Turkey’s Century-old Official Gazette Switches to Digital due to Rise in Paper Prices

Turkey’s official gazette has been shut down after being published for 98 years because of increasing paper prices. The outlet will be switching to online publishing, as the currency crisis continues to plague the country, the Sozcu daily reported on Tuesday.

The official gazette has become the latest example of various publications closed in the face of a recent hike in paper prices.

The paper was used for the purpose of publishing laws, directives and other legislation passed by the parliament, the president or the prime minister. Its circulation went from 8,000 down to around 2,000 in recent months.

The state-owned publishing house operating under the Prime Minister’s Office that was in charge of publication of the official gazette was reportedly abolished last month via a government decree.

Sozcu reported that 130 employees of the outlet were officially notified on September 14 that it was the last day at their job. The personnel were rehired for other public servant positions.

The newspaper was founded on October 7, 1920, and published its first issue on February 7, 1921.

Political satire magazine Uykusuz recently announced a price rise, while two national daily newspapers, Sozcu and Vatan, decided to halt their weekend supplements due to paper expenses.

Turkey’s economy was dealt a serious blow in early August when U.S. President Donald J. Trump doubled tariffs on aluminum and steel imports from Turkey. Turkish lira sank further against U.S. dollar and hit 6.43.