Serbestiyet

What Serbestiyet does

Serbestiyet is a Turkish online news and opinion publication operated by Serbest Fikirler Derneği İktisadi İşletmesi, the economic enterprise of the Serbest Fikirler Derneği (Free Ideas Association) non-profit foundation. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Kağıthane, İstanbul, the platform employs 7 people and publishes across categories including politics, world affairs, economy, culture, sports, and technology. It positions itself editorially as 'Türkiye'nin gri alanı' (Turkey's gray area), offering coverage of sensitive political topics — Kurdish affairs, Turkish-Armenian relations, Cyprus, investigative stories — that mainstream Turkish outlets tend to avoid or frame through polarized lenses. The publication features named columnists such as Yıldıray Oğur (Editor-in-Chief), Etyen Mahçupyan, Ali Bayramoğlu, and Şehadet Çitil, and operates an Editorial Board (Yayın Kurulu) that includes academics such as Halil Berktay and Gülçin Avşar.

The product portfolio is built on a standard WordPress CMS and consists of three components: the main serbestiyet.com website (text news, columns, live stream), Serbestiyet TV (video commentary on YouTube), and 'Serbestiyet in English' (translated investigative and human-rights reporting for international audiences). Distribution is direct-to-reader via the owned site, supplemented by organic social channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X), YouTube for video, and Spotify for podcasts.

The business model is non-commercial and entirely reader-supported. All content is free; there is no advertising, no subscription paywall, and no institutional ownership. Revenue consists solely of voluntary contributions from individual readers routed through two patronage platforms — Patreon (global) and Kreosus (Turkish-localized). The organization explicitly identifies as non-profit with no commercial patron, structurally tying its sustainability to discretionary donor behavior rather than recurring enterprise contracts.

Name

Serbestiyet

Legal name

Serbest Fikirler Derneği İktisadi İşletmesi

Website

https://serbestiyet.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Serbestiyet is a Turkish independent online news and opinion publication founded in 2016, serving Turkish-speaking readers and international audiences via an English section, and funded entirely by voluntary reader contributions on Patreon and Kreosus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online News & Digital Journalism

NAICS

Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

Alternative/Independent Newsweeklies & Opinion Press (MPAJADAH)

Keywords

• Online news media
• Independent journalism
• Digital news platform
• Opinion column publishing
• Video news commentary

Headquarters

HQ city

İstanbul

HQ country

Türkiye

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Reader Patronage / Crowdfunding: Serbestiyet is funded entirely through reader support via Patreon and Kreosus platforms. The platform explicitly describes itself as non-profit, owned by a foundation (Serbest Fikirler Derneği), with no commercial patron — readers are called to become 'patrons' to sustain operations.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Serbestiyet is an independent Turkish online news and opinion publication that publishes daily multi-category news coverage (politics, world, economy, culture, sports, technology), named columnist opinion pieces, investigative reporting, video commentary (Serbestiyet TV), and English-language translated articles. All content is provided free of charge to readers, and the operation is sustained entirely through voluntary reader patronage via Patreon and Kreosus under the non-profit ownership of Serbest Fikirler Derneği.

Product overview

Serbestiyet is a Turkish online news publication operated by Serbest Fikirler Derneği (Free Ideas Association). The platform functions as a unified news website offering multi-category coverage including news, world affairs, politics, economy, culture, sports, and technology. The product portfolio includes the core serbestiyet.com website with its content management system, Serbestiyet TV (video commentary content featuring columnists), and the Serbestiyet in English translation section for international audiences. The publication is supported through reader patronage via Patreon and Kreosus platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Serbestiyet.com news website Turkish online news website offering multi-category coverage including politics, world affairs, economy, culture, sports, and technology, plus named columnist opinion pieces and investigative reporting. Provided free of charge to Turkish-speaking readers.
• Serbestiyet TV Video news section of serbestiyet.com featuring commentary and analysis by notable columnists, particularly Etyen Mahçupyan, covering political developments, current events, and in-depth discussions presented in video format.
• Serbestiyet in English English-language section of the news website providing translations of selected Turkish news articles, special reports, human-rights stories, and investigative journalism for international (non-Turkish-speaking) audiences.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PatreoncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPatreon serves as Serbestiyet's primary patronage platform, enabling readers to become financial supporters ('patrons'). The platform is prominently featured on the website with direct links to serbestiyet.com's Patreon page.
• KreosuscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerKreosus is a Turkish alternative patronage/crowdfunding platform used alongside Patreon to enable reader financial support for Serbestiyet's operations.
• Bedevi YayınlarıminorOthersBook publisher with cross-promotional relationship; Serbestiyet featured Bedeviyayinlari.com book advertisements on its platform.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Peers

• Bianet (Independent Communication Network):

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/serbestiyetweb
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@serbestiyetcom
• Facebookfacebook.com/SerbestiyetOfficial
• Instagraminstagram.com/serbestiyett
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/serbestiyet

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Serbestiyet