Minority publications to get govt help to stay afloat

Seeking to help amid their financial woes, the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government has decided to lend support to newspapers and weeklies published by minority groups in Turkey, according to Mehmet Atalay, head of the Prime Ministry's Press Advertising Agency. Atalay plans to meet with officials from the six newspapers in question – Greek dailies Apoyevmatini and lho, Armenian dailies Nor Marmara and Jamanak, Armenian weekly Agos, and Jewish weekly Salom – next week to discuss their problems. "We have launched efforts to allow (these) publications to receive state aid," Atalay told reporters over the weekend. "We will either amend the existing regulations or pass new ones." Atalay said the meeting will help the government to decide how to extend financial aid. "We will listen to officials of the minority publications and develop a roadmap," he added. "They will tell us about their problems and needs. We will also exchange views about a financial aid plan for the publications and share our opinions about effective journalism."