Zaman daily launches news portal in Kurdish language

Zaman daily launches news portal in Kurdish language
Zaman daily launches news portal in Kurdish language


Date posted: December 8, 2015

İPEK ÜZÜM / ISTANBUL

The Zaman daily has broken new ground by launching a news portal that will present reports in the Kurdish language.

The Kurdish news portal zamankurdi.com, which is expected to contribute to peace in society, democracy and media freedom in Turkey, will start its life on Tuesday.

The Zaman daily will be the first national newspaper to have a Kurdish news portal.

Zaman’s Diyarbakır representative, Aziz İstegün, is the editor of the new publication. Speaking about the launching of the news portal, İstegün says he wants to welcome the new news portal with the Kurdish words “Tu bir xêr hati ZamanKurdi” (Welcome ZamanKurdi).

İstegün says he believes the Kurdish news portal will make a distinguished name for itself with exclusive news articles and interviews.

Describing the novel news portal as the newest member of the Zaman family, İstegün reminded that the Zaman daily is already publishing news in Turkish, English and Arabic. İstegün says zamankurdi.com will cover both domestic and international developments for its readers.

“In addition to developments in all areas, the news portal will provide the Kurdish community with special news reports, analyses, articles and commentary. The website, which will objectively present the country’s agenda to its readers, will also impartially cover developments in the Middle East, including events in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq, Syria and Iran,” İstegün said.

İstegün also stressed that the project will be a breath of fresh air to news published in Kurdish globally. Highlighting that 117 years have passed since the first Kurdish newspaper was established, in 1898 by Mikdat Midhat Bedirxan and Abdurrahman Bedirxan in Cairo, İstegün said: “Since then, many newspapers and magazines have been published [in Kurdish]. It is beyond any doubt that all of those were significant. However, the fact that the Zaman daily, with the highest circulation in Turkey, has taken such a step in terms of Kurdish language news media is much more significant.”

Saying that the Kurdish website will be beneficial in terms of peace in society and a mutual understanding between the Kurdish and Turkish communities, İstegün added that the Kurdish people, who have experienced very difficult times in the country, being able to read news in their mother tongue will be “very influential in terms of the process of democratization in Turkey.”

The Zaman Media Group also established an online newspaper in Arabic last year. Zaman Arabic was launched on July 14, 2014 in an effort to provide news about Turkey to the Arab world in its own language.

Source: Today's Zaman , December 07, 2015

Tags: | |


Related News

Interview with Henri Barkey on the Hizmet Movement

Henri Barkey, who has been one of the leading Turkey analysts in Washington, joined journalist Ruşen Çakır’s live broadcast via Periscope. He made interesting comments about the claims of the “parallel structure,” the situation of Fethullah Gülen in the US, and the appointment of trustees to the Zaman daily.

Turkey Should Protect All Prisoners from Pandemic

Terrorism may sound like the gravest of offenses, but in Turkey, the government misuses the charge for political ends. Many inmates are placed in lengthy pretrial detention or sentenced without evidence.

Turkish Gov’t Seizes 965 Gülen Movement Affiliated Firms With $11.3 Billion Worth

Turkish Deputy PM Nurettin Canikli said on Friday that the Turkish government has seized 965 companies which were affiliated to the Gülen movement. The value of assets belonging to companies seized by the Turkish state during the ongoing state of emergency is also announced as nearly 41 billion Turkish Liras, around $11.3 billion.

Hizmet-affiliated schools removed from private school incentive list

The Hizmet schools were in the original list of those institutions which met all the criteria for eligibility to receive financial incentives to accept these students. Announced on Monday, the schools were listed on the ministry’s website until Thursday afternoon, when they were taken off without any explanation. However, an official written notice sent from the ministry to governorates on Thursday said: “It was not deemed proper to give such incentives to education institutions whose managers are under fiscal investigation and interrogation within the scope of the Law No. 5549 on the Prevention of Laundering of Crime Revenues and those that had received punishments fiscal irregularities after due inspections before,” and asked the governorates do what the notice requires.

Former TÜBİTAK VP: Over 250 dismissed in 2 months

The report claimed that large-scale profiling activities have been launched against personnel who possibly have links to a “parallel state” — a term used by pro-government circles to define the faith-based Hizmet movement — upon orders from Science, Industry and Technology Minister Fikri Işık. Those being profiled by the center are being systematically dismissed.

Turkish daily Taraf accused of ‘spying’ and ‘terror acts’ for publishing state document

Daily Taraf, which published a document from a 2004 National Security Council (MGK) meeting about a state action plan against the activities of Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen’s movement, has been charged with “spying” and “terrorism,” in an investigation launched by the Istanbul Public Prosecutor.

Latest News

Sacramento leaders gather for Iftar dinner in celebration of Ramadan

Turkish inmate jailed over alleged Gülen links dies of heart attack in prison

Message of Condemnation and Condolences for Mass Shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney

Media executive Hidayet Karaca marks 11th year in prison over alleged links to Gülen movement

ECtHR faults Turkey for convictions of 2,420 applicants over Gülen links in follow-up to 2023 judgment

New Book Exposes Erdoğan’s “Civil Death Project” Targeting the Hizmet Movement

European Human Rights Treaty Faces Legal And Political Tests

ECtHR rejects Turkey’s appeal, clearing path for retrials in Gülen-linked cases

Erdoğan’s Civil Death Project’ : The ‘politicide’ spanning more than a decade

In Case You Missed It

BBC Interviews Fethullah Gulen (Powerful but reclusive Turkish cleric)

Karzai honored Turkish schools in his country

MP close to Gülen quits ruling AKP, slams accusations against Islamic scholar

Turkey’s STV opens Washington studio, first among Turkish TV networks

Turkish Cultural Center Vermont opened it doors at a ceremony held in Burlington

Turkey: Alarming Deterioration of Rights – Coup Attempt No Justification for Crackdown on Peaceful Critics

Turkey’s accused – Tragic stories of the purged

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News