#dokuz8/Burak Kaya

Results of the “Research on 10-Year Gender Equality Report of Effie Award Winning Turkish Television Commercials”, where the Association of Advertisers and Bahçeşehir University collaborated to review 489 Effie awarded commercials between 2007-2018, have been published. According to the results, Turkish TV commercials do not pass the gender equality test; the number of male main characters double the number of female main characters.

INEQUALITY IN GENDER DISTRIBUTION OF MAIN CHARACTERS IS ALSO OBSERVED IN PRODUCT CATEGORIES

With female characters constituting only 35 percent of television commercials, women are almost never represented in electronics, automotive, telecommunication and finance industries. Automotive and finance commercials feature male characters at 83 percent and 94 percent, respectively. Female characters are more common in industries such as cleaning, care and cosmetics; 94 percent of cleaning commercials and 63 percent of cosmetics commercials feature female characters.

GRAPH 1 Research on 10-Year Gender Equality Report of Effie Award Winning Turkish Television Commercials October 2018 The purpose of this research is to present the forms of representation of gender roles on winning TV commercials in 9 Effie Awards held between 2007-2018, and the shift in such representations during the decade. Research Abstract Researchers Dr. Gül Şener & Dr. Eda Öztürk (Coordinators), Dr. Önder Yönet & Dr. Hande Bilsel (Supervisor), BAU Department of Advertising Faculty Members / Research Data Range: 2007-2018 / Total number of TV commercials under analysis: 489 / TV commercials with main characters: 369 / TV commercials with voiceovers: 403  

“COMMERCIALS DO NOT REFLECT THE DIVERSITY IN DAILY LIFE”

Research co-coordinator Dr. Eda Öztürk, Bahçeşehir University Faculty Member, has stated the following by emphasizing that advertisements portray female and male representations from daily life which are similar to consumers since advertisement is a form of commercial communication: “The need to convey the message effectively within a limited time is the reason why the use of some stereotypes is rationalized. It should be noted here that the change in gender roles with respect to femininity and masculinity is not being represented enough in advertisements. Advertisements, which are said to reflect life and society, fall behind in reflecting the diversity in daily life.”

“OUR PURPOSE IS TO ENCOURAGE A MORE EQUAL AND PLURALIST GENDER REPRESENTATION”

Research co-coordinator Dr. Gül Şener, Bahçeşehir University Faculty Member, states the following by underlining the importance of equal and pluralist gender representations in advertisements: “One of the main objectives RVD Platform of Gender Equality in Advertising, where Bahçeşehir University is a stakeholder, is to determine the measurable performance criteria to ensure gender equality in advertising. One of the most significant elements of this transformation is certainly the mechanisms that generate principles. For instance, European Advertising Standards Alliance (EASA) is one of the corporate bodies which implement the control systems you mentioned. Also, the Advertising Self-Regulatory Board in Turkey (RÖK) is both represented at the board of EASA and is among the stakeholders of the platform. Therefore, there are plans for taking self-regulatory steps toward gender equality in advertising in Turkey as well in the near future. Some studies have already been initiated regarding the issue. Not only the industry, but the academy should also adopt a gender-equal perspective and prepare course contents accordingly. Individual efforts of academicians are certainly very valuable, but these efforts can only become permanent in a corporate structure.”

“IT WILL TAKE US A WHILE TO COME ACROSS ANY COMMERCIAL WHERE A MAN DOES THE IRONING”

With her vast experience as copywriter/creative director at world’s leading global advertising agencies for many years and as a Faculty Member at Kadir Has University Faculty of Communication Advertising Department since 2009, Serpil Yıldız Özdemir highlights that advertisements are shifting and undergoing transformation like the society due to the rapidly increasing conservatism in Turkey and male and female roles becoming more sharply defined in time: “We will not be watching any man doing the ironing on a commercial at least in the near future. Most brands will avoid any oppositional or revolutionary positioning that will contradict with the society (target audience) because they need to profit to survive. They will not position themselves like non-governmental organizations which have social responsibilities. Even in social responsibility projects, companies will not ignore socially sensitive topics and the political atmosphere.”

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“BRANDS SHOULD TAKE RISK, BUT…”

Özdemir further states that brands should take risks, but this is not likely yet: “It is not that easy for brands which are stuck between economic crises, severe competition and technological innovations to steer the society and raise awareness. In the 90s, when I was an advertising junior, many brands would conduct much more meaningful projects in this regard. However, other than Filli Boya and several other brands, there is unfortunately no brand that will invest money, effort and time for such a mission today.”

89 PERCENT OF COMMERCIAL VOICEOVERS ARE MEN Female voiceovers are hardly used in commercials; 89 percent of voiceovers are men. Asst. Prof. Perrin Öğün Emre from Kadir Has University Faculty of Communication Department of Advertising says “Women are in a disadvantageous position from the Turkish Parliament, where the country is represented, to various private sector corporations. Men should stop speaking on behalf of women.” Emre also adds that discrimination is not only a problem in the sector, but a social and political issue as well. Research co-coordinator Öztürk, on the other hand, stresses that everyone, without exception, should take responsibility to ensure gender equality as advertising is a multi-stakeholder structure involving advertisers, advertising agencies, research companies, media companies, media and sector organizations. While answering our question on whether there is any positive change, Asst. Prof. Emre mentions the inspiring examples on a global basis: “Actually, there are considerable efforts. There is a worldwide trend among global brands to feature the success stories of noncelebrity women. Women object to traditional patterns by telling their stories themselves in the campaigns of brands like Nike and Dove. Besides, brands develop slogans such as #Girlscan #LikeAGirl movements that protest the policies implemented against women’s bodies. The stronger women become, the more they are able to raise their voice. By featuring real, confident, brave women who break taboos, brands engage in brand activism in some way. Brands gain value when they address such social issues in their communication strategies. For now, such actions are limited in number, yet they are quite valuable. Advertisements are also the instruments that lead to the reestablishment of existing patterns. The limits of the means of communication they employ draw the limits of their own world. Therefore, we should be careful about the construction of male identity. It should be the responsibility of not only the professional organizations, but all stakeholders on a macro and micro level to present a gender-equal division of labor and support the use of a language that will not reproduce universal acceptances that involve discrimination.”

NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE LAST DECADE

According to the research, there has not been any significant change in the advertising landscape in the last decade. In other words, while Turkey breaks world record with daily TV viewing time of 330 minutes, TV commercials are still far from contributing to gender equality.

“ADVERTISERS ACTUALLY DO NOT ACT IN BAD FAITH”

Companies that publish advertisements that do not display gender equality actually do not act in bad faith, says Dr. Aybike Serttaş, Faculty Member of İstinye University Department of Radio, TV and Cinema, and author of “Sexism on Television: An Analysis on Advertising Campaigns”: “Sexism has spread on all layers of the system regardless of age, education or profession. We are constantly bombarded with sexist codes both during interpersonal communications in daily life and various media products – TV series, commercials, TV shows, news – and, of course, movies. From proverbs to folk songs, from leading role of TV series to news presenters… we encounter examples of sexism in everyone and everywhere. All these data are transmitted to the perception of the individual who starts socializing starting from early ages and are later coded and converted into attitude and behaviors. This is what normalizes sexism.”  

“WE QUESTION ALL THESE ISSUES AT THE ACADEMY”

Mentioning that students are not only taught the technical and aesthetical aspects of media production, but also media criticism, Serttaş says that advertisements, news, TV series, TV shows and movies must be examined in detail and their ethical problems should be put under discussion. Serttaş adds: “All these efforts will certainly bear their fruits in the end. Because nothing can resist change.”

OTHER STRIKING RESULTS OF THE RESEARCH

• Women are portrayed as married two times more than men
• Women are portrayed as housewives in 33 percent of advertisements
• Although 31 percent of female main characters are portrayed as employed between 2016-2018, none of them are shown at the workplace
• Men are portrayed as authority figures on TV commercials at 26 percent

RESEARCH RESULTS ARE PARALLEL TO TURKEY’S POSITION IN THE WORLD

Turkey’s 10-year gender equality report as presented by advertisements is parallel to Turkey’s position in the world in equality between man and woman. According to the 2017 Global Gender Gap research of World Economic Forum covering 144 countries, Turkey ranks 131^st among 144 countries with respect to equality of opportunity for women.

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THESE RESULTS MAY ARISE FROM DOMESTIC BEHAVIOR ITSELF

On the other hand, the research on Gender and Woman Perception in Turkey conducted by the academicians of Kadir Has University in 2016 gives hints about how the roles we encounter on commercials have their roots in families, and even in our childhood.

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Asst. Prof. Perrin Öğün Emre from Kadir Has University Faculty of Communication Department of Advertising states that the portrayed roles received from mass communication media support the reconstruction of existing gender patterns: “As described by Gerbner in the Cultivation Theory on the basis of television, mass media may influence people’s perceptions as the new storyteller. Various contents such as news, advertisements, TV series, shows contribute to this storytelling. Designated male and female roles in messages are delivered to us by means of these contents. Also, the Research on Gender and Woman Perception in Turkey presents the roles of mother and father within family. While the woman plays the principal role in housekeeping, she also tries to keep up with childcare due to the insufficient support she receives from her spouse. However, men should consider their role as a requirement of division of labor in family rather than helping their spouses. Usually, men are defined with their success and power in work life, while women are portrayed with their affection and self-devotion. According to research data, girls younger than 15 are adapted to the role of ‘little mother’ as a result of the domestic responsibilities attributed to them, while boys are pushed out of the house, mobilize and are even allowed to work starting from early ages. Humans become subject to such gender constructs as soon as they are born. In a mindset where the concept of family is glorified with femininity, roles attributed to woman are worshipped and women’s principal role is identified with motherhood by means of conservative codes, it would not be quite realistic to expect the gap between genders to close soon. However, elimination of all these traditional obstacles and dominant social pressures that women face will be possible via equitable and transparent policies to be developed again by women.”

Translation: Nilay Iğdır

#dokuz8/ Ramazan Durak & Onur Metin According to the SEB data, 923,796 voters who were registered in the elections of June 24 will not be heading to the polls on March 31, 2019 due to various reasons including death, military service, conviction, restriction and expatriation. SEB data shows that 233,937 voters died since the elections of June 24. Besides, 375,107 voters whose addresses are no longer registered in the central civil registration system (MERNIS), and their names have been deleted from the voter lists. SEB also deleted voter registries on the basis of the following justifications: “205,630 voters due to military service; 43,278 voters due to conviction, 43,387 voters due to address being registered abroad; 1667 voters due to expatriation; 95 voters due to disappearance; 12 voters due to registration being closed after investigation of death; 495 voters due to invalid national ID numbers; and 10 voters due to becoming minors after correction of age.”

