14 April 2004… That unforgettable day we set out, creating a rare example in press history. From that very first day until now, we did not arrive here with the backing of the government, corrupt centres of power, or capital groups; we arrived solely and exclusively through the solidarity of honourable people.

Political and economic blockades, never-ending judicial proceedings, operations to silence and intimidate… For us, every new day begins with a challenge against the ruling authorities and continues as such. Yes, our path is arduous, our burden is heavy, and our responsibility is immense.

When we set out, we knew very well that our job would not be easy. It fell to us to practise journalism during one of Turkey’s darkest periods. Today, while an oppressive mindset besieges the country from top to bottom, journalists are also severely battered. Faced with this blockade, real journalists resist to keep journalism alive. At the cost of being targeted, threatened, and even imprisoned… In this atmosphere, BirGün did not merely continue its operations as a media outlet, but also transformed into a ‘trench of resistance’.

Our compass has not changed since day one. Our editorial voice has always been determined by the reality of the public and the public interest.

Against the Palace and one-man rules, we said “democracy”,

We said “freedom and secularism”, defending the light of enlightenment.

We said “peace, equality, and justice”, becoming the voice of everyone subjected to injustice.

We said “labour”; we shared the struggle of the miner, the farmer in the field, and the worker in the factory.

We stood by the oppressed and the exploited. We extended our microphone to the rebellion of young people whose futures are under threat of being stolen, and to the cries of women resisting for their lives.

Against unearned rent, plunder, and the exploitation of nature, we said “land”, we said “air”, we said “water”…

In short, wherever the country’s interest lay, that is where we stood.

If we have managed to survive this relentless siege, we owe it to the unwavering solidarity of our readers.

BirGün did not come into existence through the billion-lira advertising budgets of conglomerates, but through the support given by thousands of people saving from their limited incomes, subscriptions made by students using the last allowance in their pockets, and the sacrifices of newspaper workers. Yes, in this context, BirGün is a story of resistance, and at the same time, a success story in terms of journalism.

BirGün did not only resist; it also dispersed the dense smokescreen that the government, with its massive media apparatus and partisan writers, attempted to cast over the truth, through its reporting.

They covered it up, we uncovered it. They clung to lies, we shouted the truth. Their numbers, money, and screens were greater than ours; but they fled, and we pursued! We exposed unearned gains and the hands reaching into the public’s pockets.

We fought this battle within the conditions of the day, inside a changing and diversifying media landscape. We progressed by adding internet journalism and digital broadcasting to our journey, which began with the scent of the printing press.

BirGün is now an influential media institution that lives 24 hours uninterrupted, reaching millions of readers, viewers, and followers… We did not achieve this alone; we accomplished it together, uniting around that “magical” and revolutionary act we call “SOLIDARITY”.

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We emphasise this heavily once more: We are free because we have no bosses. We are brave because we do not have a proprietor’s public tender calculations behind us. We are fearless because our readers, who bring this newspaper into existence, believe in the power of truth and thirst for justice.

That is why BirGün is embraced not merely as a newspaper, but as one of the strongholds of the public’s right to information and the freedom to touch the truth.

These dark days will end. We will witness together the days when a true democracy, equality, peace, and freedom reign in these ancient lands. And until those bright days arrive, we will not stop for a single moment, we will not take a single step back, we will never surrender. Together, shoulder to shoulder, we will overcome every hardship, every obstacle.

Therefore, our call is solely to you, to the beautiful-hearted people of this country…

Continue to stand by us on this journey, where despite countless hardships, we have never given up speaking the truth without twisting it. Show the power of solidarity and collective will against those who wish to silence the voice of truth and plunge the country entirely into darkness.

Protect BirGün,

Subscribe to BirGün, amplify the truth.

If there is BirGün, you have the news!

Kaynak: BirGün