[CENSORSHIP / BANNED PERIODICALS / FIRST FEMALE JOURNALIST IN TURKEY / FEMINISM] Projektor: Ayda bir çikar fikir mecmuasidir [i.e., Projector]. No: 1. Mart 1936. (All published)

[SERTEL], SABİHA ZEKERİYA (1895-1968).

Yeni Kitabçi - Bozkurt Matbaasi, Istanbul, 1936.

Original wrappers. Roy. 8vo. (24 x 17 cm). In Turkish. [4], 96 p., ills. Minor wear on spine and slight age toning on covers. Otherwise, a very good copy.

Very scarce first and only issue of this periodical published by Sabiha Sertel, who made serious contributions to the early Turkish Suffragette Movement and the Women's Rights in Turkey, resounded in its period with her article titled "Saylav [Deputy] Ladies, Why Aren't You Shouting? They Want Road Tax from the Workers and Working Women", thereupon, which was closed and banned immediately after this first issue because of allegedly serving Bolshevism. Another significance of the magazine is that it is the first periodical that decided to publish Sabahattin Ali's famous novel in serial form before publishing in book form named “Kuyucakli Yusuf” in 1937.

Contents in English translation: "Why is the projector being broadcast?", The cardinal who brought civilization to Abyssinia with a tank., Intellectuals are suffering.; Islamic International.; two advertisements: Ahmet Agha's donkey, Mehmed's child.; The collapse of small industry.; Facing cases.; China issue.; A state of medicine that has become a business.; Imperialism, colonialism, and civilization.; Dead people used for imperial propaganda; The inner face of the Egyptian revolution.; Municipality, porters' society, and its leader.; Dusky spider.; Classical economic national (Answer to a professor about economics); The populist front and its program in France; Letters from Abyssinia to Iyalyan soldiers.; Those whose names were mentioned in the month: Novel: Kuyucakli Yusuf. "Saylav ladies, why are you silent? Sabiha Zekeriya [Sertel] (1895-1968).; There is no National Literature, there is class literature., B. C. Zâde.

Sabiha Sertel's writings and the periodical were found "obscene" by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the publications were confiscated. However, the government did not find it sufficient. The Ministry of Internal Affairs proposed to the Council of Ministers the temporary closure of the Projektör. This proposal was approved by the Council of Ministers chaired by President Mustafa Kemal Atatürk himself on 16 March 1936. After this date, Projektör never had the chance to be published again after its first and sole issue.

SERTEL'S LIFE FULL OF FIRSTS AS A FEMALE PIONEER: Sabiha Sertel was the first professional female journalist and publisher in modern Turkey. Her articles and columns advocated for reforming the rights of women and workers and criticized state oppression, imperialism, fascism, and social inequalities in Turkey. Her high-profile activism for democracy, civil liberties, and a free press resulted in social and political pressure, censorship, imprisonment, and ultimately, exile. Sertel is also considered the first to publicly marry outside the Dönme community, which includes Jews who converted to Islam in the 17th century but privately retained their beliefs and were viewed with suspicion by Muslims. She was the first Turkish woman to be tried in court and imprisoned for her writings. She also was one of the first Turkish women to die in political exile.

Her marriage in 1915 to Zekeriya Sertel (1890-1980), a leading figure in the history of the Turkish press, began a lifelong publishing partnership. Their publications Büyük Mecmua (The Big Review), Resimli Ay, (Illustrated Monthly magazine), and the newspaper Tan (Dawn), served as powerful platforms for opposition voices.

After this, Sertel was banned three times more from writing, first in 1941 for criticizing Turkey's collaboration with Germany during WWII, second for her writing against the nationalist movement in Turkey in 1942, and the third time again in 1942, for her writing about colonialism in the 19th century concerning both world wars.

Overall, this is a very rare censored and “banned” Middle Eastern periodical that is not obtainable online.

Not in TÜSTAV., Not in IISG., As of January 2024, we couldn’t trace any copies in the OCLC and KVK.