1,469 Bodies in 114 Mass Graves – More to Come
from Bianet :: English
A research by the Turkish Medical Association revealed that the remains of 1,469 people were found in 114 mass graves so far, the real figure may exceed these numbers by far. The association is concerned about the obscuring of evidence during the excavations.
13-year-old Sold, Raped, Blamed
from Kamil Pasha by Jenny White
A court in Mardin has reduced the sentences of 26 men charged with rape to unlawful sex with a minor after it concluded the 13-year-old victim was willing and on account of ?good conduct? on the part of the accused. The decision appeared to place some of the blame for the incidents on the victim herself.
First Hearing of Prime Suspect at Juvenile Court
from Bianet :: English
The prosecution of Ogün Samast, one of the prime suspects in the murder case of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, started on 28 February at a juvenile court in Istanbul. Samast’s request for a closed session was rejected. Nine of Dink’s relatives were accepted as co-plaintiffs.
Erdoğan defends Turkish press freedom as journalists arrested
from Hurriyet Dailynews
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stood behind freedom of the press Friday after the owner of an online news portal was arrested on charges of participating in a coup plot and inciting the public to hatred.
Gadhafi award
from Hurriyet Dailynews by HDN
This is a country of advanced democracy with advanced judiciary and a Gadhafi-awarded prime minister!
55 Children Arrested in One Week
from Bianet :: English
Despite legal changes in the Anti-Terror Law, 75 children were taken into custody during last week. 55 of them were arrested and imprisoned. Amnesty International launched a campaign for children who became victims of the Anti-Terror Law.
Students Call for Education in Kurdish
from Bianet :: English
University students in Istanbul reiterated the demand for education in the mother language on the occasion of the International Mother Language Day. One student gave a symbolic Kurdish lesson next to the campus of the Yıldız Technical University.
166-year Prison Sentence for Journalist Kurşun to be Quashed?
from Bianet :: English
The Court of Appeals Public Prosecution demanded to overturn the 166.5-year prison sentence received by journalists Kurşun, former executive of the Azadiya Welat newspaper. The Court of Appeals will announce its decision on 2 March.
Interior Ministry failed to protect Dink, Turkish court says
from Hurriyet Dailynews by ISTANBUL – Daily News with wires
An Istanbul court has sentenced Turkey?s Interior Ministry to pay compensation for failing to prevent the assassination of journalist Hrant Dink.
CPJ: Press Freedom in Turkey Unstable
from Bianet :: English
The 2010 report of the Committee to Protect Journalists criticized punishments handed down to Turkish journalists on the grounds of their reports about the Kurdish question or the Ergenekon case. The report also drew attention to the slow procedures of the Dink murder case.
“My name is Suzan Zengin, I am in Prison”
from Bianet :: English
Prior to her second hearing on Tuesday (15 February), journalist Suzan Zengin wrote a letter from prison. Zengin has been detained for 18 months under allegations of “membership to an illegal organization”.
Turkish writer acquitted for third time over blast
Reuters
By Ece Toksabay ISTANBUL (Reuters) – A Turkish court acquitted a writer for the third time on Wednesday of charges that she was involved in a deadly 1998
Still Unclear Whether Turkish Officials Under Investigation in Dink Case
Asbarez Armenian News
ISTANBUL (Hurriyet Daily News)?Whether or not an ?investigation,? by that name or any other, has actually been opened into high-ranking Turkish public
Turkish military breaks silence on unearthed bones
from Hurriyet Dailynews by ANKARA – Hürriyet Daily News
The Turkish Gendarmerie General Command on Tuesday broke its weeks-long silence on human bones found last month in a mass grave in eastern Anatolia and said officials had been informed about the buried bodies.
Discrimination and Racism in Turkey Fuel Concern
from Bianet :: English
The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance published its report on Turkey. The commission criticized the impact of the Anti-Terror Law on Kurdish children, the situation of Roma and asylum-seekers and discrimination against minority religious groups.
Lack of press freedom in Turkey criticised again
Sofia Echo
Bilgi University Media Professor Haluk Sahin, also an executive of Turkey’s TV-8 channel, says there is a government policy of media intimidation. “Well I see this [as] another move in the direction of creating a pro-government press and by trying to
Brief Hearing – New Investigation
from Bianet :: English
The Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court handling the trial on the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Dink declined a merger with the file in Trabzon. The trial will be continued on 28 March. A new investigation was launched about key figures of the murder.
Turkish minority foundations entering a new stage
from Hurriyet Dailynews
A representative for all minority foundations in the General Directorate of Foundations is working toward a better future for minorities in Turkey. Laki Vingas, of Greek-Turkish origin, is the spokesperson for all minority communities in Turkey at the directorate. There are 161 foundations in total under his responsibility
D&R Book Store Censors Bir+Bir Magazine
from Bianet :: English
The D&R book stores stopped sales for the current issue of the bir+bir magazine because customers complained about a “denigration of the national anthem” in a poem printed in the issue. The magazine criticized the decision and urged their readers not to be deterred by fascism.
522 Unsolved Murders in 5 Years
from Bianet :: English
Research of the Human Rights Association in Eastern and South-Eastern Turkey revealed 375 cases of unsolved murders from 2006 till the present. According to data compiled by the Turkish Human Rights Foundation, a total of 522 unsolved murders were committed.
US still concerned about intimidated journalists in Turkey
from Hurriyet Dailynews by WASHINGTON – Anatolia News Agency
A spokesperson for the US Department of State said Thursday that Turkey had a strong democracy as well as a vibrant and free press, but the US was still concerned about journalists being intimidated.
“The Prime Minister May Suspend a Broadcast”
from Bianet :: English
The General Assembly of the Turkish Parliament passed the Draft Bill on the Establishment of Radio and Television Enterprises and their Broadcasts despite prior warnings related to restrictions of press freedom.
Homosexual Referee Sues Turkish Football Federation
from Bianet :: English
Former referee Dinçdağ opened a trial against the Turkish Football Federation because he was kicked out of the referee staff when it turned out that Dinçdağ is homosexual. The federation claimed that “persons exempt from military service cannot be appointed as referees”.
Precedent Decision on Egg Attacks
from Bianet :: English
The Court of Appeals found the one-year prison sentences for nine defendants who threw eggs to Prime Minister Erdoğan in 2006 too little. This sort of protest was to be seen as a “restriction of the use of freedom of thought and opinion”, the court ruled.
1.100.000 Signatures Submitted to Parliament
from Bianet :: English
1.1 million signatures were submitted to the Turkish Parliament as a result of the campaign for “Education in the Mother Language” initiated by the Democratic Society Congress two months ago. The petition will also be forwarded to the EU, the UN and the UNESCO.