DW's Turkish-language joint project +90 has over 400k subscribers on YouTube

Named after Turkey's international country code, +90 gives a voice to groups that are underrepresented in the media. In addition to personal stories about divers lifestyles, single mothers, migration from the big cities, problems faced when searching for a job, human rights, climate change and politics etc, +90 shares facts about each topic in photo and video formats on YouTube, Instagram and Twitter.

Credible information, independent opinions

The international broadcasters contribute selected video content to the +90 format. DW is in charge of managing the project, with its journalists Erkan Arikan, Head of Turkish service, and project manager Isil Nergiz responsible for its development.

"The growing number of subscribers speaks for itself. The channel captures the Zeitgeist, also to consumers outside of Turkey. We handle diverse topics with emotions and through personal stories while still maintaining the facts. This growing viewership also shows that our users appreciate this type of constructive journalism. With this philosophy, we will reach even more users in the future," says Erkan Arikan.

Opening a window to Europe

Screenshot of a +90 video

The project is part of DW's 2018-2021 Strategic Plan, which states that "contrary to the hopes of many, the Turkish government now leaves little doubt about its authoritarian course." DW seeks to represent European values in sociopolitical issues in Turkey, the plan says.

Such aims present a serious challenge in the Turkish market, as the plan points out: "Journalistic work in Turkey is becoming increasingly tough; potential new partners reject any cooperation with independent Western news providers more and more frequently."

YouTube

Instagram

Twitter