In Turkey, where nationalism has visibly grown in recent years and press freedom ranks among the lowest in the world, being a true and impartial journalist has long been considered unsafe, to say the least. In this environment, Istanbul’s Armenian newspapers Jamanak, Marmara, and Agos have become the “last Mohicans” of Armenian journalism in the country. Today, the role of the Armenian press extends beyond reporting news. These publications, serving Istanbul’s small Armenian community, now face the challenging task of preserving Western Armenian language, literature, and identity as a whole.
Jamanak, meaning “Time” in Armenian, active for more than a century, is the oldest continuously operating printed Armenian newspaper in the world and, according to its editorship, also the oldest daily newspaper in the Republic of Turkey. It was co-founded in 1908 by Misak and Sarkis Koçunyan. Before the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire, the newspaper’s circulation reached 15,000, with distribution extending from the Balkans to the Caucasus and south to Egypt. Today, its daily circulation is just 1,000. Ara Koçunyan, the editor-in-chief and great-grandson of Sargis Koçunyan, notes that Jamanak has been “an eyewitness and a participant in epoch-making events affecting the Armenian people for over a century.” “Before the 1915 Genocide, Armenians were a powerful presence across the Ottoman Empire, active in all sectors. Publishing an Armenian daily in such conditions played a role in shaping public opinion. While the newspaper survived the Genocide, many of its staff were martyred, and readership sharply declined, especially in the provinces. In today’s Turkey, Jamanak has since become part of the minority press,” says Koçunyan.
The editorial office of Jamanak is now located in the Şişli district, which once had a large Armenian population. The office features original photographs taken in Armenia by the renowned Istanbul-Armenian photographer Ara Güler, known as the “Eye of Istanbul.” Each photograph is signed by Güler in Armenian, which is a rare occurrence.
The newspaper includes a variety of articles, ranging from the Armenian agenda and major events in Turkey to the activities of the Mother See and issues affecting the Turkish-Armenian community.
“We are highly ambitious and un-matched in one specific area by any competition. Currently, Jamanak is the only Armenian Diaspora daily that produces exclusive content. Every day, we publish at least three or four articles written specifically for our newspaper, which is a significant achievement given the challenges of limited manpower,” says the sole editor, proudly highlighting that the newspaper also features columnists from Armenian communities in the Middle East. Koçunyan emphasizes that with the rise of the Internet, Jamanak became a unique communication platform in Western Armenian for Armenians around the world. He adds that after Armenia’s independence, the Turkish state’s perception of the newspaper shifted. “People began to realize that our daily is a serious platform for delivering messages to the Armenian audience. Jamanak serves as a window from Istanbul to the entire Armenian world, offering a view both inward and outward,” states Ara Koçunyan.
Today, the editorial team of Jamanak is quite small. Despite limited manpower, the daily manages to deliver a new issue to its readers every day. Koçunyan points out that, in addition to economic challenges, the shortage of individuals within the community who are proficient in the language has become a significant issue, contributing to one of the community’s most pressing problems today.
Ari Haddeciyan, the general publishing director of Marmara, also highlights the seriousness of the situation. He explains that Marmara has long been one of the most important and respected newspapers within the community, but today, like other Armenian-language publications, it is facing difficult times. “There are fewer readers, fewer people who understand, and very few left who can read and write Armenian. The language issue has become the most pressing problem for the community. Despite efforts in schools, I believe they fall short because a native language should be learned at home, from your mother—not in a classroom. Sadly, Armenian is no longer spoken in our homes; children are not growing up speaking Armenian. Their first language is always Turkish. Today, our readers are mainly older adults, aged 60-70, while most young people no longer read newspapers,” says Haddeciyan. He adds that if there were more readers, the few young Armenians in the community who enjoy writing in Armenian would be even more motivated to write. “At community events, we see the same familiar faces, the same small group of Armenian speakers—barely 1,000-2,000 people. The rest have different interests. It feels like we are a community within a community,” Ari Haddeciyan concludes.
Ari’s father, Rober Haddeciyan, the renowned Western Armenian journalist and writer, has served as editor-in-chief of Marmara since 1967. Now 99 years old, he finds it difficult to personally visit the editorial office but continues to contribute columns and literary works that are regularly featured in the newspaper. His office at the editorial headquarters resembles a small museum, with books on his desk, various issues of the newspaper, photos, and other materials reflecting the history of Marmara, which has been published in Istanbul since 1940. “Under Rober Haddeciyan’s leadership, Western Armenian literature and language have achieved significant milestones in the newspaper. Through his writing and intellectual insight, he was able to capture the pulse of the readers and engage in close conversations with them in his columns. Even now, he continues to write successfully, though not as frequently as before,” says his son Ari.
The long-time employees of Marmara in the conversation with us often look back on the 1970s and 1980s with great nostalgia, considering it the newspaper’s golden era. “Most of the Istanbul-Armenian intelligentsia worked with us during that time; it was a true golden age. There wasn’t a single Western Armenian writer whose work didn’t debut in our pages,” says Haddeciyan, noting that the newspaper employed 90 people during those years. Today, however, the team consists of only seven employees who manage the daily operations. “Like other Armenian newspapers in Istanbul, one of Marmara’s key missions is to preserve and pass on the heritage inherited from our ancestors. The newspaper’s staff is committed to this goal,” adds Haddeciyan.
