Newspaper circulation drops by 48 pct in six years amid heightened pressure on media in Turkey
Newspaper circulation in Turkey declined by 48 percent between 2013 and 2019, according to a report prepared by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). The number of media workers also dropped rapidly within the same period, from 51,843 in 2013 to 36,263 in 2019.
Müzeyyen Yüce / DUVAR
Newspaper circulation in Turkey declined by 48 percent between 2013 and 2019, according to a report prepared by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP).
The total annual circulation for all newspapers in Turkey stood at 1.9 billion in 2013, plummeting to just 990 million in 2019, the report showed.
The number of media workers also dropped rapidly within the same period, from 51,843 in 2013 to 36,263 in 2019, a contraction of 30 percent that resulted in 43 members of the press losing their jobs every week on average within that period.
The vitality of Turkey's press has increasingly suffered during the tenure of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), as the government has seized control of the mainstream media, cracked down on critical journalists and outlets and has become known as the world's largest jailer of journalists.
Some 137 newspapers were shut down in Turkey between 2017 and 2019, according to the CHP's report.
In April 2017, a narrowly-passed referendum transformed Turkey's parliamentary system into an executive system, a change championed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
On average, two national and local newspapers closed down every week in Turkey between 2013 and 2019.