Pluralist media representation in Turkey
Ekrem Eddy Güzeldere
European Stability Initiative
Istanbul
Pluralist media representation in Turkey
• In this presentation “pluralist media” refers to different
ethnic, religious and linguistic groups and their press
organs, not about pluralism within Turkish media
(different political camps, censorship etc.).
• Pluralism vs Unitary State
• State policy of “one language” vs multilinguality of the population
• Recognized non-Muslim minorities and their media
• Officially there are no Muslim minorities, how can nonTurkish languages be used in print and TV?
• In recent years political changes through
democratization and Europeanization,
however, full equality between Turkish (language) and
non-Turkish language-media has not yet been achieved.
Historical dimension:
Printing and Press
in the Ottoman Empire
Jewish Printing
in the Ottoman Empire
• Jewish immigration to the Ottoman Empire in
1492 from Spain.
• 1493 first printing house established, by David
and Samuel Ibn Nahmias, first book in the same
year titled Arba’ah Turim.
• Istanbul between the 16th and late 18th century
one of the most important centres for Hebrew
printing.
• In 1750 Isak Valero and in 1782 Haim Eli Pardo
started printing in Judeo-Espanyol.
Jewish Press in the Ottoman Empire
• first Jewish newspaper "La Buena Esperansa"
(Good Hope) was published in Izmir in 1840.
• The first paper in Istanbul was "Or Israel" (Light
of Israel), printed in Rashi characters (similar to
the Hebrew alphabet) in Judeo - Spanish by
Leon de Hayim Kastro in 1853.
• Through the influence of the Alliance Israelite
Schools there were since the beginning of the
20th century also newspapers in French.
Republican Time
Those papers publishing in Judeo-Espanyol changed the alphabet with
the introduction of the Latin Alphabet in Turkey in 1928.
Today only one regular paper left, ŞALOM.
Established in 1947 in Judeo-Espanyol, in the 1980s it switched to
Turkish, but one page is still published in Spanish.
16 page weekly
3500 issues, 500 subscribers
News from the Jewish community, Turkey and Israel
“Salom is not a community newspaper, but one that serves the
community“
Salom tries to stay away from sensitive political issues, few criticism of
minority issues and past injustices.
Greek Printing and Press
• The first Greek printing house was established in
1627.
• The first newspaper was published in 1832 and was
the Greek edition of the Official Gazette of the
Ottoman Empire called Otomanikos Monitor.
• The native language of most of the Greeks living in
Anatolia was Turkish. Their publications was in what is
called Karamanlica (karamanlidika), Turkish written in
Greek alphabet. This press and its people got
completely lost with the population exchange in the
early 1920s.
• Private Press in Greece starts with Anatolikos Astir,
published by Filalitis-Kalifron-Fotiadis between 1861
and 1894.
Apoyevmatini / IHO
• In the newly founded Turkish Republic there were between
1923-1941 in Istanbul 28 Greek papers and journals, of which
24 were daily political papers
• With the decrease of the population also the number of
papers decreases.
• Today there are only two papers left: Apoyevmatini and Iho.
• Apoyevmatini, or “Mid-afternoon,” has been publishing since
1925.
• Editor in chief since 2002 is Mihail Vasiliadis: “Nobody dies or
is born without our knowledge!” Currently 580 copies are
produced, 550 are delivered to Greek families.
• Iho, or echo, started its life in 1977 as a biweekly. Following
its first two years, it became a daily newspaper. The six-page
daily that sells around 500 copies.
Armenian Printing and Press
• The first printing house of Armenians in
Istanbul was set up in 1567 by Armenians
coming from Venice.
• The birth date of the Armenian Press is
1812
• Still two Armenian language dailies, Nor
Marmara and Jamanak, which is the
oldest paper in Turkey (1908).
• Both sell between 1400-2000 copies.
1996 founded by Hrant Dink and a group of Istanbul
Armenians.
Agos was born out of a meeting called by Patriarch Karekin II
when main stream media started linking Armenians of Turkey
with the terrorist PKK
Agos is the only example of a paper by non-Muslims opening
up to the broader society and becoming a paper of alternative
voices, Armenians, other Christians, Turks and Kurds,
committed to democratization, Europeanization human rights
and a multicultural and tolerant society.
Main Language is Turkish (20 pages), 4 pages Armenian.
Current Editor in chief: Etyen Mahçupyan
From community paper to a voice for liberal
democrats of all ethnic and religious affiliations
• By publishing in Turkish as well as Armenian,
Dink opened up the channels of communication
to the society at large for the Armenian
community.
