The owner of Yeni Şafak newspaper has halted production at two major factories and placed workers on unpaid depart, according to reports from Turkish media outlets.
The closures affect Tümosan, Turkey’s first motor and tractor manufacturer located in Konya, and a paper factory in Balıkesir. Both facilities are owned by Albayrak Holding, which acquired Tümosan after its privatization in 2004. The company has operated the tractor plant since it began production in 1976.
Journalist Sedat Bozkurt first disclosed the developments in an online article, stating that the owner of Yeni Şafak had suspended operations at both plants and sent employees home without pay. Bozkurt framed the move as a form of protest, linking it to the newspaper’s recent critical coverage of Turkey’s finance minister.
Yeni Şafak has published a series of front-page stories targeting Mehmet Şimşek, the country’s Treasury and Finance Minister, in recent weeks. Bozkurt suggested that the factory shutdowns were connected to the paper’s editorial stance, claiming the minister had previously dismissed the criticism as insignificant.
Despite the newspaper’s alignment with the ruling AKP party, its owner, Ahmet Albayrak, also serves as chairman of Tümosan’s board of directors. Albayrak holds a privileged shareholder position at Yeni Şafak and has overseen both media and industrial operations under the Albayrak Holding group.
The timing of the production halts coincides with heightened scrutiny of economic policy in Turkey, particularly regarding inflation, currency stability, and public spending. While no official statement has been issued by Albayrak Holding or Yeni Şafak regarding the factory closures, the move has drawn attention as an unusual escalation in tensions between pro-government media figures and economic policymakers.
Observers note that such labor actions — especially involving unpaid leave — are rare in Turkey’s industrial sector and typically signal deep financial strain or strategic pressure. The situation remains under review, with no indication yet of when operations might resume at either facility.