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NUMBER OF VOTERS: 1.13% INCREASE IN 7 MONTHS, 8.35% IN 5 YEARS

So, how was the overall change in the number of voters? According to available voter data by districts, published on January 4, today there are 57,093,976 voters in Turkey, compared to 56,322,626 in 2018 elections. This means that the number of voters has increased by 1.37% in 7 months. The number of registered voters in 2014 local elections was 52,695,832, which reveals an increase by 8.35% in 5 years.

DIVERSIONS: AREAS WHERE THE INCREASE WAS ABOVE AVERAGE

In which provinces were the average increase rates higher? Sifting through the shifts in voter numbers may help us identify the provinces and districts to be focused for potential irregularities in voter registration. Although the registration of electors has not been finalized for the elections on March 31, the movements observed so far may still give us some ideas. We start by looking at some changes in numbers from June 24, 2018 to January 4, 2019:

INTERACTIVE MAP OF THE INCREASE IN VOTER NUMBERS

The first and second maps below demonstrate that the number of electors has decreased by 10982 (-0.10%) since 2018 elections, but show sudden increases in several provinces. [infogram id="translate-24-haziran-4-ocak-secmen-farki-1h7g6k5zz8j06oy" prefix="UCP"] The third map reveals a high mobility of voters across districts of Central Anatolia and Black Sea regions. Tallying with the statements of numerous politicians, this map also indicates that the number of voters has increased by 95.74% in Orta district in Çankırı and by 90.41% in Çamlıdere district of Ankara, turning the two provinces into dark green on the color scale of the map. The other districts with an above-average increase in voter numbers are Mesudiye in Ordu and İkizdere in Rize.

INCREASE IN VOTER NUMBERS: DOES IT NECESSARILY MEAN A PREPARATION FOR FRAUD?

So, do the sudden increases in the number of electors in these and other districts in the last 7 months necessarily represent evidence of vote-rigging? It is important to keep in mind a few facts: People may prefer to live in different cities or districts in different seasons. Besides, the mobility of university students and seasonal agricultural workers may have an impact on the number of population and voters – of course, if they apply for re-registration after moving to another province or district. Therefore, a comparison of the voter data published on the eve of the local elections with the data of the local elections in 2014 may help us better understand these movements:

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PROVINCES WITH THE HIGHEST INCREASE RATE OF VOTER NUMBERS AND PROBABLE CAUSES

Among the above maps showing the changes in the number and percentage of voters in 5 years, the first one demonstrates that Southeast Anatolia region and Tekirdağ, Yalova, Kocaeli, Muğla, Antalya, Çankırı and Gümüşhane provinces are the regions with the highest rate of increase in voter numbers. These provinces include a few cities which are known to have a significant tourist population or high number of young people under the age of 18. However, the increase in two provinces does not tally with the overall picture: Çankırı and Gümüşhane, where the impact of seasonal population movements is minor. In the second map we see the increase and decrease in voter numbers by provinces. The data of the districts is also presented in the map detail. It is not surprising that the increase is higher in metropolitan municipalities with large populations. Although the increase of voter numbers by 551,680 in İstanbul may seem significant, it can be considered natural, considering the vast number of the total population of the city. The third map is of critical importance to verify the grounds for voiced concerns related to “increase in voter numbers”, since these concerns were based on a comparison of the numbers in June 2018 elections and the numbers published in January 2019. Indeed, this map clearly reveals if there is a mass migration other than seasonal movements.

DATA TO CLARIFY THE PICTURE: CHANGES IN VOTER NUMBERS IN DISTRICTS SINCE MARCH 2014

The last map above consolidates the changes in voter numbers by districts in percentage and shows the provinces, where the district which the highest rate of change is located, in darker colors. In this map, Ankara has been shown with the darkest color since the number of electors has increased by 114.1% in Çamlıdere district in this province in the last 5 years. An interesting finding in this map is that Orta district in Çankırı has seen the highest increase in voter numbers between June 2018 and January 2019 with 95.74%, but the increase in the last 5 years is 13.79%. This rate is slightly above the average increase in overall voter number in Turkey in the last 5 years, which was 8.35%. However, there are other districts with far more striking increase. For example, Çamlıdere, where the CHP deputies have cried foul, has seen an increase in the voter numbers by 90.41% in the last 7 years, while the increase in the last 5 years is as high as 114.1%. In other words, it may be suggested that a new population of voters has arrived in this district since June 2018. It is also worth noting that this population of voters came from other districts in the same city. According to the statement of CHP, 5,667 people who moved to Çamlıdere in the last 7 months were previously registered in Ankara’s central district. The districts that have seen a significant increase in voter numbers in the last 5 years include Karaköprü in Şanlıurfa, Ovacık in Karabük, Mesudiye in Ordu, Köse in Gümüşhane and Çukurca in Hakkari. The other districts with a seemingly ‘odd’ increase in the number of electors are presented in the list below. The districts where an inquiry is required are marked in dark red, red and yellow:

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Orta district in Çankırı and Çamlıdere in Ankara, which have been brought to public attention by CHP deputies, are placed at the top of this table.

HIGHEST MOBILITY IN ORTA DISTRICT!

