Pro-Kurdish daily newspaper excluded from parliament's library

Sezai Temelli, an MP from the People's Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, questioned the ongoing censorship of the pro-Kurdish daily newspaper "Yeni Yaşam" in the parliament.

Yeni Yaşam has not been allowed in the parliament since August 27, 2021. The newspaper, operational since 2018, has adhered to all legal requirements and registered with the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, noted Temelli.

Temelli, addressing Speaker of the Parliament Numan Kurtulmuş, highlighted the paper's daily circulation of 4,500 copies, with 2,800 distributed to newsstands and a daily subscriber count of 1,700. The distribution includes both traditional print subscriptions and e-newspaper subscriptions.

Temelli sought clarification on the rationale behind this decision and whether the newspaper's management had been formally notified.

During the budget discussions in the parliament, Mahmut Tanal, a member of main opposition CHP, had earlier drawn attention to the absence of Yeni Yaşam in the parliament, questioning the unequal treatment of newspapers in parliament contracts.

Kurtulmuş responded that, based on decisions by the Library and Archive Services Directorate, national newspapers without hindrance to their publications are regularly procured. He confirmed the termination of "Yeni Yaşam" newspaper's library subscription and emphasized that the decision is in accordance with the Library and Archive Board's Resolution 2021/4. (HA/VK)