Turkey’s minority newspapers to have official supportMarch 1, 2012 - 15:17 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A decision to allow Turkey’s minority–run newspapers to take a share of official bulletins and announcements that authorities pay publications to print has come into effect, with the new amendment published in the Official Gazette Feb. 28. “Our goal in [introducing] this regulation is to show that minority newspapers are no different from other journals. Official institutions can now indiscriminately advertise in these papers as well,” said Mehmet Atalay, the head of Turkey’s Press Bulletin Authority (BİK). Newspapers run by minorities, as defined by the Treaty of Lausanne, will now be able to print official advertisements if they issue a written request. “[Minority–run journals] fulfil an important duty with regard to the [role of the] Turkish Republic as a bridge. We believe the path to living in solidarity and sharing together goes through making use of the same opportunities,” Atalay said. However, the chief editor of the Greek daily Apoyevmatini, Mihalis Vasiliadis, said that printing official bulletins would not alone solve their problems: “A newspaper whose problems can be solved solely through the printing of official bulletins would not be a newspaper; it would not stand,” he told the Hürriyet Daily News. Vasiliadis also expressed skepticism regarding the conditions under which such bulletins would be made available to minority–run papers, but also thanked Atalay for his efforts: “My struggle has born fruit. I am happy to have assumed leadership. Other sister jounals will also take advantage of this aid,” he said. BİK also issued a special grant totaling 250,000 Turkish Liras to six minority–run newspapers last year, including the Armenian dailies Jamang and Marmara, the Armenian weekly Agos, the Greek dailies Apoyevmatini and Ýho, and the Jewish weekly Þalom. Top stories Six total incidents have burned 19 old-growth trees. Friday night 8 trees were torched along the beautiful main entrance. The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. Hikmet Hajiyev has said that there is no place for USAID operation in Azerbaijan any longer. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. Partner news | Armenian, Iranian foreigh policy chief talk over the phone The Foreign Minister of Armenia once again expressed condolences to his counterpart on the death of the President of Iran. Armenian government besieged by protesters Protesters led by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan poured into Yerevan’s Republic Square to try to surround the seat of Armenia’s government. Armenia, Russia agree on repairing railway destroyed in floods Yerevan and Moscow have agreed to repair a flood-stricken railway in northern Armenia. EU calls on Azerbaijan to release all political prisoners The European Union calls on Azerbaijan to release all those imprisoned for exercising their fundamental rights. |