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Today's Zaman, Turkey
July 24 2011
Turkey's minority newspapers seek salvation
24 July 2011, Sunday / EMÄ°NE DOLMACI, Ä°STANBUL
Minority newspapers belonging to the Greek, Armenian and Jewish
communities of Turkey are struggling against financial shortcomings.
An overwhelming majority of their staff are deprived of their official
status as journalists and are barely represented in vocational
organizations.
After Mihail Vasiliadis, editor in chief of the Greek-language daily
Apoyevmatini, a reputed source of news for Ä°stanbul's Greek Orthodox
community, declared that he would shut down the 86-year-old newspaper
two weeks ago, the minority newspapers came to public attention in
Turkey. After Vasiliadis voiced their troubles, Efe Sözeri, a student
in the Netherlands, initiated a campaign on Facebook. Later students
of Ä°stanbul's Bilgi University supported the campaign and subscribed
to the Greek newspaper. With nationwide support, Apoyevmatini was
saved from bankruptcy and managed to survive. The issue also got
international coverage. Although it is the only minority newspaper in
the spotlight, Apoyevmatini is not the only one on the verge of
collapse. Most minority newspapers published in Turkey are
disadvantaged in terms of state support and they are not represented
as much as others in journalist organizations.
Of all the employees of the minority newspapers Agos, Ä°ho, Nor Marmara
and Å?alom, only Vasiliadis and Ara Koçunyan, editor in chief of the
Armenian daily Jamanak, are members of the prominent journalists'
foundation, Turkish Journalists Association (TGC).
Vasiliadis says he does not have a yellow press card and he became a
member of the TGC last year. `I applied to the Press Bulletin
Authority [BÄ°K] last year. They rejected me. They said a newspaper
should have a circulation of 5,000 copies [to be approved]; we have
600. It is a recent phenomenon to show interest for the minority press
and to attempt to save it. In the past, the press minority press was a
target board. It changed to an extent under the Justice and
Development Party's [AK Party] government. However, the wounds
inflicted by troubles in the past are still there,' he told Today's
Zaman.
The BÄ°K is an autonomous institution distributing official
advertisements to national and local press institutions.
Representatives from six newspapers and the authority's General
Director Mehmet Atalay convene on Tuesday in order to discuss a
government initiative to issue official advertisements to minority
newspapers.
While stating that minority newspapers have never drawn interest
during the republican times, Rober Haddeciyan from the Nor Marmara
daily, serving the Armenian community, welcomed the government
initiative. `If Ankara intends to show sympathy, it is important. We
have not had a relationship with the state before. There are one or
two people among our staff who have press card. We are not members in
vocational organizations,' he said, adding, `We can establish warmer
relationships if the atmosphere changes. Our circulation is about
1,000. Our income was enough until three years ago, but now revenues
cannot cover the costs.'
Rober KoptaÅ? of Agos, an Armenian weekly, said they have never had a
platform to discuss the problems regarding minority newspapers before.
`We will talk for the first time,' he said.
July 24 2011
Turkey's minority newspapers seek salvation
24 July 2011, Sunday / EMÄ°NE DOLMACI, Ä°STANBUL
Minority newspapers belonging to the Greek, Armenian and Jewish
communities of Turkey are struggling against financial shortcomings.
An overwhelming majority of their staff are deprived of their official
status as journalists and are barely represented in vocational
organizations.
After Mihail Vasiliadis, editor in chief of the Greek-language daily
Apoyevmatini, a reputed source of news for Ä°stanbul's Greek Orthodox
community, declared that he would shut down the 86-year-old newspaper
two weeks ago, the minority newspapers came to public attention in
Turkey. After Vasiliadis voiced their troubles, Efe Sözeri, a student
in the Netherlands, initiated a campaign on Facebook. Later students
of Ä°stanbul's Bilgi University supported the campaign and subscribed
to the Greek newspaper. With nationwide support, Apoyevmatini was
saved from bankruptcy and managed to survive. The issue also got
international coverage. Although it is the only minority newspaper in
the spotlight, Apoyevmatini is not the only one on the verge of
collapse. Most minority newspapers published in Turkey are
disadvantaged in terms of state support and they are not represented
as much as others in journalist organizations.
Of all the employees of the minority newspapers Agos, Ä°ho, Nor Marmara
and Å?alom, only Vasiliadis and Ara Koçunyan, editor in chief of the
Armenian daily Jamanak, are members of the prominent journalists'
foundation, Turkish Journalists Association (TGC).
Vasiliadis says he does not have a yellow press card and he became a
member of the TGC last year. `I applied to the Press Bulletin
Authority [BÄ°K] last year. They rejected me. They said a newspaper
should have a circulation of 5,000 copies [to be approved]; we have
600. It is a recent phenomenon to show interest for the minority press
and to attempt to save it. In the past, the press minority press was a
target board. It changed to an extent under the Justice and
Development Party's [AK Party] government. However, the wounds
inflicted by troubles in the past are still there,' he told Today's
Zaman.
The BÄ°K is an autonomous institution distributing official
advertisements to national and local press institutions.
Representatives from six newspapers and the authority's General
Director Mehmet Atalay convene on Tuesday in order to discuss a
government initiative to issue official advertisements to minority
newspapers.
While stating that minority newspapers have never drawn interest
during the republican times, Rober Haddeciyan from the Nor Marmara
daily, serving the Armenian community, welcomed the government
initiative. `If Ankara intends to show sympathy, it is important. We
have not had a relationship with the state before. There are one or
two people among our staff who have press card. We are not members in
vocational organizations,' he said, adding, `We can establish warmer
relationships if the atmosphere changes. Our circulation is about
1,000. Our income was enough until three years ago, but now revenues
cannot cover the costs.'
Rober KoptaÅ? of Agos, an Armenian weekly, said they have never had a
platform to discuss the problems regarding minority newspapers before.
`We will talk for the first time,' he said.