Intellectuals Arrested For Speaking At Public Meeting

by Jenny White

Ragip Zarakolu, Photo from Hurriyet/DHA

44 People Arrested – among them Ersanlı and Zarakolu

44 out of 50 people who were taken into police custody were arrested on 1 November and taken to prison in the scope of the KCK operations.

KCK operations confuse minds

by LALE KEMAL

Since the escalation of violence in mid-July when the outlawed Kurdistan Workers? Party (PKK) attacked a military outpost in the Silvan township of the southeastern province of Diyarbakır, killing 13 soldiers, the Turkish police have reinitiated a massive operation against the suspected PKK-affiliated organization called the Kurdish Communities Union (KCK).

Controversial detentions

by FATMA DİŞLİ ZIBAK
The detentions of Professor Büşra Ersanlı and publisher Ragıp Zarakolu on Monday on terrorism charges as part of an investigation into the Kurdish Communities Union (KCK) have received widespread criticism from Turkish journalists.

Outcry over Turkish publisher’s arrest and detention

by Alison Flood
International protests follow imprisonment of Ragip Zarakolu, director of Belge Publishing House, under anti-terrorism laws
The international literary community is demanding the immediate release of Turkish publisher and free speech activist Ragip Zarakolu, who has been arrested and imprisoned in Turkey under the country’s anti-terrorism laws.

New military strategy in the fight against PKK

by HDN
Upon the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) intensifying its attacks with some kind of a full-scale war concept, a similar retaliation perception emerged within the state. When it is the case, a frequently asked question became this: Does the state return to the years of the 1990s? (When the years of 1990s are mentioned, it means the period when legal boundaries in the struggle against terror was carelessly exceeded with the approval of the state.)

Where do Kurds stand in the ‘Arab Spring’?

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RSF Criticized Government Directives to the Media

from Bianet :: English

Reporters without Borders described the recent declaration of five major Turkish news agencies as “disturbing”. The declaration, seen by RSF as a “serious threat to freedom of information”, came after a meeting of PM Erdoğan with media owners and executives.

Six suspects released in Deniz Feneri (Lighthouse) fraud case

by ISTANBUL – Hürriyet

Six suspects were released today as part of the fraud investigation into the Deniz Feneri (Lighthouse) charity organization.

Reading list held as evidence against Turkish students

by ANKARA – Radikal
The Ankara chief prosecutor’s office used a reading list as evidence against five students who were charged with membership in terrorist organizations, daily Radikal reported today.

Man insulting Turkish Prime Minister on Facebook could serve 2 years

by ISTANBUL – Vatan
Charges were pressed recently against a man who allegedly posted insulting remarks on Facebook about the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Authorities demand Turkish journalists be expelled

by İZMİR – Hürriyet Daily News
Authorities from the Interior Ministry have requested that a number of journalists registered at the İzmir Journalists Association (İGC) be expelled from the organization for ‘leaving’ the Aegean province

Possible Reduction of Sentence for İnan Süver

from Bianet :: English
The examination of conscientious objector Süver at the GATA military hospital it was determined in the related report to reduce his penalty and to have him serve his sentence at hospital. Süver was convicted on charges of “absence without leave”.

OSCE report on June 2011 elections published

by ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News
OSCE, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe have recently published their report on the elections in Turkey that took place in June 2011.