We owe a debt to the Republic

When the calendar pages show October 29, we cannot view the matter merely as a historical anniversary or an official holiday ceremony. The Republic is the will of every citizen, every social segment, and every professional group breathing on these lands to live equally, with their heads held high, and with dignity.

The Republic is the sole foundation of a country where no one is subservient to another, where thought is freed from its shackles, and where the truth can be spoken without being twisted or bent.  

We all see the picture we are going through today very clearly. We are aware of how reckless the attacks on the founding principles of the Republic and its legacy of enlightenment have become for quite some time. We are experiencing firsthand how our ideal of a bright, modern Turkey is being targeted.

We are facing a mindset that does not act on momentary reflexes, but rather wants to march toward its own dark goals with a highly systematic, planned, and determined spirit. We know and see very well what they want to erode step by step.

It is precisely under this siege that we must remember what the Republic means, once again and loudly.

The Republic does not derive its power from individuals, privileged groups, or family lineages. It derives its power directly from the sovereignty of the people and from the rule of law, which we are desperately searching for today. For us journalists to write fearlessly, to defend the public's right to receive information, and to exercise the right to audit and criticize centers of power is only possible under a Republican regime based on the rule of law.

Let's be frank...

As journalists, we owe an infinite debt to the Republic that is impossible to repay. Because true journalism can only find the free environment it needs to breathe under the roof of the Republic and democracy.

On the other side of the coin is the reality that the Republic can only protect its own existence, its health, and its bond with the people through a free and independent press.

When one's breath is cut off, the other is doomed to suffocate. These two concepts are like an inseparable vein that keeps each other alive.

As the 12punto family, which set out with the understanding of independent journalism and full commitment to journalistic principles in Turkey; we are aware that we owe both the honor of our profession and the independence of our pens to those unshakable founding values of the Republic.

That is why we do not settle for remembering and merely celebrating the Republic once a year.

We deeply understand its legacy of enlightenment, we embrace this legacy, and we defend it against all kinds of attacks, no matter where they come from. Dedicating our pens solely to the truth is a requirement of our debt to the Republic.

In defiance of the darkness; in the light of truth, the ideal of a bright Turkey, and freedom… Happy October 29 Republic Day!