European University of Lefke Department of New Media and Journalism and Department of Public Relations and Advertising organized a conference themed “The History of Turkish Cypriot Press”. Journalist and former presidential spokesperson Hasan Erçika attended the conference and made a presentation on “The History of Turkish Cypriot Press”.

Erçika explained the development of Turkish Cypriot press and the combatant structure of the Turkish Cypriot Press in the conference which attracted intense participation of the students of Faculty of Communication.

Pointing out that the first Newspaper of the Turkish Cypriot society emerged with the purpose of reaction to the Greek Society, Erçakıca emphasized the historical development and struggle of the Turkish Cypriot newspapers and touched upon the role and problems in the current structure of society.

Erçakıca pointed out that the idea of journalism and the publication of the first newspaper among the Turkish Cypriots was Zaman (if we exclude Saaded) raised by the means of the Ottoman Publication house, which was established as a reaction to the Kipriyagos Silogos Publication House established by the Greeks to ensure the political unity of the Greek community and added that this publication house of Turkish Cypriots aimed to ensure the political union among Turkish Cypriots. He further stated that the journalism among Turkish Cypriots have emerged as a reactional journalism.

Pointing out that the Turkish Cypriot press evolved and emerged as a reaction to the Greek Cypriot demands for Enosis and its efforts to disseminate these demands through the press, Erçakıca said that this understanding continued until the 1974 Peace Operation and from this date Turkish Cypriot press’s ’party journalism’ has become widespread.

Erçakıca pointed out that the Turkish Cypriots saw journalism as a political act, and over time the Turkish Cypriot press has become a tool in the struggle for leadership and added that the first examples of this are Halkın Sesi newspaper which was Dr. Fazıl Küçük’s and İstiklal newspaper which was Necati Özkan’s.

Erçakıca also touched upon the concept of Media Literacy and said that “in order to have a well-functioning democracy today, it is very important to recognize the media and to read it correctly”.

At the end of the conference, Erçakıca answered the questions of the students and Head of Department of New Media and Journalism Assoc. Prof. Dr. Asude Tunca presented a certificate of appreciation to Erçakıca.