Pro-government media turns Ramadan into an advertising opportunity

This year, the month of Ramadan once again passed with a productive "advertising collaboration" between pro-government media and municipalities, benefiting both sides. Pro-government newspapers published pages that appeared to be news reports prepared by AKP-run municipalities but were, in fact, promotions of municipal activities. Thus, the municipalities secured advertising, and the pro-government newspapers obtained financial resources from the municipalities.

"News-style advertising pages" for the Konya Karatay Municipality were published in Sabah; for the Trabzon, Bağcılar, Gaziosmanpaşa, and Kahramanmaraş municipalities in Akşam; for Trabzon in Türkiye; and for the Kayseri and Karatay municipalities in Yeni Akit. In Yeni Şafak, advertisements for 15 different AKP-run municipalities have been published during this Ramadan period alone:

"Ramadan blessings in the calm city of Perşembe, the blessings of Ramadan in Karatay, Konya is beautiful in a different way during Ramadan, iftar tables in Tokat unite hearts, the joy of Ramadan in Kahramanmaraş, Tasmakıran Mosque reopened for worship (Kayseri), Gürsu, the city of sharing and brotherhood, Ramadan is best experienced in Konya, Ramadan is different in Sakarya, support from the social market during the month of abundance (Ordu), Ramadan is beautiful in a different way in Güngören, Ramadan is completely different in Bağcılar, Trabzon's hand of brotherhood reached out to Aleppo, Ümraniye is more beautiful during Ramadan, the blessings of Ramadan in Haliliye."

As can be seen, it was Yeni Şafak that truly turned the month of Ramadan into an opportunity to secure resources from municipalities. Even Sabah did not receive as large a share from these Ramadan advertisements...