Burying Turkish-language media along with our migration story: Could there be a museum?

Işın ERTÜRK 

Turkish-language media in Europe is facing an undeniable crisis. It is highly doubtful that it has a future. 

The community of approximately 6 million people of Turkish origin living in Western Europe, particularly in Germany, had been connected to one another for many years through news, culture, and language. However, looking at the situation today, the number of newspapers has decreased, radio and television broadcasts are fragile, and digital platforms are limited. 

Turkish-language media is struggling to survive, yet it is still resisting. 

This is precisely the point where the question must be asked: If we do not archive and protect it, will this cultural heritage not be lost entirely? Moreover, this is not just a media issue; the memory of a language, a culture, and a 65-year migration story is at risk.

STOPPING THE LOSS OF MEMORY: HESSEN TOPLUM ARCHIVE

The newspaper Hessen Toplum is the most concrete example of this. Its founder and publisher, Mehmet Canbolat, was the voice of the Turkish community living in Hesse from 1993 to 2024. To prevent his legacy from disappearing, journalist Fahri Erfiliz and graphic designer Ömer Yaprakkıran have completed a project they have been working on for a year. All issues of Hessen Toplum have been digitized and made accessible via the address “hessen-toplum.info”. 

We cannot view this step merely as the recording of a newspaper. It feels more like a warning regarding the history of Turkish-language media in Europe… If we do not take ownership, we may all end up burying the journalism and media produced in Turkish together, and the price of that will be the silencing of the community's voice. 

MIGRATION AND TURKISH-LANGUAGE MEDIA

The adventure of Turkish-language media in Europe actually dates back much further than our migration story, to the past. According to research by journalist Gürsel Köksal, the first Turkish-language newspaper abroad, Hürriyet, was published in London in 1894. This was followed by many newspapers and magazines based in Paris and Geneva: such as Meşveret, Hayal, İstikbal, Hakikat, Osmanlı, Dolap, İçtihad, and Yeni Türkiye… These publications were the works of intellectuals who had fled or were exiled from the Ottoman Empire. Some were secretly smuggled into the country, read in limited circles, and helped inform the generations that would go on to establish the republic.

Turkish-language media in Germany began in the 1960s with labor migration. In 1964, WDR began its Turkish broadcasts, and “Cologne Radio” went down in history. In those same years, radio broadcasts coming from Turkey were insufficient, and people were looking for channels to receive news in their own language. During this process, the Anadolu newspaper was the first concrete step, followed by Tercüman establishing its printing house in Frankfurt and Hürriyet beginning to be printed in Munich. By the 1980s, Turkey-based newspapers were printing in Europe, and local newspapers were growing. Frankfurt became a central point for newspaper distribution in Europe. In the 1990s, the number of daily newspapers reached 10, and the total circulation approached 200 thousand. However, starting from the 2000s, the internet and digital platforms rose rapidly, and the number of printed newspapers declined.

RESISTANCE EXISTS BUT IS FRAGILE

Today, some newspapers, radio and television broadcasts, and digital platforms are still resisting in Germany. Local newspapers such as Yeni Posta and Merhaba, which have been in publication for over 30 years, are still standing. Radio and television channels still exist, and Turkish-language broadcasting continues through internet journalism, podcasts, and blogs. 

But this resistance is fragile and constantly under threat. With every newspaper that closes, we are not just burying a news source; we are, in fact, burying a language, a culture, and a migration story all together.

ARCHIVING IS NOT AN OPTION, BUT A NECESSITY

The “Hessen Toplum” example shows us clearly and plainly… Archiving is no longer an option, but a necessity. A group of journalists continuing their work in Europe are persistently drawing attention to the necessity of establishing “Turkish-Language Media Museums” for every country and region on the old continent. That is the truth of the matter… Newspapers, radio recordings, television programs, and digital content must be made accessible to future generations. These museums will not only preserve the past but will also document the migration story of our people in Europe, and will increase social awareness and a sense of ownership.

And here is that uncomfortable question: What does the digitization of Hessen Toplum remind us of? 

Now is the time to decide: Will we take ownership of the Turkish-language media that accompanies our migration, or will we bury this legacy and resign ourselves to having “our story” told by others in a different language?

News Source: 12punto