"Diyarname 29 Reşemî" is a Kurdish newspaper that will be published every four years on February 29. Its first issue was released this year on February 29, coinciding with its namesake, which includes February 29 in Kurdish.
The Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper is Cemil Oğuz, with editors including Dilşêr Bêwar, Welat Dilken, and Zeki Özmen. Dawud Rêbiwar is responsible for page design.
The first issue of Diyarname 29 Reşemî newspaper was published with the headline "A New Step in Kurdish Press History: A Newspaper to be Published Every Four Years." The newspaper features news articles, interviews, research papers, and special features.
One of the interviews in the first issue was conducted by Cemil Oğuz with theater director and actor Berfîn Emektar. Another interview was conducted with Mem Bawerî from Weşanên Morî Zarok, a publisher of Kurdish children's books.
The newspaper also includes special feature articles. Among them are Zeki Özmen's report on the population of Kurds living in Germany and Cemil Oğuz's report on Kurdish books published in Turkey and Northern Kurdistan from the 1990s to the present day.
Contributions from Mem Mîrxan, Welat Dilken, Dilşêr Bêwar, Bedran Dere, Mîrza Ronî, Helîm Yûsiv, Suleyman Çevîk, Çiya Mazî, Xalid Sadinî, and Bawer Yoyler, with their writings and analyses, along with caricatures by Îmam Cîcî, are featured in the first issue of the newspaper.
"We will publish 'a newspaper for ourselves' on this special day"
Dawûd Rêbiwar, a member of the team behind the publication, stated to bianet that the newspaper La Bougie Du Sapeur, published in France since 1980, served as their inspiration. He emphasized the unique and special significance of February 29 within the calendar, noting its occurrence once every four years, serving as an additional day.
"Despite the exceptional nature of this day, I believe its value is not adequately recognized. Ideally, it should be universally acknowledged as a special day, a day where no one works or engages in regular activities. Everyone should be free to spend the day as they please, pursuing their own desires and interests."
"While there are undoubtedly individuals worldwide who are aware of this special day, from a journalistic perspective, there are few newspapers dedicated to its coverage. La Bougie Du Sapeur, published in France since the 1980s, is one such example. In my view, the individual behind the publication of this newspaper is remarkably creative, contributing positively and setting an example. We draw inspiration from their work."
"On this special day that grants us the opportunity, let's do something according to our whims. Because for us, journalism is also about enjoyment. If we didn't have a special affection for it, we wouldn't have been able to practice journalism in our country at all.
No other day on the calendar offers us such an opportunity. But February 29 provides us with this chance. As long as we live, we will publish 'a newspaper for ourselves' on this special day.
The interest and attention directed towards the newspaper we published imply that the points mentioned above have been validated. It received a lot of interest and was perceived as an intriguing step. This will enable us to produce a more serious and better newspaper for readers on another February 29." (FD/PE)
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