Now we focus on Orta district of Çankırı. Here, the number of electors was 10,230 in June 2011 elections, 14,414 in local elections of March 2014, 8,581 in November 2015 elections, 8,163 in the referendum of April 2017, 8,379 in June 2018, and finally 16,401 voters were registered according to the data published on January 4, 2019. The district has a high mobility of voters in general, and the number of electors went up by 13.79% since the previous local elections, which is slightly above 8.35%, which is the overall average increase in Turkey. However, the mobility of voters in this district deserves our attention.

ABRUPT HIKE IN LONGTIME STABLE VOTER NUMBERS IN ÇAMLIDERE

In Çamlıdere district of Ankara, there is a different story. The number of electors in this district was 5,730 in June 2011 elections, 5,835 in local elections of March 2014, 5,474 in November 2015 elections, 5,406 in the referendum of April 2017, 6,561 in June 2018, and it suddenly went as high as 12,493 according to the data of January 2019. In other words, the voter number in the district followed a horizontal line until last June, but it was increased by 20% in the one-year period following the referendum, and by 90.41% in the last 7 months. Deputies from CHP claim that their data show voters being “moved” from central districts of Ankara to Çamlıdere. However, it is unclear why there has been such a flow of voters towards this district. According to the results of the previous local elections, AKP is unrivalled in Çamlıdere, with the support of 68% of the voters. AKP’s share of the votes fell to 64.5% in June 2018 elections, but the ruling party still leads the polls with a lead of 43 points ahead of its closest rival, which is MHP.

UNUSUAL INCREASE IN THE POPULATION OF ULUKIŞLA IN THE LAST 7 MONTHS

Another district in focus has been Ulukışla in Niğde, which was brought to public attention by Ömer Fethi Gürer, CHP’s deputy representing the city. In this district, the growth of voter population was almost stable, moving from 15,916 in 2011 to 16,372 in 2018. However, according to the data of January 2019, the number abruptly went up to 19,314. In Karaköprü district of Şanlıurfa, the increase in the number of electors was 10.85% in the last 7 months, and the district was not listed above since it was below the limit of 20%. However, the Karaköprü stands out as the second district with the highest increase in voter numbers, which went up by 92.29% in the last 5 years. The other districts which has seen a drastic increase in voter populations in the last 5 years include Tekirdağ/Çerkezköy (46.76%), Aydın/Didim (40.42%), İzmir/Foça (39.77%), which are not listed above. In a nutshell, there are several districts where the increase in the number of electors is far more significant as compared to the local elections of 2014, in addition to the districts raised by the deputies. However, in most of these districts, the hegemony of AKP is unrivalled ‘for the time being’. In other words, we see this phenomenon in various districts where the latest elections saw narrow margins, as well as in other districts where ‘mobilizing’ voters will not bring any changes for any political party in the short term. However, the high percentage of increase in these districts should be enough to give an alert to the political parties and the district election boards.

CHP IDENTIFIES 500 IMAGINARY VOTERS ADALAR DISTRICT

CHP recently announced that they have found 500 non-existent voters in Adalar district in İstanbul on the voter lists published by the SEB. In his statement, Atilla Aytaç, the mayor of Adalar, said, “According to SEB, 11,862 voters were registered on November 27, 2018, but the number of voters on the lists published on January 4, 2019 is 12,761. This is an unprecedented incidence of fake voters in the history of our country.” Canan Kaftancıoğlu, provincial chairwoman of CHP, also took note of the increase in voter numbers in Adalar district, and said, “There are voters registered in derelict buildings, and even in completely destroyed homes. We started investigations as soon as the voter lists were published.” The number of electors in Adalar has increased by 7,58%.

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OPPOSITION DEPUTY: “ALL OF THE NEW VOTERS IN ULUKIŞLA ARE 19 YEARS OLD”

Ömer Fethi Gürer, CHP’s deputy from Niğde, pointed out to an extraordinary increase in the number of voters in Ulukışla district of his city. Gürer claimed that “voters have been moved” for the local elections of March 31, and said “1700 new voters moved to Ulukışla since June 2018 elections. The mayor of the district is a member of AKP. When I brought this question to the parliament floor, the mayor said there was a huge interest towards Ulukışla. What kind of an attraction was it that drew 1,700 voters to Ulukışla since the elections last year?” Gürer said the sign at the entrance of the district which showed the local population was changed overnight and “the number was changed from 5,800 to 7,300”. Gürer said, “The increase in the voter numbers does not overlap with the actual population that moved here. The change in the voters’ profile is also striking. For some reason, all of the new voters who moved to Ulukışla are 19 years old. That is, there are no new voters under 19 years old who moved here recently.”

374 VOTERS REGISTERED AT 108-BED POLICE LODGING-HOUSE

HDP deputies Meral Danış Beştaş from Siirt and Mehmet Rüştü Tiryaki from Batman also raised claims of voters being moved in the southeastern cities and fake voters being registered in homes. Tiryaki said, “The police lodging house can accommodate no more than 108 people but there are 374 voters registered there.” Beştaş said 1,108 voters were registered in a single apartment in Hakkari. Beştaş also pointed out that the number of electors in Uludere district in Şırnak went up from 5,201 in 2018 to 7,163 in 2019, and said “In this small district, the population has grown by 40%. The AKP do not trust in the will of the people. They know that people will not vote for them.”

