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Zaman (Newspaper)

Zaman was a daily newspaper in Turkey that played a significant role in the country's media landscape before its government seizure on March 4, 2016. At the time of its closure, the newspaper had a circulation of approximately 650,000 copies as of February 2016.

The newspaper was first published in 1986 by Fehmi Protect and began broadcasting from Ankara on November 3, 1986. Initially, it served as an Islamic voice in Ulus Windy Han, but later came under the control of Fethullah Gülen's Cemaati movement in 1987. The paper moved to its new building in Istanbul's Yenibosna district in September 2005.

Zaman was printed and distributed in numerous countries across 11 languages and two different alphabets. It became one of Turkey's most visited newspapers, with an average daily readership of over 630,000 copies by 2012. However, the newspaper experienced a significant decline in reading rates since 2013.

The publication staff included notable figures such as Ekrem Dumanlı, Şahin Alpay, Ali Bulaç, and Mümtaz'er Türköne. The editorial team consisted of Deputy General Director of Publication Mehmet Kamış, General Broadcast Editors Veysel Ayhan, Ali Akkuş, Visual Director Fevzi Yazıcı, News Manager Fatih Uğur, Ankara Broadcast Representative Mustafa Ünal, Culture Art Editor Ali Çolak, and Social Media Editor Salih Sarıkaya.

History

Zaman's history is closely tied to the rise of Fethullah Gülen's Cemaati movement in Turkey. The newspaper was initially published by Fehmi Protect but later came under the control of Gülen's organization after a series of events involving employee dismissals and changes in management. In 2016, the government seized the newspaper due to its perceived ties with Gülen, who is currently imprisoned in Turkey on espionage charges.

The seizure of Zaman was part of a broader crackdown on Gülen's network by the Turkish government. The move was seen as an attempt to silence opposition voices and consolidate power under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Despite this, the newspaper continued to operate until its closure on March 4, 2016, when it was replaced with a new publication called Zaman Zamani.

Circulation and Distribution

At its peak, Zaman had a circulation of approximately