• Agos started with a circulation of 2,000, and now
reached a circulation of around 6,000 and is
available nationwide.
• Hrant Dink promoted a policy of wider
integration of Turkey’s Armenians into society.
• Non-Armenians at AGOS: Aydin Engin, Oral
Calislar, Ali Bayramoglu, Ayse Hür, Dilek Kurban
Hrant Dink Assassinated in front of
AGOS on 19 January 2007
Dink had many supporters and sympathizers, but also many opponents, who
made him a target and brought him several times to court. He was assassinated
on 19 January 2007.
As the trial is going on, we learn how many within the “Deep State” were
involved in his assassination.
Hrant Dink‘s Funeral
in January 2007
Non-Muslims in „Turkish Media“
• There are meanwhile several non-Muslims contributing
regularly to mainstream Turkish media:
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–
–
–
–
–
–
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Markar Esayan (Deputy Editor at Taraf)
Etyen Mahçupyan (Taraf and Today‘s Zaman)
Amberin Zaman (Taraf)
Yorgo Kırbaki (Greece correspondent for Dogan media)
Sami Kohen (Milliyet)
Gila Benmayor (Hürriyet)
Stelyo Berberakis (Sabah, atv)
Roni Margulies (Taraf)
Legal Framework
• Constitution: Article 26 (amended on 17 October 2001)
Everyone has the right to express and disseminate his thoughts and
opinion by speech, in writing or in pictures or through other media,
individually or collectively. This right includes the freedom to receive
and impart information and ideas without interference from official
authorities.
The exercise of these freedoms may be restricted for the purposes
of protecting national security, public order and public safety, the
basic characteristics of the Republic and safeguarding the indivisible
integrity of the State with its territory and nation, preventing crime,
punishing offenders, withholding information duly classified as a
state secret, protecting the reputation and rights and private and
family life of others, or protecting professional secrets as prescribed
by law, or ensuring the proper functioning of the judiciary.
Press Law
• Law No: 5187 (Approval Date: 9 June 2004)
Freedom of the Press
• Article 3 – The press is free. This freedom includes the right
to acquire and disseminate information, and to criticize,
interpret and create works.
• The exercise of this freedom may be restricted in accordance
with the requirements of a democratic society to protect the
reputation and rights of others as well as public health and
public morality, national security, and public order and public
safety; to safeguard the indivisible integrity of its territory; to
prevent crime; to withhold information duly classified as state
secrets; and to ensure the authority and impartial functioning
of the judiciary.
RTÜK (Radio and Television Supreme Council) LAW
•
Law 3984 Law on the Establishment of Radio and Television
Enterprises and Their Broadcasts Law No. 3984 of 20 April 1994
•
•
Broadcasting Standards
Article 4. (As amended by the Law No. 4756 on May 21, 2002 and by the
Law No.4771 on 9 August, 2002.)
there may be broadcasts in the different languages and dialects used
traditionally by Turkish citizens in their daily lives. Such broadcasts
shall not contradict the fundamental principles of the Turkish Republic
enshrined in the Constitution and the indivisible integrity of the state with its
territory and nation. The principles and procedures for these broadcasts and
the supervision of these broadcasts shall be determined through a
regulation to be issued by the Supreme Board.
•
•
The broadcasting standards in radio, television and data broadcasts are as
follows:
•
a)
Broadcasts shall not violate the existence and independence of the
Turkish Republic, the territorial and national integrity of the State, the
reforms and principles of Atatürk. [...]
Source: RTÜK LAW 3984: http://www.rtuk.org.tr/sayfalar/IcerikGoster.aspx?icerik_id=b41eac9a-bc39-4213-91f3-0d39931c1f1d
Private TV and Radio in Kurdish, 2004 RTÜK
regulation for languages spoken traditionally
• TV: daily limit of 45 minutes and a weekly
limit of four hours. All programmes must
have Turkish subtitles.
• Radio stations are allowed one hour of
Kurdish daily and five hours weekly, also
with mandatory translation.
• No programs for children, no programs
directed towards learning the language.
Source: http://www.rtuk.org.tr/sayfalar/IcerikGoster.aspx?icerik_id=7e457602-d4cb-4d72-bf7e-09e16337bb64
Kurdish Press and Broadcasting
From Kurdistan (1898) to TRT 6 …
• Ottoman Times:
– First paper published in Cairo in 1898
– Numerous papers in Istanbul between
1908 – 1923
• Republican Era
– Kurdish language papers not allowed
– Publications and broadcasting in other
countries, e.g. Radio Yerevan, also in
Iraq and Iran …
Kurdish Press in Turkish
• Starting in the late 1940s Kurdish
intellectuals started publishing in Turkish.
