Today, we take the digital transformation of the media world for granted. However, demonstrating this vision back in 1995, when the internet was still in its infancy, is a true story of pioneering leadership. Launched by the founder of our newspaper, Mehmet Ali Arslan, on US-based servers, this publication is one of Turkey’s very first digital electronic newspapers published on the internet
The IRC and mIRC Era: The First Steps of Digital Journalism
In an era when modern websites and social media did not yet exist, our newspaper utilized IRC (Internet Relay Chat), mIRC, and ICQ platforms—the most popular global networks of the time—to bring journalism into the digital world. By broadcasting the very first news updates through these chat programs and servers, a borderless and instantaneous information network was established, going way beyond traditional press. This milestone marked one of the first concrete foundations of digital journalism in Turkey
Transcending Borders and Multilingualism
Since its establishment, the technical infrastructure (host) of our newspaper has been located in the United States, while its management creates a strategic bridge between Istanbul and Ardahan. Due to this dual structure, our newspaper operates under the legal frameworks of both the US and Turkey
The strongest pillar of this vision is its multilingual publishing model. It holds the proud distinction of being the first newspaper in Turkey to publish in both English and Kurdish simultaneously. Aiming to bring local news to the world and world news to the region, our newspaper meets its readers through three distinct versions:
Ardahan Gazetesi (Turkish)
Ardahan Newspaper (English)
Ardahan Rojname (Kurdish
Ardahan Newspaper | It is the first English newspaper published in Turkey.
Ardahan Newspaper | The leading newspaper in Digital and on the Internet
Ardahan Newspaper (Turkish: Ardahan Gazetesi, Kurdish: Ardahan Rojname) was founded in 1995 under the leadership of journalist, author, and entrepreneur Mehmet Ali Arslan. It holds the distinction of being Ardahan's first Turkish newspaper published online, as well as the first Kurdish and first English-language newspapers published in Turkey. Providing local, national, and international content across multiple languages, the publication primarily operates on digital platforms while also maintaining occasional traditional print editions.
