Işıl Cinmen

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ULUDERE MASSACRE

4 Questions Not Answered for 120 Days

Member of Parliamentary Human Rights Sub-Commission, Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy Gök said, “ We couldn’t get any answer to our questions” at the meeting organized by Turkey Peace Assembly for the 120. day of Uludere Massacre.

30 April 2012

Students Forced to Paid Military Service

According to the letter sent from the Ministry of Defense, male students completing 29 years of age have two options in order to enroll in a school: Paid military service or leaving their education unfinished and joining the army for 15 months.

17 April 2012

EMEK MOVIE THEATER PROTEST

"We Do Not Watch This Movie"

Movie lovers came together for Emek Movie Theater on April 15, 2012. They protested against the Emek Movie Theater project of Kamer Construction Company. They shouted "We do not watch this movie" and tore their tickets.

17 April 2012

NEWROZ 2012

Newroz Came with Tear Gas and Police Violence

BDP Deputy Ertuğrul Kürkçü talked to bianet about the massive police intervention against the Newroz celebrations in Mersin. Kurdish politician Ahmet Türk was beaten by the police in Batman and underwent medical treatment.

21 March 2012

WOMEN QUOTA

Journalists Record: 147 Men, 27 Women

The ratio of women working in the print media ranges at around 15 percent; only one publications director is female. Nurcan Akat, Turkey's first female general publications director, told bianet, "the situation of newspaper staff is deplorable" and explained the reasons.

29 February 2012

INTERNATIONAL MOTHER TONGUE DAY

Maybe You'd Understand Someday

I would like Turkish language to understand how genuinely beautiful, colorful and really meaningful is Bianet's opening page on February 21, 2012.

21 February 2012

TURKISH-GREEK BORDER

EU Turns down Fence between Greece and Turkey

The EU declined Greece's plan to erect a fence on the border to Turkey saying it was "unnecessary and too expensive". Assoc. Prof Danış told bianet that a fence was not the solution to the reasons of immigration. In her opinion, Greece wanted to give a message with this project.

14 February 2012

@allah (cc) - Criminal Complaint about 200,000 Twitter Users

TV producer and presenter Serdar Tuncer filed a criminal complaint about a Twitter user alias @allah (cc) and also about almost 200,000 users following his tweets. Lawyer Bolaç told bianet, "No prosecutor should open a case for such a reason".

8 February 2012

REVOLUTIONARY HEADQUARTERS TRIAL

"Police Settle old Scores with Avcı"

Defendant Bozkurt admitted his membership in the Revolutionary Headquarters group and requested the release of the other defendants. Prosecutor Duran recommended to reject that demand and encountered Bozkurt's harsh reaction. None of the defendants was released.

7 February 2012

HATE SPEECH IN THE MEDIA

"Hate is an Attitude Rather than a Feeling"

The Hate Crimes Law Campaign Platform started a series of information meetings. The first session on hate speech was done together with media representatives. Prof İnceoğlu warned that hate speech became more hidden and more dangerous at the same time.

6 February 2012

Judge and Prosecutor of Dink Trial Face Investigation

A probe has been launched about judge Eryılmaz and Prosecutor Usta of the Hrant Dink murder trial which resulted in a much disputed decision on 17 January. Investigating Judge Kakilli told bianet about the reasons for the investigation.

26 January 2012

ŞEFİKA GÜRBÜZ COMMENTS

Legal Amendment: Illegal Workers Out

25 January 2012

HRANT DINK TRIAL

New Hrant Dink Case Possible

Five years after the murder of Turkish Armenian journalist Dink, Judge Eryılmaz announced his intention to bring the trial to an end soon. Yet, considering new findings revealed by the plaintiff lawyers from the TİB records, a new case might be opened.

12 January 2012

HRANT DINK TRIAL

Decision on 17 January?

The 24th hearing of the Hrant Dink murder trial was held on 10 January. The court president announced to possibly give a decision at the coming hearing on 17 January, two days prior to the 5th anniversary of the journalist's assassination.

11 January 2012

23 Students in Police Custody at Istanbul University

23 students were taken into police custody in the course of unrests on the Istanbul University Beyazıt Campus on 2 February. Hayat TV news centre editor Cem Şimşek is among the people in custody.

3 January 2012

THOMAS HAMMARBERG

Limited Media Freedom in Europe

Council of Europe Commissioner of Human Rights Hammarberg introduced the report "Human Rights and a Changing Media Landscape" in London last week. He drew attention to oppressive government attacks on the media due to its power.

19 December 2011

HRANT DINK TRIAL

"Your Court will go down in History"

The plaintiff lawyers presented their final speech at the 22nd hearing of the trial on the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. Repeatedly requested records of the Telecommunication Communication Presidency were finally sent to court and will be investigated now.

