Founded on 7 June 1995 with the headline "Here is the reality of Turkey", Evrensel newspaper is celebrating its 28th anniversary.
Our colleague Metin Göktepe was taken into custody and beaten to death by the police on 8 January 1996 while reporting a news story, saying "I must watch this, friends". Our journalists were prosecuted hundreds of times and sentenced to imprisonment and fines. Evrensel was shut down many times and faced closure penalties several times. Finally, in August 2022, the Press Advertisement Agency (BİK) cancelled our newspaper Evrensel's right to publish official announcements and advertisements. Due to the decision taken in September 2019 to suspend official announcements and advertisements, our newspaper has been unlawfully denied advertisements for years.
During this period, Evrensel never stopped writing the truth. The solidarity and subscription campaigns of our readers strengthened the truth.
Representatives of journalism organisations talked about the importance and struggle of Evrensel .
Gökhan Durmuş, Chair of the Journalists' Union of Turkey (TGS), said: "Evrensel is the sweat of the brow of a 28-year-old young metal worker, a 28-year-old young mine worker, a 28-year-old young textile worker. 28 years old young teacher, 28 years old young journalist's pen Evrensel" and congratulated Evrensel on its new birthday.
Durmuş continued as follows:
"I congratulate the birthday of Evrensel newspaper, which has been the voice of workers, women, youth, pensioners and public labourers for 28 years. Evrensel newspaper, which has been continuing its publishing life for 28 years without compromising its principles despite all kinds of pressure and attempts to destroy it, walks a path shoulder to shoulder not only with itself but also with all oppressed labourers. Evrensel is a resistance in these days when freedom of the press and freedom of expression are destroyed and the voice of the people is cut off."
Turgay Olcayto, Chair of the Journalists' Association of Turkey (TGC), started his speech by stating that he has been writing for Evrensel newspaper since 2006 and said, "Evrensel has been my home in a sense. Today Evrensel is celebrating its 28th anniversary."
"This newspaper has gone through many difficult periods. But it has always attached importance to critical news, it has always been contented with a level opposition, it has always addressed the problems of the working class in the country, it has always been a newspaper that defends the rights of employees, from this point of view, I am really proud of my newspaper." Olcayto continued by saying that Evrensel is still standing upright today despite all kinds of pressures by the government, which opposes critical news and is uncomfortable with the problems of employees being revealed.
Olcayto continued as follows:
"Despite the unfair attitude of the Press Advertisement Agency and the cut-off of advertisements, Evrensel does not bow its neck and seeks its rights within the framework of the law. While 90 per cent of the media in Turkey is dominated by the government, I wish Evrensel many more long and healthy years with its writers who never stop writing the realities of Turkey as an opposition newspaper. Of course, our greatest wish is that Evrensel and opposition newspapers like Evrensel increase in number. I also congratulate all Evrensel employees with the belief that we will overcome these difficult conditions."
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Turkey Representative and Bianet Media Freedom Rapporteur Erol Önderoğlu stated that he sees Evrensel newspaper as a very important component of the labour and general rights community in Turkey.
Önderoğlu said, "It not only covers areas such as the world of politics and income injustice in the eyes of the citizens, but also wages a dazzling struggle before the judiciary to advance the rights of journalists and achieves quite remarkable results."
Önderoğlu said, "I congratulate our colleagues working for Evrensel newspaper on its 28th anniversary. Many more years to come." (EVRENSEL DAILY)
Hediye Levent
Yusuf Karadaş
Yücel Özdemir