Cumhuriyet Newspaper is, in my opinion, the only newspaper today that still identifies with the Republic of Turkey.
Its namesake is Mustafa Kemal Atatürk himself.
It was founded by Yunus Nadi (Abalıoğlu), the owner of Yeni Gün, the first newspaper to support the War of Independence, and began its publication life on May 7, 1924.
Its first Editor-in-Chief was Zekeriya Sertel.
The first issue featured an interview Yunus Nadi conducted with Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
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Yunus Nadi was the editor-in-chief from 1924 to 1945…
After his death, his son Nadir Nadi served as the newspaper's editor-in-chief until 1991.
Writers in the early issues included important names of Turkish journalism such as Ziya Gökalp, Reşat Ekrem Koçu, Ahmet Rasim, Peyami Safa, Cenap Şahabettin, Vedat Nedim Tör, Halit Ziya, Cevat Fehmi Başkut, Fuad Köprülü, and Halit Fahri.
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Cumhuriyet never strayed from providing political and current news. The only tabloid-style news it published appeared in its issue dated August 1, 1932. That was about Miss Turkey Keriman Halis being chosen as Miss World.
Other than that, it did not resort to the convenience of turning to tabloid journalism to increase circulation.
Thanks to its ambitious reporters and influential columnists, it always knew how to stay on the agenda and set the agenda.
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As the newspaper of Cumhuriyet (Republican) values, it never stopped defending them.
In this pursuit, it clashed with governments when necessary.
For example, it was first shut down for 10 days on October 29, 1934.
In 1940, it experienced its longest closure: It remained away from its readers for exactly 40 days.
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Cumhuriyet supported the Democrat Party (DP) during the transition to the multi-party period.
Its editor-in-chief Nadir Nadi was also elected as a Member of Parliament from the DP list in 1950. However, after 1954, it conducted fierce opposition against the DP government. From May 27, 1960, to the March 12, 1971 period, it continued to be an influential publication organ that voiced the progressive views of the intellectual segment.
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After Nadir Nadi's death on August 20, 1991, a disagreement arose within the Editorial Board. Disliking the liberal publication policy of Editor-in-Chief Hasan Cemal and alleging that the paper was moving closer to capital circles, 80 people, including editorial board member columnists like İlhan Selçuk and Uğur Mumcu, as well as those who supported them such as Cüneyt Arcayürek, Ali Sirmen, Ergun Balcı, Oktay Akbal, and Melih Cevdet Anday, left the newspaper on November 5, 1991.
Upon readers protesting the event by stopping their purchases, the daily average sales dropped from 120 thousand to 50 thousand in December 1991.
Following this situation, Hasan Cemal and Managing Editor Okay Gönensin left Cumhuriyet. After a while, some of those who left returned. A new editorial board was formed on April 8, 1992, and İlhan Selçuk began his role as editor-in-chief, which he would continue until his death.
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Since 1978, seven of Cumhuriyet's writers have been murdered. Prof. Cavit Orhan Tütengil, Ümit Kaftancıoğlu, Muammer Aksoy, Bahriye Üçok, Uğur Mumcu, Onat Kutlar, and Prof. Dr. Ahmet Taner Kışlalı were massacred because of the ideas they defended in Cumhuriyet.
Istanbul University Constitutional Law Department Associate Professor and Cumhuriyet writer Server Tanilli was also paralyzed as a result of an armed attack while going home on April 7, 1978.
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In short, the founders, managers, writers, and laborers of this newspaper paid a great price…
And after the Ergenekon investigations and trials, the newspaper went through everything imaginable…
Its management has always been the subject of a “power struggle.”
The newspaper, where former Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Secretary General Alev Coşkun still holds the concession on behalf of the Cumhuriyet Foundation, is currently going through a period of total “drifting.”
So much so that right-leaning pens are being given columns in a newspaper that left its mark on Turkish politics with its “leftist” identity.
Names without any political background or depth are writing in the columns of Uğur Mumcu, Oktay Akbal, and Hıfzı Veldet Velidedeoğlu.
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The most dire examples of the “collapse” are visible on the newspaper's website.
Cumhuriyet, which for decades criticized and even accused newspapers that leaned toward tabloid content as “yellow press,” has nowadays made “below-the-belt journalism” a habit for the sake of getting a few more “clicks”…
Here are the headlines of some articles recently published on this newspaper's website:
“Intense interest in companies offering sex opportunities on planes…”
“What are the benefits of regular sex for the body and soul?”
“Tactics to improve sex life during menopause…”
“Foods we should consume for a better sex life…”
“Eight mistakes men make in sex!”
“Ten benefits of regular sex!”
“Four zodiac signs with the most intense sexual attraction!”
“Four zodiac signs whose libidos never rest!”
“Eight exercises to liven up your sex life!”
“Seven issues that cause arguments in relationships!”
“How many times a year do people have sex?”
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As a Cumhuriyet reader who has started the day by reading Cumhuriyet Newspaper for fifty years, and now the Cumhuriyet website, only one question comes to my mind when I see these headlines:
I wonder, if names like Yunus Nadi, Nadir Nadi, Berin Nadi, İlhan Selçuk, Uğur Mumcu, Ahmet Taner Kışlalı, and Hıfzı Veldet Velidedeoğlu saw these low-level news items under the logo of their newspaper…
What would they say?
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