My back is/was facing them

[NAL123]

Questioner: What is the meaning of "turn one's back to someone"?

1) Answerer: If I faced the front of my body away from somebody, I would be turning my back to them, facing a direction so that my back is facing them.

2) Answerer: If I faced the front of my body away from somebody, I would be turning my back to them, facing a direction so that my back was facing them.

Are they both acceptable?

 

[emsr2d2]

Both "is" and "was" are possible. I prefer "was". To use "is", I would probably word your explanation as "If I face the front of my body away from somebody, I am turning my back to them, ... so that my back is facing them". In real life, my explanation would be less wordy than yours:
If I "turn my back on someone", I turn around so that my back is facing them.

 

[jutfrank]

I think most teachers would say that 'is' is wrong here. Anyway, I'd argue for 'would be' as the best answer since the focus is on the result of a hypothetical condition.