Last Post Newspaper

Son Posta is a Turkish newspaper that began publication on 27 July 1930. Its founders include M. Zekeriya Sertel, Selim Ragıp Emeç, Ekrem Uşaklıgil and Halil Lütfü Dördüncü. It operated from three rooms in the former building of Tasvir-i Efkâr in Istanbul. When it first appeared, Son Posta was an eight-page newspaper priced at five kuruş. It continued publication until 26 November 1962.

Founders and Political Positions

The four founders of Son Posta held differing political views, but they shared the common background of having been associated with the Committee of Union and Progress. Examining the newspaper’s founding purpose and its social and political framework is essential to understanding its place in the press landscape.

M. Zekeriya Sertel: The most experienced among the founders, he shaped the newspaper’s editorial policy during its early years. His defining characteristics were his socialist identity and oppositional stance. He began his journalism career while a student at the Faculty of Law, writing for Rumeli, the publication of the Committee of Union and Progress, and later received education in the United States. He was closely friends with Nazım Hikmet.

Selim Ragıp Emeç: A more liberal figure, he occasionally influenced the newspaper’s editorial direction but generally remained in the background during its founding years. After Sertel’s departure, he became the primary architect of the paper’s editorial policy. He began journalism after the First World War at Vakit and Tercüman. As Director of Editorial Affairs, he dominated the newspaper, particularly writing on foreign policy and politics. He had previously worked in journalism with Hakkı Tarık Us.

Ekrem Uşaklıgil: Like Selim Ragıp Emeç, he belonged to the liberal current. He did not significantly interfere with the newspaper’s editorial policy except for his editorials during the Second World War. He entered journalism through his uncle, Halit Ziya Uşaklıgil. He worked at Vakit and published the newspaper Son Saat.

Halil Lütfü Dördüncü: Known for his administrative competence in the Sublime Porte, Dördüncü primarily handled the newspaper’s financial and technical operations. He began his journalism career as a correspondent for the Chamber of Notables and the Chamber of Deputies at Tanin.

Editorial Policy and Competition

Son Posta launched its publication with an ambitious stance against its competitors. At the time of its founding, major newspapers such as Cumhuriyet, Akşam, Ulus and Vakit were already in circulation. Halil Lütfü Dördüncü noted the remarks of Akşam’s management, who said, “They will spend all their money, what a waste,” and emphasized that Son Posta worked hard to succeed. Published in the evenings, Son Posta entered fierce competition with its rival Akşam. To this end, Ekrem Uşaklıgil scanned morning newspapers to compile important news, while Halil Lütfü Dördüncü managed financial affairs and established a network of agents and correspondents across Anatolia, strengthening the news gathering system. As a result, despite its evening publication, Son Posta surpassed morning newspapers in sales and became the best-selling Istanbul newspaper in Anatolia. For this reason, Halil Lütfü Dördüncü described his newspaper as “a morning paper for the provinces, an evening paper for Istanbul.” Another reason for the newspaper’s success was seen to be Sertel’s journalistic experience gained in the United States.

Oppositional Stance and Early Years

In its very first issue, Zekeriya Sertel articulated his oppositional stance in an article titled “We Are Drowning, We Need Some Air.” In this piece, Sertel equated the words “We are drowning, we need air” uttered by a sinking submarine with Turkey’s conditions, asserting that the press was suffocating and needed oxygen. He described public interest in the newspaper as “a longing for truth.”

Son Posta became the second newspaper to oppose the government after Arif Oruç’s Yarın, attracting widespread attention. Its editorial policy was shaped by public reactions against the pro-government news approach. Consequently, its logo was defined as “Son Posta is the people’s eye, Son Posta is the people’s ear, Son Posta is the people’s tongue.” This emblem was also used to emphasize the newspaper’s political and economic independence.

The newspaper supported the Free Republican Party, established as a rival to the Republican People’s Party. Zekeriya Sertel strongly criticized the single-party regime and enthusiastically welcomed the founding of the Free Republican Party. However, he avoided blind party loyalty. Interviews were conducted with Fethi Okyar, and the party’s program was published. Son Posta defended democracy and multi-party politics, and after learning of the Free Republican Party’s formation, it published articles advocating the establishment of a third party representing workers and peasants.

