With the permission of Sultan Ahmet III, Ibrahim Muteferrika and Yirmisekiz Celebizade Sait Efendi established the first Turkish printing house on December 14, 1727.
The first Turkish book to be printed was the Kitabi-i Lugat Vankulu in 1729. The first newspaper published in the Ottoman Empire in Turkish was the Almanac of Events. It was first published on November 11, 1831 during the reign of Sultan Mahmut II. The first private Turkish newspaper was published in 1860. The Press Regulation of 1864 ruled that government permission was required for publishing a newspaper. The Decree of 1867 provided the government with the authority to close down newspapers. This heavy censorship of the press continued until 1908.
The formation of the Second Constitution in 1908 and the ensuing atmosphere of freedom greatly increased the number of newspapers published. Publications reached many rural areas for the first time. During 1908-1909, 353 newspapers and periodicals were published. The press assumed important duties during the War of Independence, enlightening the public as to war aims and helping the organization of Turkish forces in Anatolia. The Will of the Nation newspaper was first published on September 14, 1919, following Mustafa Kemal's visit to Sivas. It played an important role in disseminating Kemalist views and in recording the Sivas Congress.
The Sovereignty of the Nation newspaper was founded on January 10, 1920, after Mustafa Kemal's arrival in Ankara. With the assistance of authors and scholars, the paper became the main voice for the movement that created the Republic. This newspaper later became the official paper of the Republican People's Party and in 1934 it was renamed the Ulus newspaper.
The Anatolian Agency was founded on April 6, 1920, and constituted a new link in the chain of communications for the Kemalist movement.
The first press congress after the founding of the Republic convened in 1935 for the purpose of attaining close ties between the press and the General Directorate. The press played an instrumental role in the adoption of the multi-party system, increases in the circulation of newspapers.
Today the total circulation of all the national dailies is three million, and nine of these newspapers have an average daily circulation of more than 50,000. Of these, only the Yeni Asir is circulated regionally. Most of the others have their headquarters in Istanbul and are distributed nationally.
As of February 1996 the newspapers with daily circulations of more 50,000 were:
Click here for complete list of Newspaper or News Source List
| Newspaper | Circulation |
|---|---|
| Hurriyet | 756,236 |
| Sabah | 714,673 |
| Milliyet | 649,583 |
| Turkiye | 600,959 |
| Posta | 595,845 |
| Aksam | 530,441 |
| Takvim | 522,367 |
| Zaman | 313,855 |
| YeniGunaydin | 283,525 |
| Fanatik | 270,517 |
| Bugun | 267,774 |
| Ates | 242,198 |
| Taraftar | 118,256 |
| Meydan | 81,001 |
| YeniYuzyil | 80,924 |
| Fotomac | 66,620 |
| Spor | 54,726 |
| Cumhuriyet | 53,677 |
Source: Press Advertisement Organization
Aside from the nationally circulated newspapers there are more than 700 local newspapers published either daily or periodically. Their daily circulation varies between 500 and 10,000.
Publication of magazines has greatly increased thanks to advanced technology, and sales have increased. In recent years especially, a huge diversification in publications, principally due to specialization has been achieved in magazines. The circulation of weekly political magazines varies between 10,000 and 50,000.
As in the case of previous Constitutions, the 1982 Constitution also guarantees the freedom of the press. In brief it states that:
Home | Ana
Sayfa | All About Turkey | Turkiye
hakkindaki Hersey | Turkish Road Map
| Historical Places in Adiyaman | Historical
Places in Turkey | Mt.Nemrut | Slide
Shows | Related Links | Guest
Book | Disclaimer | Send a Postcard | Travelers' Stories | Donate a little to help | Getting Around Istanbul | Adiyaman Forum
|
|