Today in History – 15 May

Akis goes into circulation

Edited by Metin Toker in a format that resembled weekly political journals published in the West, Akis went into circulation on May 15, 1954. Released uninterruptedly until December 31, 1967, the journal constituted the first example of weekly news-politics magazines in Turkey.

Initially pursuing a neutral editorial policy, Akis was faced with pressure from DP as it increasingly leaned towards the political line of CHP. Metin Toker was frequently brought to court due to his harsh criticism of the ruling party. In 1955, he was sentenced to 8 months and 10 days in prison for allegedly insulting Minister of State Mükerrem Sarol and was once again sentenced to a year in prison in 1958. The journal was investigated and withdrawn from the market countless times. Having been shut down for three months in 1958 and one month in 1959, the activities of Akis were once again suspended by the Investigation Council on April 27, 1960. The most interesting aspect of the suspension was that the said Council even prohibited the “announcement of the decision to close the journal.”

Published again after the coup d’état of May 27, Akis saw considerable increase in circulation. The editorial board included Metin Toker, Cüneyt Arcayürek, Kurtul Altu?, and Süleyman Ege. Among its writers were leading names such as Mümtaz Soysal, Doğan Avcıoğlu, and İlhami Soysal.