One of the key issues the newspaper focused on was statism. It advocated that statism should be implemented not for profit but as a service to the people and a means to aid national development. It criticized state support for private capital and private enterprise. In fact, it launched a campaign against the first private sugar factory established in Kırklareli, Alpullu. According to the newspaper, this factory was selling sugar imported at 36 kuruş for 70 kuruş, and the state was turning a blind eye. Disturbed by these publications, the factory owner Hayri İpar sued the article’s author Zekeriya Sertel and the responsible editor Selim Ragıp Emeç, accusing them of damaging his commercial reputation and undermining his honor and dignity. In the final verdict, both were sentenced to three years in prison and sent to Sultan Ahmet Prison. Zekeriya Sertel was later released after one and a half years under a general amnesty.

After Sertel’s imprisonment, a disagreement arose between him and his partners Ekrem Uşaklıgil and Selim Ragıp Emeç over editorial policy. It was noted that Emeç and Uşaklıgil disapproved of Sertel’s anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist views. As a result, Halil Lütfü Dördüncü and Zekeriya Sertel withdrew their capital and left the partnership. These two individuals, along with Ahmet Emin Yalman, began publishing the newspaper Tan in 1934. Son Posta continued its publication after Sertel’s departure, maintaining its existing page layout and news diversity. The number of pages was increased to twelve, and at times reached sixteen.

The content and structure of Son Posta (General and Post-Sertel): Although the technical appearance and themes of Son Posta changed over time, it maintained a consistent structure. The first page featured the daily column “Her Gün” written by Zekeriya Sertel under the signature “M. Zekeriya,” along with news items. The second page included Orhan Ural’s famous cartoon series “Pazar Ola Hasan Bey,” internal news, and the column “Halkın Sesi,” which addressed everyday public concerns. The following page contained short articles under the title “İster İnan, İster İnanma,” the column “Bugünün Meselesi,” which occasionally assessed the day’s major events, the “Resimli Makale” column, news articles initially unsigned and later signed by Peyami Safa, the “Dedikodu” column offering criticism of newspapers and the government, and the continuation of Sertel’s editorial. The fourth page featured regional news along with music, sports and cinema reports. The fifth page included articles on women and love under the signature “Hanım Teyze,” wise sayings, a free classifieds section, foreign news and serialized novels. The sixth page was dedicated to narrative articles on current topics, puzzles and a children’s column. The seventh page contained health news on accidents and murders, along with advertisements. The eighth and final page featured classified advertisements.

The Second World War Period

Son Posta was affected by the economic hardships and particularly the paper shortages brought by the Second World War. During the war years, the newspaper was printed in eight pages and sold for five kuruş. At times, the page count dropped to four, reducing the news content. After the war, it returned to normal operations. The first page gave considerable space to international news. Domestic news items were presented in bold red and black letters to attract attention.

On the second page, under the heading “Dâhili Haberler” (Domestic News), important national events were covered. During the first year of the war in 1939 and in the final years, the column “Her Gün” featured articles signed by Ekrem Uşaklıgil, Selim Ragıp Emeç and Muhittin Birgen. The column “Edebiyat Köşesi” by Halit Fahri Ozansoy appeared intermittently.

During the war, serialized novels published by the newspaper carried the signatures of prominent writers such as Halit Ziya Uşaklıgil, Reşat Ekrem Koçu, Muazzez Tahsin Berkant and Zeynel Besim Sun. Additionally, “Resimli Hikâye” and Orhan Ural’s cartoons appeared on the second page.

On the third page, Selim Ragıp Emeç’s column “Siyaset Âlemi” generally covered global events and certain international issues, with domestic matters rarely addressed. Some article titles from this column included “Is Japan Heading Toward Fascism?”, “America’s Final Message: An Ultimatum to Italy” and “Who and Why Is Italy Provoking in Africa?”

During this period, the fourth page was dedicated to the column “Memleket Haberleri” (Regional News), providing important reports from various parts of the country. On the same page, readers’ health-related questions were answered in the column “Ev Doktoru” (Home Doctor).