Some were bilingual. This continued until
the 1980 coup.
• After the 1980 Coup the first newspapers
by Kurds were published in 1990. Many
newspapers got banned and reopened
under similar names.
• Kurdish language paper since 1992, since
1996 under the name Azadiya Welat.
• Until 2006 a weekly.
• Until 2003 with headquarters in Istanbul,
since then in Diyarbakir.
• Often banned from publishing for
„propaganda for a terrorist organization“.
• Since 2002 there is also a Kurdish news agency,
Dicle (Tigris).
Kurdish Radio and TV
• Radio Yerevan in the 1950s etc.
• From abroad via Satellite: MED TV (1994),
Medya TV (1999), Roj TV (2004)
• Offers from Iraq and Iran …
• Regional TV in Turkey: Gün TV (with
many restrictions, only 45 minutes a day, 4
hours a week, subtitles)
TRT-6 (ŞEŞ)
• First short broadcasting in other languages
started in 2004 on TRT.
• Since 1 January 2009 TRT-6 broadcasts a
24 hour channel in Kirmanci.
• Most popular program „Rojname“
presented by singer Rojin.
• News programs and dubbed series and
films, both Turkish and international.
TRT 6 – Postitive Reactions
• The overwhelming reactions to open the channel
were positive.
• On 3 January Hürriyet’s Hadi Uluengin called it “A
Kurdish TV Revolution”,
• Cengiz Çandar used in Radikal a Kurdish title
saying “Welcome TRT 6, welcome Kurdish”,
• Hasan Cemal called it in Milliyet “A positive
development: the Kurdish TRT channel”
• and even Hurriyet’s editor in chief made a “neutral”
comment entitled “Kurdish broadcasting”.
TRT 6 – Negative Reactions
• Deniz Baykal, leader of the biggest
opposition party CHP said on 3 January
2009 in a programme on CNN Türk:
• “It is not right to spend the money of the
state and 70 million people in line with the
ethnic demands of a certain group of our
citizens. The duty of the state is not to
encourage ethnic identities. Turkey is
heading in the wrong direction.”
TRT 6 – Negative Reactions II
• Also the terrorist PKK reacted negatively,
PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan commented
twice on the channel via his lawyers on 2
and 8 January 2009. In both statements
he sees it as a US-driven policy:
“These are all impositions by America.
These are part of their view of the Kurdish
solution.”
TRT 6 Criticism: “AKP Kurds“
• AKP uses TRT 6 to promote its policy and its
view on the Kurdish question
• Three events until now proved the critics right
and show the discrepancy of having a channel
contrasting the official state ideology:
• 1) Singer Ozan Yusuf is not allowed to sing the
songs “Amed” and “Berfin”.
• 2) AKP meeting in Diyarbakir live broadcasting.
• 3) Rojin steps down (April 2009).
Rojin steps back on 8 April 2009
Problems inviting people to the show, e.g. Şanar
Yurdatapan.
Interference by TRT on the contents (topics) and guests.
Cutting discussion part short, focusing on music.
Important step, but …
• Sea change for Turkish politics, from
forbidden and denied language to official
state TV.
• Official acceptance of Kurdish by the state
• But: Still no legal basis to broadcast a 24
hour program in Kurdish =
“paradox situation”.
Europeanization and the Pluralization
of Turkey‘s media landscape
• In general the media landscape became
more pluralistic, representing better the
diversity of the country.
• For non-Muslim minorities:
Greek will be marginal, Shalom will have
its place and AGOS could continue playing
an important function of bringing together
journalists and academics of different
backgrounds.
Europeanization and the Pluralization
of Turkey‘s media landscape
• Kurdish Press and TV already “profiting” from
legal changes.
• But, all restrictions concerning broadcasting in
other languages have to be lifted.
• This would lead to a variety of new publications
in other languages than Turkish, mainly
Kirmanci and Zaza, but also Arabic and for
weeklies and special journals, Georgian, Laz,
Circassian and Balkan languages.
• Radio programs in these languages and regional
private TV stations could follow, too.
European Stability Initiative
ESI Reports on Turkey:
1) Islamic Calvinists (2005)
2) Sex and Power – Feminism, Islamism and the
Maturing of Turkish Democracy (2007)
3) Turkey‘s Dark Side (2008)
4) Noah‘s Dove Returns – Turkey-Armenia and the
Debate on Genocide (April 2009)
Ekrem Eddy Güzeldere
e.guzeldere@esiweb.org
Return To Europe / Balkanexpress
10 part documentary series on change in Southeast Europe.
http://www.balkanexpress.org/