Official announcements are the most stable item of revenue for many local publications in Turkey, and the subject that generates the most questions. This page gathers the answers to 50 of them in the order in which they arise in the process. All the answers were written from the texts of the Regulation on Official Announcements and Advertisements, Law No. 195, Law No. 5187 and Law No. 7201, with article numbers.
A map of the process
| Stage | The decisive figure | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Acquiring the right | Newspaper 36 months, site 24 months (6 months on double conditions) | 1 |
| Staffing | Newspaper 3-14, site 4-32 people | 2 |
| Content and traffic | 15-120 news items a day; page views three times unique visitors | 3 |
| Indicator | Newspaper 40-180, site a fixed 150 | 4 |
| Quota | Total indicator × coefficient | 5 |
| Fee | Commission 15% | 6 |
| Sanction | Suspension = the length of the breach | 7 |
| Inspection | Objection within 10 working days | 8 |
1. Acquiring the right and the waiting period
2. The minimum editorial roster
- How many editorial staff does an online news site need?
- How many editorial staff does a newspaper need?
- Who counts on the editorial roster, and who does not?
- How quickly must a roster change be reported?
For an overview see the minimum roster guide.
3. Content and visitor traffic
4. Indicators and additional indicators
5. Quota and coefficient
6. Fee, commission and price
7. Sanctions, objections and loss of the right
8. Press ethics principles
9. Inspection board inspections
10. Operating conditions
Premises, bookkeeping, continuity of publication and content rules.
- Must a newspaper have premises?
- Do newspapers keep books on the balance sheet basis?
- What is a sectoral ledger?
- After how many days without publishing does the right lapse?
- Is publishing compulsory on public holidays?
- What happens if two newspapers print the same item?
- What is the mahreç and how is it written?
- If I change the newspaper’s name, does my right continue?
11. Which announcements count as official?
- Which announcements count as official?
- Is a cooperative general assembly announcement official?
- Are insurance company announcements official?
- Is foundation university advertising an official announcement?
- Is Turkish Airlines advertising within the scope of official announcements?
- How is service by publication published?
What software solves, and what it does not
Some of the conditions are technical and some are a matter of personnel. The masthead, the archive, accessibility, the content counter and traffic measurement can come inside the system; no software can solve the staffing condition. The distinction is set out item by item in the BIK compliant news software guide.
Other master guides
| Guide | Scope |
|---|---|
| RTUK and Broadcasting Questions | Broadcasting service principles, advertising limits, sanctions, licences, elections and TRT - 45 questions |
| Legal Limits of News Reporting in Turkey | Names and images, private life, confidentiality of investigations, right of reply, liability and damages - 55 questions |
| Digital Publishing Questions | Copyright and quotation, content removal, data protection, ad labelling, freedom of information - 44 questions |
| Turkish Press Law: Tools and Templates | Contract and masthead templates, calculators, checklists, glossary and timeline |
The Other Main Guides
| Guide | Scope |
|---|---|
| Turkish Press Law No. 5187: An Article-by-Article Guide | Definitions, the imprint, the declaration, liability, the right of reply, penalties |
| The Constitutional Basis of Press Freedom in Turkey | Constitution Arts. 13, 22, 25–32, 41, 90, 133 and 148 |
| RTÜK Legislation and Law No. 6112 | The 24 broadcasting principles, commercial communication, licensing, sanctions |
| TRT Legislation and Law No. 2954 | Broadcasting principles, the right of reply, liability, the levy |
| Harmful Publications and the Protection of Children in Turkey | Law No. 1117, the Board, the stamp, sale in envelopes, reporting on children |
| Copyright, Data Protection and Access to Information in Turkish News | Quotation, attribution, reader data and access to information |
| The Turkish Media Ancillary Legislation Map | Legal deposit, printing houses, elections, service, the levy, transmission, advertising |
| The Turkish Directorate of Communications: Organisation and Powers | Presidential Decree No. 14, the service units, 19 regional directorates, CIMER |
| Working as a Foreign Journalist in Turkey | Work permits, residence, card types, the letter of introduction, customs |
| The Right to Publish Official Announcements in Turkey | The waiting period, the staff, content, sales, traffic, indicators and the quota |
| The Press Advertisement Agency and Official Announcements in Turkey | The Agency’s organisation, the definition of an official announcement, the tariff, private announcements, principle decisions |
| Professions in the Turkish Press and Media: 90 Titles | Nine title lists, the 17 news fields and the press card quotas |
| The Turkish Press Card Guide | Application, conditions, quota, types of card and the cases of cancellation |
| The Employment Rights of Journalists in Turkey | Law No. 5953: the contract, pay, seniority, overtime, termination |