100 years of Turkey on display in Tophane

100 years of Turkey on display in Tophane

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

The owner of Bir Zamanlar Publishing House, Osman Köker, and one of the founders of Anadolu Kültür, Osman Kavala, reveal the 100-year adventure of 'Jamanag' (Time), the oldest newspaper in Turkish press history. Köker and Kavala open an exhibition displaying historical documents and photos at the Tütün Deposu in Istanbul's Tophane district

A project to organize an exhibition about the Armenian daily “Jamanag” (Time) newspaper has overcome stumbling blocks to celebrate the century-long history of Turkey’s oldest press organization.

The 102-year-old paper has published all incidents in the history of Turkey since the fall of the Ottoman Empire, World War I and the founding of the Turkish Republic.

The owner of Bir Zamanlar Publishing House, Osman Köker, and one of the founders of the civil-society organization Anadolu Kültür, Osman Kavala, joined forces two years ago to carry out a project related to the paper. As part of this, they decided to organize an exhibition featuring the history of Jamanag.

But there was a bad surprise in store for the team: The newspaper’s administration disposed of its archive in the early 1970s.

The archive was found at the State Library in Beyazıt, where a team led by Köker has conducted research for two years, uncovering hundreds of documents, photographs and other pieces of information.

All historical material found during the research process is now on display as part of the exhibition “Türkiye’de Yüzyıllık Bir Ermenice Gazete” (A 100-Year-Old Armenian Newspaper in Turkey), which opened last Saturday at the Tütün Deposu in Istanbul’s Tophane district and will run through Jan. 21.

“The paper may be an Armenian one, but it was not limited only to Armenian society. It has an Ottoman philosophy; it appeals to all sections of society,” said Köker.

Many firsts

The newspaper initiated many things in Turkey’s press history, including holding the title of the first newspaper to run promotions. It was also the most preferred paper for advertisements within the borders of the empire.

Speaking about the founders of the paper, the brothers Misak and Sarkis Koçunyan, Köker said: “The newspaper was entrusted to Mr. Misak in the field of reporting. Mr. Sarkis was responsible for promotion and advertisements. He was a very experienced name in that field.”

According to Köker, the newspaper was founded around the time of the fall of Sultan Abdulhamid II’s oppressive regime. “With Abdulhamid gone, there were many movements in the political field,” he said. “The number of publications increased during this period. Lots of newspapers and magazines began to be published. Jamanag was one of them.”

A part of Turkish press history

Even though Jamanag was published in Armenian, Köker called it a part of Turkish press history, adding that anyone searching the paper’s archive could see the truth of this statement. “In this exhibition, we reveal the last 100 years of Turkey with 100 [pieces of] headline news,” he said. “There are many surprises waiting for visitors in the exhibition.”

Köker has compiled his research in three parts – the Ottoman period, the early years of the Turkish Republic and the present day – examining the newspaper in each era.

“In the first period, Armenian society was active in politics, like all Ottoman people,” he said. “This began to decrease in 1915 and in the Republic period it fell behind politics. In the present time, it follows a broadcasting policy regarding its own society.”

Paper was punished for execution photos

Based on historical data in newspaper clippings, Köker said Jamanag had a very active news policy during its first years. “Eight people were sentenced to death in 1913 for political reasons. A notification was sent to Istanbul’s Babıali district, where the heart of Turkish press was beating, [telling journalists] not to publish execution photos,” he said. “None of the newspapers but Jamanag dared to publish them.”

According to Köker, Jamanag ceased publication following this brave act, and changed its name to “Herazsayn” (Telephone). “But the new paper’s edition number was the continuation of the previous one,” he said. “They wrote ‘3,000th edition’ on the first page of the paper. When the ban was lifted, it returned to its former name, Jamanag.”

Alternative look at official history

For the last five years, Köker has been carrying out research on the life of Armenians and Greeks in Turkey throughout history. He has been publishing books and opening exhibitions that travel to various metropolitan areas around the world.

“Turkey’s multicultural structure in the past is my area of interest,” Köker said, explaining why he conducted such extensive research on the Armenian and Greek communities. “Beyond the official history, I want to present a different alternative to our people. They need to know how people lived on this Earth in the past.”