6 December 2011

DİSK, KESK, TMMOB and TTB

Country-Wide Protests of Workers, Architects, Engineers, Doctors...

Upon the call of trade unions DİSK and KESK, the Medical Chamber and the chamber of architects and engineers, people in 40 provinces demonstrated against mass arrests. Only in Istanbul, about 2,000 protestors voiced their four main demands.

5 December 2011

EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS

Landmark Ruling on "Conscientious Objection"

For the first time, the European Court of Human Rights sentenced Turkey for a breach of Article 9 on freedom of thought, conscience and religion. Applicant Erçep's lawyer Alsancak said the verdict manifested the right to conscientious objection in Turkey.

23 November 2011

REVOLUTIONARY HEADQUARTERS TRIAL

Chaotic Start - No Releases

At the hearing of the Revolutionary Headquarters trial, defendants Bozkurt, Aydın and Erdoğan were removed from the courtroom when they refused to be tried in the same room with former Chief of Police Avcı. None of the defendants was released by the end of the hearing at 10.25 pm.

18 November 2011

TWO SIDES OF THE KURDISH QUESTION

The Deaths of a Son and a Daugther - A Soldier and a Guerrilla

bianet talked to the brothers of killed soldier Onur Karakuş and to the mother of killed guerrilla Ebru Muhikancı. They tell us who is hurt the most by the pain of this war.

11 November 2011

Indicted Politician Tan: "I Will not Go to Court"

The court decided to bring Altan Tan, deputy of the pro-Kurdish BDP, to court on compulsion. He is facing more than 23 years in jail. "One day, these prosecutors will be ashamed like the prosecutors of 12 September", Tan told bianet.

19 October 2011

CONSCIENTOUS OBJECTION

Gynaecologist Requested as Expert in Conscientious Objection Trial

The five defendants tried for having supported conscientious objector Enver Aydemir appeared before the court at their third hearing in Eskişehir on 6 October. Lawyer Doğanoğlu reiterated his request to call a gynaecologist for an expert opinion.

7 October 2011

NEW CIVIL PROCEDURE LAW

No Money No Justice

According to the revised Civil Procedure Law, the cost for opening a trial at a civil court has to be paid in advance. Lawyer Tekay criticized, "Efforts to speed up judiciary processes should be done by increasing the budget instead of restricting the freedom to seek your right".

6 October 2011

Deputy PM Arınç Tackles Media Ethics

Government Spokesman Arınç invited media executives to a meeting on "processing terror news". Experts and top-level executives in the Turkish media evaluated such a meeting for bianet.

28 September 2011

HRANT DINK TRIAL

Plaintiff Lawyers Leave Court Room under Protest

The lawyers of the Dink family left the court room in protest because the prosecutor was about to present his final plea before all evidence had been collected. The prosecutor demanded two life sentences and two acquittals.

20 September 2011

WOMEN MURDERS IN THE MEDIA

Media Killed Slain Woman a Second Time

Protests ran high after a biased news article on a woman murder was published in Milliyet newspaper. "The media has to get itself straightened out and should be trained on social gender", woman activist Gülbahar criticized.

13 September 2011

ANADOLU AGENCY

Legal Steps against State News Agency

The Turkish Journalists Union issued a press release regarding oppressive applications of the Anadolu Agency implemented after a change in the management. Union President İpekçi sees the public's right to information endangered.

23 August 2011

Teacher Sanctioned for Criticizing Students' Oath

Teacher Nilay Aksoy is facing a salary cut after telling his students that he did not support the students' oath he was supposed to read to them on Human Rights Day in 2010. Aksoy said he would go as far as the ECHR if necessary because his sanction was unfair.

2 August 2011

HRANT DINK TRIAL

Court Insists on Defendants' Phone Records

The prosecution of Erhan Tuncel and Yasin Hayal, alleged instigators to the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Dink, was continued on 29 July. The court dismissed the objection made by the Telecommunication Communication Presidency on delivering the requested information.

1 August 2011

ZEYTİNBURNU RIOTS

Separate Trials for Kurdish and Non-Kurdish Defendants

The people taken into custody in the course of riots in Zeytinburnu/Istanbul with a Kurdish background were taken to the Anti-Terror Branch, the others were sent to the Public Order Branch. The prosecution of both groups will be held at different courts.

29 July 2011

HRANT DINK MURDER TRIAL

Ogün Samast Sentenced to 22 Years in Jail

Detained defendant Ogün Samast was sentenced to imprisonment of 22 years and ten months for the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink.

25 July 2011