KINKS IN VOTER NUMBERS IN HAKKARİ

HDP published a report presenting some ‘interesting’ changes in voter numbers in Hakkari:

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HDP DEPUTY: “WE DO NOT INTEND TO CAUSE CONCERNS AMONG VOTERS, BUT…”

Mehmet Rüştü Tiryaki, who made a statement on behalf of HDP, said, “We do not intend to cause concerns among the voters. We make these statements to inform our voters. We are trying to raise awareness about election safety. We want to share with the public the areas where we see potential fraud. We want everyone to know these.” Tiryaki said the there were botched numbers of voters at some addresses, and gave the following examples of fraud from the elections of June 24: “In some cities, on-duty voters outnumbered the actual voters. For example, in Hozat district of Tunceli, 9 voters were registered at one poll, but 85 on-duty officers voted at that poll. At one poll in Beytüşşebap district of Şırnak, there were 10 registered voters, and 18 on-duty voters. In Çatak district of Van, there were 28 registered voters and 26 on-duty voters. In Güroymak district of Bitlis, there were 29 registered voters and 49 on-duty voters. At one poll in Beytüşşebap in Şırnak, there were 24 registered voters, but the total number of voters was 181, including 162 who were on-duty. There are many other examples. To ensure election safety, these officers have a right to vote on-duty, but if similar numbers appear in local elections, they may change the results. This is why we protest.”

HDP’S VOTER REPORT: 35,695 VOTERS REGISTERED AT 190 ADDRESSES

In a survey, HDP found 39,695 voters registered at 190 addresses, which means 188 voters per one apartment. [infogram id="translate-tablo-secimler-1hd12y7dd7ew2km" prefix="ziQ"]

700 SPECIALIST SERGEANTS REGISTERED AT A SINGLE APARTMENT

HDP spokesman Saruhan Oluç said there are reports of voters being moved in Şırnak, Siirt and Şanlıurfa, with a new population of voters that is just enough to cover the margin between HDP and AKP votes. Meral Danış Beştaş responded to AKP group deputy chairman, who dismissed the claims: “Following my statement about the situation in Siirt on the parliament floor, AKP group deputy chairman said ‘We discussed her statements with the Ministry of the Interior and, yes, there are 700 specialist sergeants registered at one apartment in Siirt.’ This is recorded in the minutes of the meeting. Allegedly, these people are members of the law enforcement. I am now asking the SEB: Can a guest house, or a police lodging-house, or a teachers’ lodge be considered as domicile address? This is a violation of the regulations of the SEB.”

Translation: Sebla Küçük Edited by: Gürkan Özturan

Fathers take the least responsibility in taking the children to toilet, changing diapers and cutting nails. Only 51% of fathers claim taking their children to the bed “often” or “always”. Aiming at supporting children and their caregivers, Mother Child Education Foundation (AÇEV) has released the “Fathers & Parenting in Turkey and Indicators of a Caring Father” report about the role of fathers in development of children in Turkey.

COMPREHENSIVE RESEARCH COVERING 3235 FATHERS FROM 51 PROVINCES

For the report, 3235 fathers were surveyed from 51 provinces across Turkey. Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK) data were considered for the regional distribution of the target mass. In depth interviews were conducted with 40 fathers. The field survey of the research was conducted in 2016. Most of the participants were married, living in the same household with their spouse, and between ages 25-44 and 20-29. Those who were married twice and/or were single/widower comprised 2%. The research has yielded striking results as to fathers’ point of view about childcare. According to most of the fathers who have a child between ages 0-10, their spouses are primarily responsible for childcare:

FATHERS DO NOT TAKE SUFFICIENT RESPONSIBILITY According to the research, fathers do not take sufficient responsibility in physical care of their children between ages 0-3. They take the least responsibility in taking their children to toilet, changing diapers and cutting nails. 51% of fathers claim taking their children to the bed “often” or “always”.

Involvement of fathers in taking role and personal responsibility in the education of children is also limited. 13% never and 21% rarely attend school events of their children.

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AT LEAST 1 OUT OF 10 FATHERS COMMITS VIOLENCE

The most popular way of punishment among participant fathers with a child between ages 4-10 is forbidding. When  children "misbehave” according to their father, he/she is forbidden to do something they like (percentage of “often” and “always” forbidding is 33%). The second popular group of punishment includes verbal violence (24%) and suspension (18-19%). The third group include punishment with physical violence (12-13%).

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It is very important for holistic child development to spend quality time with the children both indoors and outdoors. Although fathers are with their children at home after work, they are not involved in one on one developmental activities and instead watch TV together. It is observed that fathers do less developmental activities with their 0-3-year-old children. And most fathers do not participate in cultural and sports events outside home.

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51% of participant fathers have chat with their 0-3-year-old children while 86% have chat with the 4-10-year old group. Similarly, the percentage of reading with their 0-3-year-old children is 23% while it is 48% with 4-10-year-old group. [infogram id="translate-babalar-cocuklar-ev-disi-zaman-1ho16vzmozrx2nq" prefix="hg6"] Fathers usually spend time with their children by walking around the street (76%) and visiting relatives (73%) or going to a shopping mall (62%) outside home. Participant fathers rarely do activities such as visiting museums, galleries, going to the cinema or theatre suitable for the child and doing sports. Many fathers consider chat with their children to be an opportunity to teach a life lesson, and share what he has learnt.

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ABOUT WHAT DO THE FATHERS NEED EDUCATION MOSTLY?

The participants were also asked about what they need education mostly. The most popular answers were about mental development of children (35%), psychological problems (33%).

