Newspapers from Turkey and Turkish media on the web

The Turkish press is read mostly in Turkish: dailies such as Hürriyet, Sabah, Sözcü and Cumhuriyet, portals such as Habertürk and T24, the Anadolu agency and the public broadcaster TRT, with a few English editions available free of charge on the web and in apps.

From the Ottoman Takvim-i Vekayi to the Republic

The first official Ottoman newspaper in Turkish, the Takvim-i Vekayi, appeared in Istanbul in 1831. Cumhuriyet was founded in 1924, shortly after the Republic was proclaimed, and the switch to the Latin alphabet in 1928 permanently transformed print.

Hürriyet, Sabah, Sözcü: who stands for which line?

Hürriyet, created in 1948, remains a major general-interest daily. Sabah, Yeni Şafak and Türkiye are seen as close to the government, while Sözcü, Cumhuriyet and BirGün sit in the opposition, with Kemalist or left-wing leanings depending on the title.

Turkish, Kurdish and English editions

Turkish largely dominates the news offering. Some media also publish in Kurdish, notably the public channel TRT Kurdî, and certain titles offer English versions such as Daily Sabah and Hürriyet Daily News, which are handy for foreign readers.

Izmir, Ankara, Diyarbakır: local news

The big national dailies are produced in Istanbul and Ankara, but every province has its own local papers. Izmir, Bursa, Antalya and Diyarbakır have regional sites that follow municipalities, farming and, since February 2023, rebuilding after the earthquakes.

T24, Habertürk and the portals read on smartphones

The online newspaper T24 publishes analysis and columns by well-known commentators. Habertürk combines a portal with a news channel, while the NTV and Sözcü websites draw a large mobile readership, often through social networks and push notifications.

Anadolu Ajansı, the agency founded in 1920

Founded in Ankara in 1920 during the War of Independence, the Anadolu agency distributes stories, photos and video in Turkish and many other languages, including French. Its public status makes it an official source to be complemented by other newsrooms.

TRT, the public broadcaster since 1964

Established in 1964, TRT runs numerous television and radio channels, including TRT Haber for rolling news and TRT World in English. The private channels NTV, Habertürk and Halk TV complete the broadcast landscape for viewers in Turkey and abroad.

From Turks in Germany to the European press

With several million people of Turkish origin in Germany, several dailies long printed European editions in Frankfurt. This diaspora also reads the German press online and the titles listed on our European press page for news from their country of residence.

Dünya for business, Fanatik for football

The daily Dünya follows the economy, the Turkish lira, the Istanbul stock exchange and foreign trade. For sport, Fanatik and the sports pages of the big papers focus above all on football and the rivalry between Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş.

Legal pressure and broadcast regulation

Journalists regularly face prosecution, and the broadcasting watchdog RTÜK, the Radio and Television Supreme Council, can sanction channels. Court rulings sometimes block access to articles or entire sites, which makes reading the news from inside Turkey more complicated.

Subscriptions and reading the columnists

Most major Turkish sites remain free and funded by advertising, but some titles are developing paid plans or digital editions. Columns by commentators are widely read and often express a strong opinion that should be kept separate from straight news.

Cross-checking pro-government and opposition media

On any given story, read Sabah, Sözcü and a site such as T24, then check the Anadolu dispatch. For Aegean or Cyprus issues, the Greek press online offers a useful complementary point of view from across the sea.

Following news from Turkey while abroad

1. Select a pro-government daily such as Sabah and an opposition title such as Sözcü or Cumhuriyet to balance your reading.
2. Add Anadolu Ajansı stories, available in several languages including English and French.
3. Watch TRT Haber or NTV live online for major announcements and election nights.
4. Turn on alerts from a portal such as Habertürk to be warned about earthquakes and central bank decisions.
5. Use Daily Sabah or Hürriyet Daily News if you do not read Turkish, keeping their editorial line in mind.
6. Check the date of every article, especially for lira exchange rates, which move quickly.

Access and plans for Turkish media

Essential facts about the Turkish press

• Main language: Turkish in the Latin alphabet; editions in Kurdish and English
• Agency: Anadolu Ajansı, founded in 1920
• Public broadcaster: TRT, with TRT Haber and TRT World
• Major dailies: Hürriyet, Sabah, Sözcü, Cumhuriyet
• Business: Dünya; football: Fanatik
• Time zone: UTC+3 all year round
• Currency: Turkish lira (TRY)

Pitfalls to avoid with Turkish media

• Reading only one political camp and taking the front page of a pro-government or opposition daily as a neutral account.
• Confusing a columnist's opinion piece, a very common genre in the Turkish press, with a verified news report.
• Sharing old earthquake footage presented as recent when a new tremor strikes Anatolia.
• Trusting a fake social media account imitating Hürriyet or Sözcü with a slightly altered logo.
• Forgetting that an article blocked by a court in Turkey may still be readable elsewhere, and vice versa.

Your questions about Turkish newspapers