IN 2017, imported paper per tonnage was 750 euros but that increased to 900 euros in 2018, and publishers’ costs have spiralled 60 percent.

While many magazines are taking a break, many newspapers have also scaled back. Seven newspapers in Izmir have decided not to go out on Sundays.

Newspaper and book publishers who import paper in Turkey are trying to stay afloat due to the high exchange rate.

Cost increases, such as 60 percent in imported inputs such as paper, paint, and glue, cause some magazines to pause, while newspapers either raise or reduce page numbers.

The rise in currencies can not be curbed, and if the high VATs of 18 percent of publishers cannot be pulled down, many newspapers and magazines will put an end to publishing, and the books will not be published.

The World newspaper, which is working to resist the increase in costs, had to increase its price from 3.75 TL to 4.25 last month while the Cumhuriyet newspaper had to increase to 50.0 kuruş to 2.50 TL.

Turkey Publishers Association President Kenan Kocatürk, said books may need to be hiked at least 30 percent.

According to Haluk Hepkon, owner of Red Cat Publishers, the actual heavy blow that the increase in the exchange rate will create in costs will be experienced in November 2018 when the new season in the book season will start.

Beginning from September, the paper will start to be bought and printed, Hepkon said, “We cannot find paper.  Turkey is destined to become a cultural desert, “ he said.

Black Book Owner Vahit Uysal also cautioned that the increase in foreign exchange had doubled the book copyrights taken from abroad.

Uysal, “Consider a $ 1000 copyright agreement for a 100-page book. At the time of the settlement, the dollar was 3.5 TL, but until the payment of the wire, it went up to 6.5 TL. So the costs went up 2 times. Small and medium-sized publishers will have to remove workers to cut costs, “ he said.

Seven local media outlets in İzmir, who could not bear the increase in their costs anymore, decided not to publish newspapers on Sundays. New Perspective, Aegean Telegraph, Dokuz Eylül, Haber Ekspres, İlkses, Ticaret and Yenigün have chosen not to publish a newspaper for 4 days a month in order to get rid of the financial burden.