PARENTAL LEAVE IS AN IMPORTANT VARIABLE AFFECTING PARENTING

In the research, parental leave is an important variable affecting parenting. 44% of the participant fathers stated using paid parental leave. The outstanding reasons for not using the parental leave is the lack of information and the employers not giving permission. According to the civil servants law, civil servant fathers have 10 days parental leave while a worker father have 5 days of parental leave according to the labour law. The contract employee employed within the scope of the article 4/B of Law Number 657 has 2 days of parental leave when his spouse gives birth.

CHILD IS MORE EASYGOING IF THE FATHER IS CARING

According to the report prepared in scope of the “Understanding Fatherhood in Turkey Series” caring fatherhood is defined as the father model taking role in care and development of the child, creating medium and opportunity for child development, building mutual and close relationship with the child, spending time with the child, listening to the child and using effective methods and support in child relationship. According to the fatherhood researches, children raised by warm, sensitive and caring fathers are more easy-going psychologically and have less behaviour problems and have better relationships with their peers. According to the report, father involvement in child care and a close relationship is very important in 0-3 year period in which child development is at its peak level.  

Translation: Banu Adıyaman  

During 2018, around 581 million books were printed in Turkey, including publications subject to banderole exemption. Banderoles were mostly sold for the books under “educational” category. Education was followed by “adult” and “beliefs” categories. The lowest number of banderoles, on the other hand, pertains to “academic” publications. There are more than 170 million books subject to banderole exemption. The number of books per person was calculated as 7.18, including banderole-free books. On the other hand, figures indicate a very distinct decline in numbers from 2016 to 2018, and this decline is mostly explained through digitalization of media.

What is a banderole?

What Are the Legal Grounds for Banderole Application?

• Article 81 of Law on Intellectual and Artistic Works no. 5846
• Regulation on the Procedures and Principles for Banderole Application

a) Publications consisting of discourses and speeches, and the laws, bylaws, regulations, communiqués, circulars, judicial decisions mentioned under articles 31 and 32 of the law and promulgated or announced officially, b) Of the publications that will be used for educational and training purposes by educational and training institutes, the promotional copies bearing the notice “For promotional use only – not for resale” with a minimum font size of fourteen on the front and back cover and certain pages, c) Publications or work copies to be distributed outside the country yet are only reproduced within the country, provided that they are not released for commercial circulation within the country, ç) Catalogues, brochures, manuals and tariffs for promotional or informational purposes, d) Complementary materials provided along with copies of movie and music works and non-periodical publications with banderole, e) Non-periodical educational publications for pre-school, primary school and secondary school which do not exceed 48 pages excluding the cover, f) Sample publications or work copies sent from abroad for review, on the condition that relevant authorities are provided with a guarantee that the materials are not to be released for commercial circulation during the customs and postal procedures, g) Coursebooks provided to students for free by the Ministry of National Education or by Anadolu University in the scope of Central Open Education System provided that they bear the note “Not for resale”. ğ) Publications which were printed before 7/6/1995 (effective date of the provision mandating the attachment of banderoles to non-periodical publications) and are sold second-hand. Publications released without banderole under the provisions of the second paragraph must bear the note “Banderole not mandatory under the paragraph two of article 5 of the Regulation on the Procedures and Principles for Banderole Application” with a minimum font size of fourteen on the first page or back cover. In cases defined under clauses (c), (d), (f) and (ğ) of the second paragraph, this note is not required.

Translation: Nilay Iğdır

International organizations such as United Nations and European Union are encouraging their members to improve parental leave regulations for both parents. However, despite the efforts of international organizations and demands of our country’s non-governmental organizations, Turkey has not introduced any regulation on shared postnatal paid parental leave. Özlem Erkmen discusses the subject in detail in the framework of dokuz8NEWS data project.

Deterioration of the economy and profit-focused greed of employers has forced Turkey into the vortex of occupational fatality. This vortex costs hundreds of workers’ lives each year. Calls from professional chambers remained unanswered by the government that said: “death is destiny in this”.

• Business administration and economy
• Citizen involvement
• Communication and technology
• Diversity (social issues)
• Education and families
• Sentiments (welfare)
• Environment and energy
• Food and shelter
• Government and policy
• Law and order (security)
• Healthcare
• Religion and ethics
• Transportation
• Business

• Retirement/old age
• Diseases/healthcare
• Orphans & widows
• Family/children
• Disability
• Unemployment
• Social exclusion

Data Journalist: #dokuz8/Ramazan Durak

Translation: #dokuz8/Banu Adıyaman

dokuz8NEWS/Burak Öz

If one is to go on a walk around the cemeteries where Istanbulites live, in Zincirlikuyu, Ulus, Aşiyan ya da Bülbül Deresi, surely one would recognize that some of the grave stones are beautifully carved out of marble blocks, making passer-bys feel as if visiting a gallery of sculptures. The splendor that draws people's attention has also raised a French documentarist's interest in Bülbül Deresi. The magnificence of some grave stones in the last century surpass that of the Ottoman Sultans' even. While some researchers investigate the aestheticity of grave stones, our approach has been on the class distinction and prices of grave lots.

FIRST CLASS GRAVE LOTS HAVE SKYROCKETED

In Istanbul, cemeteries have been divided into four main categories based on class divisions on muslim cemeteries and moreover there is an extra division for non-muslim minority cemeteries. The prices of these grave lots have more than tripled in the last decade. Apart from the increase of prices for grave lots, the price of land on streets by cemeteries have also increased.

