A majority of local newspapers throughout the country, traditionally dubbed as the "Anatolian Press," depend on advertisements of upcoming public tenders and contracts for survival as well as advertisements of congresses and meetings.
Recent amendments to the system had already led to an end to advertisements of congresses to be held by associations, cooperatives and professional chambers while an end to advertising some tenders in advance, in preference to holding them on invitation only, increased economic pressures on the local press.
If the new bill is passed, it is said that some 1,100 registered local newspapers may have to close their doors and the move has already been branded as the government's death warrant for the national media.
Media experts said the Public Tenders Bill prepared by the Ministry of Transportation foresees only "short texts" in official advertisements to be given to local newspapers where only short information on the source of tender and its contact details will be published. If approved, this will practically mean an end to official advertisement incomes to local newspapers.
Troubled Days Ahead
A joint statement issued on May 30 on behalf of journalists and their associations in Karaelmas, Karabuk, Bartin and Bolu warned that "if the draft law is approved, extremely difficult and troubled days will be ahead of the local newspapers that are trying to continue their publishing life under very difficult conditions".
The statement, undersigned by Bolu Journalists Association Chairman Caner Gungor, Bartin Journalists Association Chairman Ahmet Oktay, Karabuk Journalists Association Chairman Ahmet Karaaslan and Karaelmas Journalists Association Chairman Osman Sav said "what we request from the government and Prime Minister [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan is to take decisions that will disprove the criticism that they are doing everything within their hands to dry the blood flow of the Anatolian Press and suffocate it."
Manisa paper bosses concerned
Another reaction to the bill has come from the province of Manisa where newspaper owners have issued warnings to the government that if the law is passed and if it does restrict the right of local papers to publish official advertisements, eight local newspapers there out of which seven receive official advertisements would be forced to close their doors.
According to a report in the Manisa Yarin (Tomorrow) newspaper, owners of local papers have reacted strongly to the government plan and believe that in their city and elsewhere in the country the local media will no longer be able to function if the draft is passed.
"They are preparing the death warrant of the local press" said Yarin newspaper's Halis Teker adding that "if the draft is passed in its current form, the Anatolian press will be wiped out. It is foreseen that at least 1,100 newspapers will have to close down". Teker said he believed the move is also "a big blow to the people's freedom of learning of news and getting information".
Speaking on behalf of Haber (News) and Hayat (Life) newspapers, Hasim Agar stressed that local newspapers survived not through their sales but through the number of official advertisements they published. "With this draft they are telling us to lock down... If the new draft is passed we either have to take economic measures and reduce the number of personnel or we will have to close down altogether" he said.
Erdinc Yumrukaya of the Denge (Balance) and Yenigün (New Day) newspapers was quoted by Manis'a Yarin newspaper as saying that the draft had to be reviewed "or else under the circumstances, we will have to close down the newspapers."
Uzeyir Dindar of the Hur Isik (Free Light) and Hur Ekspres (Free Express) newspapers said "we are concerned over this draft. Local newspapers are a door to employment.
Today many people work in local newspapers in Manisa. These newspapers employ people through the official advertisements they receive. Their incomes are in the open. If this income is restricted, local journalism will come to an end. It is impossible for us to keep the newspapers alive with [other] advertisements and through sales".
Manisa Journalists Association chairman Ertugrul Aytac told the Yarin newspaper that the association had made a serious initiative in capital Ankara and added "there is a serious chaos here. Because, the local newspapers are the locomotive of the media sector in Turkey. The government should be aware of this. We are prepared as the journalists association to make every kind of initiative and take any kind of action to prevent a restriction of the income of local newspapers." (EO/II/YE)
