Tulunay explains that in the Middle East, Turkish television series are extremely popular; therefore, "they have some celebrities as role models."
"Thick, handsome mustaches have long been prized by men throughout the Middle East as symbols of masculine virility, wisdom and maturity. But not all mustaches are created equal, and in recent years, increasing numbers of Middle Eastern men have been going under the knife to attain the perfect specimen. Turkish plastic surgeon Selahattin Tulunay says the number of mustache implants he performs has boomed in the last few years," writes CNN.
The article, written by Tim Hume for CNN International and entitled Mideast men go under knife for manly mustaches, gave wide mention to surgeon Selahattin Tulunay for his success in mustache implants using follicular unit extraction, a new trend which is fast on the rise amongst Middle Eastern men.
AN ERROR IN THE CNN ARTICLE
The article, which quotes Tulunay as stating, "For some men who look young and junior, they think (a mustache) is a must to look senior ... more professional and wise," he said. "They think it is prestigious." When Tulunay answered our questions on the subject, he pointed out that the article also writes that he performs 50-60 procedures a month. "There is a mistake there. It takes four hours to conduct a mustache implant on one person. A beard takes eight hours. In other words, we are only able to do five or six mustache or beard implants a month," explains Tulunay.
The CNN article also mentions the Paris-based doctor Pierre Bouhanna as another surgeon who has been performing increasing numbers of mustache implants. Bouhanna says, "A majority of our patients are from the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon and Turkey." Bouhanna explains that patients are able to fly home the next day and shower; however they have to abstain from shaving for 15 days and can expect to see full results in six months. Bouhanna says the procedure costs around 7,000 dollars.
PRIME MINISTER ERDOĞAN'S MUSTACHE GETS A MENTION
Andrew Hammond, a Saudi Arabia-based popular culture writer also spoke with CNN, stating that it was quite normal for Middle Eastern men to want to have mustache implants. "Having a mustache was always a big thing, ever since the Ottoman time," he said. "Most Arab leaders have mustaches, or some form of facial hair. I think culturally it suggests masculinity, wisdom and experience. "
Christa Salamandra, an anthropology professor at City University, also discussed the significance of the mustache deemed a symbol of high social status which figured heavily in matters of personal honor in the Middle East and explained that in sayings and folk tales men "swore on their mustache."
The article also mentions that in Turkey, different mustache styles carry their own political significance and cites Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the two prime ministers that preceded him as also sporting influential mustaches.
'PATIENTS ARE GENERALLY BETWEEN THE AGES OF 30 AND 50'
Tulunay points out that men tend to not suffer hair loss in the area of located in the back between the two ears. "We take strands of hair from this area and implant then one by one in the mustache region. Of course, before we do this process we have to open up each of the follicles.
From the Middle East our patients mainly come from Northern Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Libya. The reason they choose to do the procedure here is due to our advanced technique of follicular mustache and beard implants which have reaped extremely successful results. Turkish television series are extremely popular in the Middle East. A lot of people consider Turkish celebrities to be role models. The majority of our patients range between the ages of 30 and 50," states Tulunay.
This is a translation of an article originally written by Selcuk Eren.
“The messages have been received,” stated President Gül, who also called for an end to the street demonstrations. The president also delivered a message to Alevi citizens who are objecting to the name given to the Third Bosporus Bridge by stating, “We could name another big project after Pir Sultan Abdal.”
Finance Minister Şimşek commented on allegations reported in The Guardian that he was monitored by U.K. intelligence, by stating that Foreign Ministry officials are taking the necessary measures. 
While England is rattled by the censorship scandal in the national press, AK Party Spokesman and Deputy Chairman Hüseyin Çelik has announced that there will be no censorship on social media or classic media as Turkey, which now has a mature democracy, has left such issues long in the past.
AK Party Istanbul Deputy Bülent Turan has filed a criminal complaint with the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor against CHP Tunceli Deputy Hüseyin Aygün for “insults in the virtual realm and for inspiring public hatred, enmity and degradation.”
The ‘innocent’ protest which began at the start of the month in Brazil, as it did as well in Turkey, has since transitioned into a point of interest for its dark demonstrations. Both nations, as they suffer from simultaneous protests, stand out for having bright and promising economies.
Prime Minister Erdoğan stated on Tuesday that the Gezi protests are part of a professionally organized operation and vowed to hold those behind the events accountable by law. The Prime Minister also said that the police in Turkey have passed the test of democracy.
Responding to the European Parliament resolution condemning the police crackdown on protests sparked by redevelopment plans for Gezi Park, Prime Minister Erdoğan stated “They are confused. They have no fidelity,” and added that European politicians and institutions instantly laid down their masks in order to provoke events. 
One man’s passive defiance by way of standing in place in Taksim Square and looking straight at the Atatürk Culture Center, quickly turned into a social media phenomenon last night. 
Infuriating Germans, Green Party Co-Chair Roth was subjected to pepper spray in Istanbul. Commenting on the incident, German nationals say, “It turns out Erdoğan was right in saying that there are foreign forces triggering Taksim, and Roth’s presence is now proof.” Other comments include, “If Abdullah Gül showed up at Occupy Frankfurt of if Erdoğan was involved in the Stuttgart 21 demonstrations, the ground would shake!”
The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality has been working continuously since last night on clearing and landscaping Taksim Square and Gezi Park. 
Explaining that the Gezi Park protests were planned six months ago, EU Minister Bağış states, “These protests are an attempt to trigger a move which will end in regime change in Turkey.” Bağış also discussed Prime Minister Erdoğan’s style with the Wall Street Journal. 
They came by land, they came by sea, and they came to hear their Prime Minister speak. Yesterday’s Kazlıçeşme rally in support of Prime Minister Erdoğan saw over a million supporters come out to the square with AK Party and Turkish flags in hand, giving true sentiment to the figures of Erdoğan’s support rate. 
Istanbul Governor Mutlu is calling on protesters to refrain from responding to calls on social media to gather in Taksim because he says; peace has been established once again in Istanbul. 
Nearly a million Istanbul residents flocked out to see Prime Minister Erdoğan speak at an AK Party rally in Kazlıçeşme on Sunday. Istanbul residents want the vandalism of protesters destroying and setting the city on fire to come to an end as soon as possible. Meanwhile, they also support Erdoğan’s referendum proposal.