[infogram id="translate-2007-2017-mezarlik-fiyatlari-yuzdelik-degisim-1hmr6g90008z4nl" prefix="xuz"]

As it can be seen, the increase in empty grave lots in first grade locations and minority cemeteries is the highest. In a decade, an empty grave lot has increased from ₺8.000 to ₺25.000 while in minority cemeteries it has increased from ₺2.400 to ₺6.500 which is also significant as these cemeteries are located in some of the most valuable parts of the city such as Zincirlikuyu, Kadıköy, Şişli, Ulus, Üsküdar, Rumelihisarı.

RENT OF APARTMENTS THAT OVERSEE CEMETERIES ALSO INCREASED

For obvious reasons, it might not be the most desirable location for many people to move into an apartment overseeing a cemetery. However this attitude changes around the first grade and minority cemeteries in Istanbul. On the contrary, these locations appear as some of the most desired locations, which is also reflected in the increase of rents in these locations. [infogram id="translate-mezarlik-fiyat-artisinin-kiralara-yansimasi-1hxj48899kp54vg" prefix="TfP"]

In the last 10 years, when the base prices designated by municipalities are considered, it can be seen that the rents have had an exponential increase. Ulus' Körkadı Street has experienced the highest increased, overlooking the Armenian and Jewish cemeteries. A squaremeter had been decided as ₺194 in 2007, this price has folded by 16 times until 2017 making ₺3.363. On Zincirlidere Avenue overlooking the Zincirlikuyu Cemetery the 2007 price of ₺259 has increased to ₺4.200 in 2017, folding by 15 times.

[infogram id="translate-istanbuldaki-mezarliklarda-yil-yil-fiyat-degisimi-1h0n259nn1mz4pe" prefix="aED"]

Moreover, while the grave lots are said to be issued for free in third and fourth grade cemeteries, according to the data announced by Istanbul Directorate of Cemeteries some of the grave lots are considered to be "better situated" for a price. If one wishes to be buried next to someone they know, this also costs extra.

[infogram id="translate-istanbulda-2007-2017-arasi-mezar-yeri-fiyatlari-degisimi-1h984w8mm97d4p3" prefix="H6f"] When the charts are analysed;

• First and second grade cemeteries cost between ₺20.000 and ₺25.000
• It has become luxury to be buried next to a family member
• There is steady increase in minority cemeteries
• Centrally located cemeteries in Istanbul also increase the price of housing

It is also significant to remind that Istanbul Directorate of Cemeteries notes that first grade cemeteries such as Aşiyan no longer accept new burials. Yet, this situation has created a new market in its own. Some people buy & sell grave lots in such cemeteries and make a living. It can be said that upper classes in Istanbul continue keeping their priviledges in the "afterlife".

[infogram id="translate-istanbul-mezarliklarinin-siniflari-1h9j6qwnzvw56gz" prefix="Gd4"]

There have participated a total of 9 parties have taken part in the elections officially; with multiple parties declaring alliances with other parties. On the ballot, there were marked two official alliances, one being led by the governing Justice & Development Party AKP and Nationalist Movement Party MHP that also unofficially included Greater Unity Party BBP. Another grouping has been among the opposition under the title of National Alliance that was led by main opposition social-democratic Republican People's Party CHP and newly founded centre-right party IYI Party as well as conservative-democrat Saadet Party which also unofficially welcomed minor centre-right Democrat Party. Even though socialist Peoples' Democratic Party HDP had not registered any alliances, the party had nominated nominees from various other leftist parties including the Turkish Workers' Party TIP. After the election results had been announced in early July, several members of parliament who had been elected from among other parties ranks have announced their resignations and re-registered with their home-parties, making the current number of parties in the parliament 9.

Presidential Alliance

Justice & Development Party AKP: 290 Nationalist Movement Party MHP: 50 Greater Unity Party BBP: 1

National Alliance

Republican People's Party: 144 IYI Party: 40 Saadet Party: 2 Democrat Party: 1

Non-Allied

Peoples' Democratic Party HDP: 65 Turkish Workers Party TIP: 2 Independent: 1

[infogram id="elections-2018-june-24-1h9j6qwqrrv56gz" prefix="AQL"]

Gökhan Biçici, one of the founders and executive director of dokuz8NEWS has started the training sessions with a brief history of dokuz8NEWS and explained the conditions that necessitated a project to be developed on data journalism.

DISEMPLOYED JOURNALISTS, CITIZEN JOURNALISTS, NGO REPRESENTATIVES
On the 26th training session on Alternative Media & Citizen Journalism training series, dokuz8NEWS executive director Gökhan Biçici reiterated that many journalists have been disemployed through immense pressure on media organisations and shutting down of institutions in the last five years, and stated that the secondary impact of this pressure is a matter for discussion globally.
FALLING BEHIND THE GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Biçici also mentioned that beyond the actual pressure that is causing immediate problems of media in Turkey, a secondary impact causing the journalists to stay behind their peers globally is also worrying for the future of the field. In the last five years, technological developments in the field of journalism have generally been not fully followed by journalists operating in Turkey and this also has had an impact on the perception and implementation of data journalism as well.

At the training session a video from shut down IMC TV’s Agenda Research program has been shown, which can be considered as one of the first data journalism programs in Turkey. Project leader and one of the founders of dokuz8NEWS, Yunus Erduran continued the training session after screening of the video and explained the one year project through its framework and the planned activities, as well as content format to be published as part of the project.