On the fifth page, the column “Harici Telgraflar” (Foreign Telegrams) carried news about events in foreign countries. The column “Hadiseler Karşısında” by İsmet Hulusi, which recorded daily events, and the column “Gönül İşleri” under the signature “Teyze” also appeared on this page. The sixth page generally featured entertainment news, puzzles, poetry, advertisements and announcements.

The seventh page included the column “Tarihten Sayfalar” by Kadircan Kaflı and İsmet Hulusi’s column “Tiyatro” (Theater). The majority of the eighth page was devoted to advertisements. This page also featured serialized novels, short stories, essays and continuations of articles that had been left incomplete on earlier pages. Additionally, writings by Falih Rıfkı Atay, Ercüment Ekrem Talu and Nusret Safa Coşkun, along with translations by Hüseyin Cahit Yalçın, appeared in Son Posta.

During the early years of the Second World War, Son Posta followed an anti-war editorial policy. Editorials written by Selim Ragıp Emeç, Ekrem Uşaklıgil and occasionally Feridun Osman Menteşeoğlu addressed the harms and problems that war would bring. Retired General Hüseyin Hüsnü Emir Erkilet also wrote numerous articles on the Second World War for the newspaper. Selim Ragıp Emeç did not merely describe the general situation of the war; he used his knowledge of foreign languages to interpret news from foreign press sources and present them to readers. The newspaper’s editorial stance on the war aligned with the state’s prescribed policy. It naturally accepted the laws enacted due to the war situation and prioritized national interests.

Post-War Period and the Democrat Party

Following the Second World War, due to developments in domestic and foreign policy, Son Posta adopted a cautious editorial policy. According to Ekrem Uşaklıgil, Selim Ragıp Emeç, who played a dominant role in the newspaper’s editorial direction, adopted a pro-Western stance in foreign policy after the war and wrote harsh articles against the Soviet Union. It became one of the newspapers opposed to communism.

During the war, Son Posta did not publish news critical of the government, and it continued this approach for some time after the war. Unlike Tan and Yeni Sabah, which increased their critical reporting on the government after the war’s end, Son Posta did not publish anti-government news except for occasional columns and minor reports. However, with the founding of the Democrat Party in 1946, Son Posta’s stance changed. The newspaper increasingly devoted space to news about the new party, publishing articles that highlighted the Democrat Party, especially as the 1946 elections approached.

Between 1946 and 1950, it published articles supporting the Democrat Party. This shift was influenced by Selim Ragıp Emeç’s entry into politics. Emeç ran as a candidate for the Democrat Party in the 1950 elections and served as a Member of Parliament for Bursa in the ninth and tenth terms, and for İzmir in the 1957 elections. During this period, the newspaper’s editorial policy acquired a political identity aligned with the Democrat Party.

The 27 May 1960 Coup and Closure

Over time, the Democrat Party altered the moderate political atmosphere. By the late 1950s, growing discontent was most evident within the military. On the morning of 27 May 1960, the military seized control of Turkey’s governance, as announced by Colonel Alpaslan Türkeş over the radio. Son Posta informed its readers of the news with the headline “National Unity Committee Established, Preparation of a New Constitution Begins.”

During this period, Selim Ragıp Emeç was arrested and sentenced to four years and two months in prison. During this time, his son Çetin Emeç took over the management of the newspaper. Çetin Emeç recounted visiting his father in Yassıada and described being shaken by the scenes he witnessed. After Selim Ragıp Emeç’s release in 1961, the newspaper returned to his management. In 1962, the writing staff was renewed; prominent writers and journalists including Necip Fazıl Kısakürek, Orhan Apaydın, Faruk Nafiz Çamlıbel, Valâ Nurettin, Orhan Kemal and Cezmi Türk joined Son Posta.

However, alongside the spiritual pressures following the coup, financial problems also emerged. With official announcements and advertisements cut off due to political pressure, Son Posta fell into a difficult situation and ultimately closed in November 1962. The final issue, dated 26 November 1962, contained no article announcing its closure.