The Masked Gang: Iraq

The Masked Gang: Iraq (Maskeli Beşler: Irak) is a 2007 Turkish comedy film, directed by Murat Aslan, about an incompetent gang of criminals attempting to capture an oil installation in northern Iraq in order divert the oil to Turkey. The film, which went on general release across Turkey on January 12, 2007, was the third highest-grossing Turkish film of 2007. It is a sequel to The Masked Gang (2005) and was followed by The Masked Gang: Cyprus (2008).

Plot
In this sequel, the clumsiest comedy heroes of Turkish Cinema are convinced firmly that the rights of Turkey upon the oil supplies of the north Iraq are being ignored. Without further ado, they decide to end this unfairness. The idiotic group succeeds in bringing an Iraqi oil plant under American guard into its control. Guided by their leader Bahattin (Peker Acikalin), the gang members Bubbly Tezcan (Safak Sezer), Private Kamil (Cengiz Kucukayvaz), Clumsy Zeki (Melih Ekener) and Redneck Recep (Atilla Sarihan), manage to take the American soldiers as their hostages, and redirect the pipelines to Turkey. The good mannered gang, however, has difficulties in understanding, why this "clearly legal action" not only captures the attention of the local authorities, but also brings about a strong international crisis between Turkey and the USA. In addition, Tezcan falls in love with the American lieutenant Angel, making the situation as far more complicated.

Cast

 * Şafak Sezer as Tezcan
 * Peker Açıkalın as Bahattin
 * Cengiz Küçükayvaz as Kamil
 * Melih Ekener as Zeki
 * Atilla Sarıhan as Laz Recep
 * Erdal Tosun as Peşto
 * Cezmi Baskın as Reis
 * Durul Bazan as Davi
 * Ali Atıf Bir as the Turkish undersecretary
 * Tatyana Tsvikeviç as the American soldier
 * Charles Carroll as the American general
 * Ceyhun Yılmaz as the taxi driver

Release
The film opened on general release in 350 screens across Turkey on January 12, 2007 at number two in the Turkish box office chart with a worldwide opening weekend gross of $1,988,968.

Reception
The movie remained number one at the Turkish box office for two weeks tunning and was the third highest grossing Turkish film of 2007 with a total gross of $6,563,123. It remained in the Turkish box-office charts for forty-nine weeks and made a total worldwide gross of $7,717,183.