Journalists working for Gazete Duvar, which has decided to shut down, and Artı Gerçek, which has decided to downsize on a large scale, stated that they will continue on the road and that alternatives will be created

AZIZ ORUÇ

Founded in Turkey in 2016 by Vedat Zencir, Gazete Duvar ceased its operations on 12 March 2025 for economic reasons. Gazete Duvar, which had a nine-year publishing life, was headed by Barış Avşar as editor-in-chief. According to the statements made, Gazete Duvar took this decision as a result of the negative effects of the global Google algorithm updates and the resulting revenue losses and increasing costs. In his article, Barış Avşar stated that 12 March was the last day for Gazete Duvar with the words, “Gazete Duvar's publishing life is coming to an end as of today.”

Shortly before Gazete Duvar's decision to close, Artı Gerçek & Artı TV also decided to downsize in March to avoid closure.

Due to Google's successive algorithm changes, many agencies and websites have been affected by the economic crisis and the huge drop in the number of visitors and consequently advertisement revenues. After the closure and downsizing decisions, many journalists working for these organizations became unemployed.

Journalists Ferhat Yaşar and Ceren Bayar from the shuttered Gazete Duvar and Hicran Cengiz from the downsized Artı Gerçek spoke to Expression Interrupted.

Bayar: “Duvar insisted on independent journalism”

Stating that Gazete Duvar's insistence on independent journalism is promising for Turkey, Ceren Bayar said that the organization has created a free working environment for its employees throughout its publication life. Bayar noted the following: “Gazete Duvar has always prioritized professional principles and verification mechanisms. Human rights, justice, diversity, and inclusion have always been on its agenda. It has always protected its employees and the institution from the negative impact of the politics-media and capital-media relationship on the media in Turkey. Gazete Duvar has struggled to survive by practicing journalism. In doing so, it took care to ensure that its employees were paid wages that would allow them to live humanely and not be alienated from their labor, and that they enjoyed all their social and personal rights. He encouraged unionization at a time when the unionization rate in Turkey was at its lowest, almost prevented by the state.”

“The closure of Duvar made me very sad”

Stating that Gazete Duvar had left a beautiful mark in the history of the Turkish press, Bayar used the following expressions: “As a citizen, a journalist and a Duvar worker, the closure of Duvar has of course saddened me more than I can describe. We journalists have always succeeded in finding a way or opening a way, and we will succeed again. But I think Gazete Duvar's farewell should be a sign for all of us. The fact that independent newspapers in Turkey are saying goodbye one by one is a problem inherent to democracy that all citizens should think about.”

Yasar: “The closure of Duvar is a loss for everyone”

Ferhat Yaşar, who has been a reporter at Gazete Duvar for six years, said, “Gazete Duvar was trying to fill a huge gap. It was a medium where everyone could find a place for themselves. Gazete Duvar was a medium that the government and its supporters regularly followed every day to access accurate news, where the opposition could make their voices heard and the people could voice their demands. Therefore, the closure of Gazete Duvar is a great loss for everyone. Gazete Duvar's coverage of Kurdish news and articles was a turning point for the Turkish media. Gazete Duvar did a great job in publishing.”

“It did not compromise the principle of impartiality”

“In order not to cast a shadow on Gazete Duvar's principle of impartiality, its employees did not express their views on social media throughout its nine-year publication,” Yaşar said and added: “This was the first thing that was explained to those who came in the door. No journalist could be expected to object to this. Therefore, it remained loyal to the universal principles of journalism. It was a great loss for the Turkish press and young colleagues. Journalists who grew up in the Gazete Duvar culture will of course keep this alive. Each of them will try to keep it alive in the media they go to and work in. Perhaps this will also contribute to the transformation of the Turkish media. We will see this in the next 10 years. History will surely write about it.”

Cengiz: “We are faced with unworkable conditions”

Hicran Cengiz, who lost her job due to Artı Gerçek's downsizing decision, said the following: “Among a number of obstacles to journalism, we are currently facing unemployment and conditions of working or even not being able to work due to the financial obstacles. In March, after Artı Gerçek & Artı TV decided to downsize on a large scale in order to avoid closure, we heard about Gazete Duvar's decision to close. Around the same time, our colleagues at KRT TV shared that payments were being cut or not being made. Obviously, this is not the first time we are facing economic problems. Maybe there were times when we worked for salaries below our labor, below the market, so to speak. In the announcements of media management, you will see reasons such as 'economic stalemate, loss of income due to the change in the Google algorithm, inability to access funds and support.' Reasons we understand but cannot accept. I would like to list the following reasons why we cannot accept them. Why does a medium have to seek funding, why is its source of income dependent on the algorithm? Is not this based on the conditions of being recognized as a medium? Is not the distinction between mainstream and alternative media born from this?”

“A blow to the right to information”

“Despite all these reasons, Artı Gerçek & Artı TV and Gazete Duvar, which have been broadcasting for years in the name of alternative, democratic journalism and careful journalism, have been two very important addresses in this sense,” Cengiz said, adding, ”Especially in recent times, they have assumed the role of journalism as the watch dog of the public in a sense with their news and publications that protect local news and agendas on class and identities, whose value has almost been forgotten. The question now is; what will happen to the journalists who report these news, how will we protect these agendas? Of course, the journalism will continue, and alternatives will be created, but it should be noted that this is a blow to the right to receive news as well as reporting.”