HISTORY OF DATA JOURNALISM

After Erduran, academic teaching in the Netherlands and expert on data journalism Dr. Efe Kerem Sözeri has presented the history of data journalism. Dr. Sözeri started his talk with the definition of data journalism and explained the international conceptualisation through samples.

PITCHING FOR TOPICS

Following Dr. Sözeri’s talk, during the workshop session the participants have pitched ideas for covering certain topics at the “newsroom discussion”. Through the discussions, each participant has pitched for a topic and determined an area to focus. Following this process, dokuz8NEWS trainer Onur Metin has presented their sessions on data sources, finding & mining data, search engine samplings, data analysis, data mathematics and data visualisation.

MATRA PROGRAMME SUPPORTS THE TRAININGS

Matra funding program of the Embassy of the Netherlands in Ankara is supporting the project for development of data journalism in Turkey. As part of the project, three training sessions will be organised as a total welcoming 20 participants each. The second training session as part of the project will be organised in April and the third one in May. An open call will be made for participants from across Turkey.

SPECIAL CONTENT GENERATED BY PARTICIPANTS WILL BE PUBLISHED

The 60 people who will be trained through these sessions will be encouraged to generate at least one copyrighted content making use of the skill sets developed as part of the project. There will be four main themes available on “Social Gender & Children”, “Labour & Social Policies”, “Freedom of Press & Expression” and “Human Rights Violations” covering a total of 120 copyrighted content. Half of all the published content will be translated into English and published for wider audiences internationally. 

The project started for development of data journalism in Turkey will cover three training sessions for disemployed journalists and citizen journalists on the topic of data journalism. Through the skills-sets participants will obtain by the end of these training sessions, 120 special coverage news will have been commissioned throughout 2018. There will be four main themes as part of the project ranging from social gender & children; labour & social policies; press, expression and internet freedom; and rights violations & human rights, and half of the produced content will be translated into English and published for notice of the international community.

ADVISORY BOARD HAS HAD ITS FIRST MEETING IN ISTANBUL

After setting the project task-force, dokuz8NEWS has held an advisory board meeting with representatives of the institutions that operate in relevant fields, activists and journalists interested in the thematic topics. One of the core missions of the advisory board is to connect the many layers and parts of data journalism field in Turkey as a bridge between the news center and civil society organisations, unions, platforms, activists and journalists. 

First meeting of the dokuz8NEWS Advisory Board has been held in Istanbul on January 20, Saturday with the agenda of communicating the goals of the project, its scope, details and targets.

ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS STATED THE CONDITIONS OF DATA IN THEIR FIELDS

The advisory board meeting has started with a summary of dokuz8NEWS’ activities in the last four years, and upcoming activities plan, and a discussion was started on the condition of data journalism and perception of data in Turkey. During this discussion, topics on data journalism, data-mining, storage of data, sharing & publication have been brought on the table.

REPRESENTATION OF CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE ADVISORY BOARD

On the first meeting of Advisory Board, Equal Rights Monitoring Association EŞHİD representative Nejat Taştan, United for Democracy DİB spokesperson İrem Afşin, Human Rights Association IHD Istanbul Branch Chair Lawyer Gülseren Yoleri, Social Policies Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Studies Association SPoD Board Member, Müge Akbasan, Contemporary Journalists Association ÇGD Ankara Branch Chair Çınar Livane Özer and journalists Elif Ilgaz and Filiz Gazi have discussed data curation, collection and publication in their fields, and named the physical situation, problems and needs of the fields. 

AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CAPACITY BUILDING IN THE FIELD OF DATA JOURNALISM

EŞHİD, a platform that has dedicated its energy for equality of rights & liberties through production of monitoring & reporting activities has been preparing reports on irregularities and rights violations during elections in the past years, states Nejat Taştan. While İrem Afşin has shared information on the working capacity of DİB that it is not based on a hierarchical structure but collaboration of councils, IHD representative Gülseren Yoleri has shared examples from the reports they have been compiling through rights violations. Yoleri also reiterated that this project is an opportunity for IHD to curate data, visualize and publish them through this project.

ÇGD’S MEDIA MONITORING REPORTS EXPERIENCE

SPoD’s Müge Akbasan also spoke during the advisory board meeting on the collection of data in the field of social gender matters and how there is a need for direction in order to support the psycho-social projects of the assocaition. Journalist Filiz Gazi mentioned the details of her work related to news pieces she has been covering on the medical faculties, while journalist Elif Ilgaz mentioned the temporariness of the “Journalists Outside Bars” that does not collect data while there is a need for such an initiative. Çınar Özer who has responded to the need, stated that ÇGD publishes a quarterly Media Monitoring Report that reveals the data collected regarding the conditions for journalism in Turkey.

ADVISORY BOARD DECISIONS & TRAINING PROGRAM

The significance of giving training to NGOs, civil initiatives, unions, platforms, collectives for data mining & visualisation as well as publication has been reiterated during the advisory board meeting. Institutions represented at the advisory board will be given opportunity to join the data journalism training that will take place in the first week of March, and meetings will be set up with these institutions for one-on-one discussion on the specific needs and plans in the field of data journalism.

REGARDING MATRA PROJECT FUNDS

dokuz8NEWS Data Journalism Project is funded by the government of the Netherlands through MATRA fund which is distributed to projects that support positive social change in countries that have candidacy, potential candidacy or are listed in neighbourhood policy with the European Union.