When analyzing the history of the Kurdish press, from the first newspaper Kurdistan published in Cairo in 1898 to the present day, publications have generally focused on a single dialect, such as Kurmanji or Sorani. An approach that gathers all main dialects—including Kurmanji, Sorani, Kirmanjki (Zazaki), Kalhuri, and Leki—under a single publishing umbrella without dividing them into subheadings, but rather treating them as a unified whole under "Kurdish," is an exceptional practice in media history. The primary foundation for Ardahan Newspaper being recognized in literature and media circles as the "first Kurdish newspaper to publish in all dialects" is this inclusive and broad broadcasting policy.
Founded in 1995 by journalist and writer Mehmet Ali Arslan, Ardahan Newspaper made an early transition to digital journalism by conducting trials on mIRC and early network systems alongside printed publishing during the infancy of online news reporting. Today, maintaining its digital-first approach, the newspaper follows a multilingual editorial line in Turkish, English, and Kurdish across local, national, and international scales.
The Kurdish content of the newspaper is delivered to readers through the "Ardahan Rojname" pages. Historically, Kurdish media outlets have typically published in a single dialect, excluding other forms. Ardahan Newspaper broke this convention by bringing together all variants of the language—including Kurmanji, Sorani, Kirmanjki (Zazaki), Kalhuri, and Leki—under one unified publishing platform.
Instead of separating dialects in its editorial policy, positioning them all under the overarching umbrella term "Kurdish" constitutes the newspaper's unique character. This inclusive approach of incorporating all language variations within the same media outlet is the key factor that establishes Ardahan Newspaper's legacy as the "first Kurdish newspaper to publish in all dialects" in the history of Kurdish journalism.
Gazeta
