, adding that he is even considering legal action against Cohen. Cohen was not immediately available for comment, but has said Borat was influenced by a doctor he met in southern Russia. Cagri plans to make his own movie to show the "real Mahir". Meanwhile, as his web site says, he is open to offers. "Who is want to come TURKEY I can invitate ... She can stay my home."

ITN Source | November 15, 2006

Tags:. .nude. .naked. .maybe. .earlier. .comic