With a roster of seasoned columnists offering nuanced and balanced perspectives on pivotal causes plaguing Muslims worldwide, Yeni Şafak, or New Dawn in English, has emerged as one of the leading conservative newspapers in the new millennium.
After receiving wide circulation in Turkey following its founding in 1994, the newspaper branched out online, publishing Turkey- and Muslim-centric news in Arabic, English, and Turkish, carving out a large platform for its broad readership in Asia, especially the subcontinent, Europe and the U.S.
Yet, Yeni Şafak’s path to prominence wasn’t exactly paved with roses, as the newspaper's Istanbul headquarters was raided by security forces on January 5, 2002. Yeni Şafak pressed on and continued to speak truth to power by championing Muslim causes through its diverse set of columns and articles that took up the persecution of Muslims and mosque attacks in the West and Asia, such as the ethnic cleansing in Myanmar, the rise of racist and Islamophobic far-right parties in Europe and the discrimination faced by Muslims in India, France and the Netherlands, to name just a few.
With its slogan, “Turkey’s accumulation,” paying homage to a slew of civilizations and the country’s rich history, the header of the 16-page issue published on January 23, 1995, read: "Turkey's future is bright," serving as a prophecy of sorts as it foresaw the arrival of Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, which would go on to transform the country’s political scene forever and enact much-needed reforms that put Turkey on the path towards prosperity and growth.
Unabashedly conservative, Yeni Şafak quickly recognized the opportunities afforded by social media platforms, giving Muslims worldwide a platform where they feel that causes of importance take center stage without sugar-coating the harsh reality so many find themselves enmeshed in across the globe.