Due to a decline in readership, Marmara now publishes only 1,000 copies, a reduction of more than tenfold. Funding for the newspaper has also diminished. While in the past many announcements were placed in the daily, today, in the digital age, many people prefer the free and accessible Internet. “We always try to remind them that digital content on the Internet is temporary and not permanent. If you want to leave a lasting mark in history, you should print it in black and white in the newspaper,” says Haddeciyan. He remains hopeful that the community will eventually come forward to support Marmara, allowing the newspaper with its rich literary heritage to continue its legacy.
Istanbul’s Armenian newspapers Jamanak, Marmara, and Agos have become the “last Mohicans” of Armenian journalism in the country.
The activity of Agos, founded in Istanbul in 1996, can be divided into two distinct phases: before and after the tragic murder of its founder, Hrant Dink. By creating a bilingual newspaper in Armenian and Turkish, Dink aimed to shed light on the long-neglected issues of the Armenian community, bridge the gap between Armenia and Turkey, and foster dialogue between the two nations. “Hrant truly wanted to establish relations between Turkey and Armenia. In Turkey, nationalist circles often harbor hostility towards Armenia and deny the suffering experienced by Armenians in these regions. Hrant wanted the Turkish people to understand the historical injustices faced by Armenians and how Armenian heritage has been erased from the region’s history,” says Yetvart Danzikyan, the current editor-in-chief of Agos. By publishing Agos in Turkish as well, Dink aimed to reach Turkish society and address Armenians in Turkey who, due to receiving Turkish education, might not read or write in Armenian. The Turkish edition of Agos was intended to give these individuals a voice as well.
Unfortunately, Dink’s objectives were never fully realized. Moreover, his thoughts and ideas, expressed in the increasingly nationalistic atmosphere of the country, made him a target. On January 19, 2007, Dink was assassinated near the Agos editorial office. Despite his death, his voice remained influential. Agos grew in prominence, and Dink’s ideas continued to resonate widely.
“After Hrant’s assassination, Agos entered a new era. Our primary tasks now are to uphold his ideas and seek justice for his murder. Today, Agos plays a crucial role not only within the Armenian community in Turkey but also in Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora,” says Danzikyan.
Twelve of the 16 pages of the weekly, which has a circulation of up to 2,500, are in Turkish, while four pages are in Armenian. Danzikyan also notes that the newspaper is primarily read by older generations. “Young people no longer buy newspapers; they get most of their news online. Besides, while there are Armenian schools in Istanbul and many young people send their children to these schools, the connection with the Armenian language often ends there. If Armenian is not present in everyday life—there are no Armenian signs on the streets, no Armenian TV channels, radio, etc.—it is difficult to maintain the language in such conditions,” says Danzikyan.
Like Jamanak and Marmara, Agos also has its own website. Danzikyan notes that readers are particularly interested in articles about historical Armenian settlements in modern Turkey and Armenians who came from those areas. “Of course, there is also significant interest in content addressing the current problems and challenges facing the community,” says Danzikyan.
To preserve the long-standing tradition of Western Armenian publishing in Turkey, Aras publishing house was established in Istanbul in 1993, with the aim of becoming a “window to Armenian literature.
From the perspective of normalizing relations between the two countries, he no longer considers it realistic for Turkey to recognize the Armenian Genocide. “We have moved far from confronting history,” he states. Nevertheless, he views the Armenian-Turkish dialogue as essential. “We would like to see dialogue between Armenia and Turkey. I often use the example of Turkey and Greece. There are issues between them, but their border is open and they have ambassadors on both sides. Yes, we may have problems between Armenia and Turkey, but the border should be open,” he says.
To preserve the long-standing tradition of Western Armenian publishing in Turkey, Aras publishing house was established in Istanbul in 1993, with the aim of becoming a “window to Armenian literature.”
“Over the past 31 years, Aras has published more than 320 books. This averages to about 10 books per year, with nearly a third of them in Armenian—around 3-4 Armenian books annually,” says Vahagn Keshishyan, who works at the Aras editorial office. He notes that one of the key missions of Aras is to pass on Armenian cultural values to future generations.
At Aras, you can find books across various genres, ranging from memoirs and literary works to academic content. A special focus is placed on books about Istanbul-Armenian literature and Armenian history. “Among the literary books published in Turkish, a significant portion are translations of works by Armenian authors both from Armenian and other languages. Aras also prioritizes providing reading materials for Istanbul-Armenian schoolchildren, which is why we collaborate closely with Armenian schools and teachers. We have children’s and youth publications, primarily read by students from the 16 Armenian schools in Istanbul,” says Keshishyan.
He emphasizes that Aras books are found not only in the homes of Istanbul Armenians or among Turks interested in Armenian literature and history, but also in the Armenian Diaspora.