Tuesday, January 12, 2010

VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

The owner of Bir Zamanlar Publishing House, Osman Köker, and one of the founders of Anadolu Kültür, Osman Kavala, reveal the 100-year adventure of 'Jamanag' (Time), the oldest newspaper in Turkish press history. Köker and Kavala open an exhibition displaying historical documents and photos at the Tütün Deposu in Istanbul's Tophane district

A photo from the exhibition shows two men working the paper's old printing press.

A project to organize an exhibition about the Armenian daily “Jamanag” (Time) newspaper has overcome stumbling blocks to celebrate the century-long history of Turkey’s oldest press organization.

The 102-year-old paper has published all incidents in the history of Turkey since the fall of the Ottoman Empire, World War I and the founding of the Turkish Republic.

The owner of Bir Zamanlar Publishing House, Osman Köker, and one of the founders of the civil-society organization Anadolu Kültür, Osman Kavala, joined forces two years ago to carry out a project related to the paper. As part of this, they decided to organize an exhibition featuring the history of Jamanag.

But there was a bad surprise in store for the team: The newspaper’s administration disposed of its archive in the early 1970s.

The archive was found at the State Library in Beyazıt, where a team led by Köker has conducted research for two years, uncovering hundreds of documents, photographs and other pieces of information.

All historical material found during the research process is now on display as part of the exhibition “Türkiye’de Yüzyıllık Bir Ermenice Gazete” (A 100-Year-Old Armenian Newspaper in Turkey), which opened last Saturday at the Tütün Deposu in Istanbul’s Tophane district and will run through Jan. 21.

“The paper may be an Armenian one, but it was not limited only to Armenian society. It has an Ottoman philosophy; it appeals to all sections of society,” said Köker.

Many firsts

The newspaper initiated many things in Turkey’s press history, including holding the title of the first newspaper to run promotions. It was also the most preferred paper for advertisements within the borders of the empire.

Speaking about the founders of the paper, the brothers Misak and Sarkis Koçunyan, Köker said: “The newspaper was entrusted to Mr. Misak in the field of reporting. Mr. Sarkis was responsible for promotion and advertisements. He was a very experienced name in that field.”

According to Köker, the newspaper was founded around the time of the fall of Sultan Abdulhamid II’s oppressive regime. “With Abdulhamid gone, there were many movements in the political field,” he said. “The number of publications increased during this period. Lots of newspapers and magazines began to be published. Jamanag was one of them.”

A part of Turkish press history

Even though Jamanag was published in Armenian, Köker called it a part of Turkish press history, adding that anyone searching the paper’s archive could see the truth of this statement. “In this exhibition, we reveal the last 100 years of Turkey with 100 [pieces of] headline news,” he said. “There are many surprises waiting for visitors in the exhibition.”

Köker has compiled his research in three parts – the Ottoman period, the early years of the Turkish Republic and the present day – examining the newspaper in each era.

“In the first period, Armenian society was active in politics, like all Ottoman people,” he said. “This began to decrease in 1915 and in the Republic period it fell behind politics. In the present time, it follows a broadcasting policy regarding its own society.”

Paper was punished for execution photos

Based on historical data in newspaper clippings, Köker said Jamanag had a very active news policy during its first years. “Eight people were sentenced to death in 1913 for political reasons. A notification was sent to Istanbul’s Babıali district, where the heart of Turkish press was beating, [telling journalists] not to publish execution photos,” he said. “None of the newspapers but Jamanag dared to publish them.”

According to Köker, Jamanag ceased publication following this brave act, and changed its name to “Herazsayn” (Telephone). “But the new paper’s edition number was the continuation of the previous one,” he said. “They wrote ‘3,000th edition’ on the first page of the paper. When the ban was lifted, it returned to its former name, Jamanag.”

Alternative look at official history

For the last five years, Köker has been carrying out research on the life of Armenians and Greeks in Turkey throughout history. He has been publishing books and opening exhibitions that travel to various metropolitan areas around the world.

“Turkey’s multicultural structure in the past is my area of interest,” Köker said, explaining why he conducted such extensive research on the Armenian and Greek communities. “Beyond the official history, I want to present a different alternative to our people. They need to know how people lived on this Earth in the past.”