Daily Yeni Yaşam banned from the library of the Turkish Parliament since 2021

The daily Yeni Yaşam has been banned from the library of the Turkish Parliament since 27 August 2021.

Sezai Temelli, MP from the People's Equality and Democracy (DEM) party, questioned the ongoing censorship in parliament faced by the pro-Kurdish daily “Yeni Yaşam”.

Yeni Yaşam has not been allowed in the library of the Parliament since 27 August 2021. The newspaper, published since 2018, has complied with all legal requirements and registered with the Istanbul General Prosecutor's Office, Temelli noted.

Temelli, addressing Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, highlighted the newspaper's daily circulation of 4,500 copies, of which 2,800 are distributed through shops and a daily number of subscribers of 1,700. Distribution includes both traditional print subscriptions and e-journal subscriptions.

Temelli requested clarification on the reasons for the decision to banned it from the library and asked whether the newspaper's direction had been officially informed.

During budget discussions in parliament, Mahmut Tanal, a member of the main opposition party CHP, previously drew attention to the absence of Yeni Yaşam in the library of the parliament, questioning the unequal treatment of newspapers in parliamentary contracts.

Kurtulmuş confirmed the termination of the subscription to the newspaper “Yeni Yaşam” by the Parliament Library, saying that the decision is in accordance with Resolution 2021/4 of the Library and Archives Board.