Hürriyet

This article is about the newspaper. For other uses, see Hürriyet (disambiguation).
Hürriyet

First issue, dated 1 May 1948.
Type Daily newspaper
Format Berliner (Broadsheet prior to 15 October 2012)
Owner(s) Doğan Media Group
Editor Sedat Ergin
Founded 1948 (1948)
Political alignment Mainstream
Liberalism
Secularism[1]
Centre-Left
Language Turkish
Headquarters Güneşli, Bağcılar
City İstanbul
Country Turkey
Circulation Decrease 384,807 (12–18 May 2014)[2]
Website www.hurriyet.com.tr

Hürriyet (Turkish pronunciation: [hyɾːiˈjet], Liberty) is one of the major Turkish newspapers, founded in 1948, with a circulation of around 400,000 (third overall) in February 2014. Hürriyet has a mainstream, liberal and secularist outlook.[1] Hürriyet's editorial line may be considered middle-market, combining entertainment value with comprehensive news coverage and a strong cadre of columnists.

Hürriyet has regional offices in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Adana, Antalya and Trabzon, as well as a news network comprising 52 offices and 600 reporters in Turkey and abroad, all affiliated with Doğan News Agency, which primarily serves newspapers and television channels that are under the management of Doğan Media Group (Doğan Yayın Holding). Hürriyet is printed in six cities in Turkey and in Frankfurt, Germany.[3] According to comScore, the paper's website is the third most visited news website in Europe.[4]

History

Hürriyet was founded by Sedat Simavi on 1 May 1948 with a staff of 48. Selling 50,000 in its first week,[5] Hürriyet was Simavi's 59th and last publication.

It is considered a high-circulation newspaper in Turkey.[6][7]

Tax fine controversy

In February 2009, the newspaper received a 826.2 million TL (US$523 million) fine for tax evasion by Doğan Group/Petrol Ofisi. Following this, the Istanbul Stock Exchange suspended Doğan Holding's shares,[8][9][10] and Fitch downgraded Hurriyet to 'BB-'.[11]

Executives at the Doğan Group expressed the opinion that the tax fine was politically motivated "intimidation", caused by Hürriyet's linking of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his political party, AKP, to a charity scandal in Germany. In March 2009, Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, expressed public concern about the fine, saying that it threatened "pluralism and freedom of the press."[12]

In September 2009, Doğan Group was fined a record US$2.5 billion, related to alleged past tax irregularities.[12][13]

The September fine caused further expressions of public concern from the European Commission, as well as the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.[14] It also caused some critics and global investors[15] to compare the fines to then-Russian President Vladimir Putin's use of tax-evasion charges to bankrupt oil company Yukos for allegedly political reasons. In an interview, Erdoğan denied this charge, calling it "very ugly" and "disrespectful" to both himself and Putin.[14]

Notable people

References

  1. 1 2 Esra Özyürek, Nostalgia for the Modern: State Secularism and Everyday Politics in Turkey, 2006, p. 197, Duke University Press, 2006, ISBN 0822338955
  2. ↑ http://www.medyatava.com/tiraj, 12–18 February 2014
  3. ↑ Throughout 60 years, Hürriyet from past to present. Hürriyet Kurumsal.
  4. ↑ Nearly 50 Percent of Internet Users in Europe Visit Newspaper Sites, January 19, 2012
  5. ↑ "HÜRRİYET'İN KİLOMETRE TAŞLARI". Hürriyet Kurumsal (in Turkish). 2005. Retrieved 2008-10-09.
  6. ↑ Finkel, Andrew (2007-08-16). "News fit to print?". Today's Zaman. Retrieved 2008-08-03. I am no great fan of Hürriyet as a newspaper. I believe it abuses the considerable authority it wields.
  7. ↑ Görmüş, Alper (2008-12-19). "Konu: Ergenekon haberciliği... Soru: Hürriyet bunu neden göze alıyor?". Taraf (in Turkish). Retrieved 2008-12-19. ...Türkiye’nin en etkili gazetesi...
  8. ↑ http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=167444
  9. ↑ http://en.timeturk.com/finance-ministry-orders-bp-to-pay-tl-474-million-for-tax-evasion--16517-haberi.html
  10. ↑ "Turkish index suspends Dogan group, Petrol Ofisi shares". Reuters. 2009-03-18.
  11. ↑
  12. 1 2 Dogan Hit by $2.5 Billion Tax Fine in Erdogan Feud, Seda Sezer and Ben Holland, Bloomberg, September 8, 2009
  13. ↑ Turkey gov't hits media group Dogan with tax fine, Reuters, September 8, 2009
  14. 1 2 Turkish Premier Defends Media Tax Battle, Marc Champion, The Wall Street Journal, October 5, 2009
  15. ↑ Feud Shaking Turkey Pits Erdogan Against Dogan Newspaper Baron, Ben Holland and Firat Kayakiran, Bloomberg, June 23, 2009
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