Duygu Newspaper

Duygu Gazetesi, at its time of initial publication under the name Duygu Gazetesi in Çankırı, is a local newspaper published in Çankırı during the Republican era. Starting with issue number 202 dated 20 October 1934, it continued its publication solely under the name Duygu.

Founding and Publication Period

The newspaper began publication on 9 October 1930 and continued until 19 November 1938, when it issued its 404th and final issue, publishing for a total of eight years. It was founded by Ahmet Talat Onay, known as a poet, writer and literary researcher, who also served as its owner and chief editor. It has been noted that Ahmet Talat Onay previously served as chief editor of another newspaper named "Duygu," published in İzmir, which advocated Turkish theses. Initially published once a week on Thursdays, the newspaper began appearing also on Saturdays starting with its fourth issue. It was printed in four-page format at the Çankırı Provincial Press.

Content and Publication Policy

The newspaper featured local, national and international news, advertisements, announcements and public service messages. It frequently provided its readers with content related to Çankırı, including sections on urban history, city folklore, culture, art and history. Short stories and novel serials, poems and opinion columns were also included. Writings and poems by renowned literary figures such as Faruk Nafiz, Yahya Kemal and Behçet Kemal Çağlar were published in the paper. It functioned almost as a school to promote the adoption of the era’s reforms in Çankırı. It followed a publication policy aligned with the newly established institutions and became a proponent of the new worldview and way of life introduced by the reforms.

Political Stance

During the organizational phase of the Free Republican Party (FRP), the newspaper adopted a publication policy supportive of the ruling Republican People’s Party (RPP). Its news reports and commentaries displayed a critical stance toward the FRP, publishing various claims regarding the ethnic identities of FRP candidates and the composition of its base. In reports concerning the closure of the FRP, sarcastic and ironic expressions were evident in cited statements.

Cessation of Publication

The newspaper’s publication ended due to difficulties including disputes between Ahmet Talat Onay and the then-governor Hüsnü Uzgören, as well as the refusal of authorities to grant requests such as permission to publish special issues or to change the publication day. On 17 December 1938, A. Talat Onay explained the reasons for closing the newspaper in a letter sent to the General Secretariat of the RPP.