Hanife Yıldız stood at Galatasaray Square to demand her son from the state. The Saturday Mothers, relatives of political activists who disappeared, have restarted their protests which began 24 years ago.

UNICEF and deans of faculties of communication sign a joint protocol to include rights of the child in their curricula. Courses will begin in September 2009. bianet's efforts to introduce children's rights-based journalism contributed to the incentive.

An Adana court condemns a 15-year-old to imprisonment on terror charges. The child is accused of membership to pro-Kurdish PKK on grounds he had participated in a street protest. Rights activists demand child justice system.

Recently published statistics show that Turkey has been forced to increase its agricultural imports to a record high in the history of the Turkish Republic.

Kaşıkçı of the Turkish Motorcycling Federation (TMF) has criticised the fact that traffic is regulated according to the need of cars and that this can cause motorcycle deaths.

Prime Minister Erdoğan has announced that gas prices will decrease by 17 percent for domestic use and 18 percent for industrial use.

The European Court of Human Rights has penalised Turkey for arresting and prosecuting an under-fifteen year old for alleged PKK membership.

Gas heating bills have increased dramatically this year. People complain of having to turn down the heating. Many are returning to coal stoves.

The number of those who live with HIV/AIDS has become 376 last year. 892 of the cases are women and 118 of them under eighteen. The Positive Life Association (PYD) advises immediate measures in Turkey where most of the population consists of young people.

The official objection to the release of Hüseyin Üzmez, accused for child molesting, has been denied. The suspect was released thanks to the highly questionable report by the Medical Examiner’s Office.

The Union of Turkish Medical Doctors (TTB) concludes that the Medical Examiner’s report that led to the release of Hüseyin Üzmez in the trial for sexually abusing a child void and not usable in a court of law.

York Duchess tapes secretly the inhumane conditions in the two Turkish rehabilitation centers where challenged children are also “cared”. Social services expert Karatay points to the lack of resources, although the mentality is slowly changing.

Ministry of Justice launches an investigation regarding the Medical Examiner’s Report that led to the release of Hüseyin Üzmez, a writer for daily Islamic Vakit, who was accused of sexual abuse of a fourteen year old girl.

Minister of State Nimet Çubukçu says they will object to the report that led to the release of Üzmez, writer for daily Vakit, who was accused of sexually abusing a fourteen-year-old girl.

Hakkari deputy for the Democratic Society Party questions the Forestry Minister about the forest fires in eastern and southeastern Turkey, claiming that they are done intentionally for security reasons.

Moda residents of Istanbul demonstrate every week against the alcohol ban that started in their Pier with the new management since last July. They condemn the interference in their way of living.

The 33 environmentalist who protested the Gendarmerie raid of the Ekotopya Youth Park in Sinop in front of the governorship are released. The Prime Minister calls them “idle environmentalists”.

The Gendarmerie raided the Ekotopya (Ecologic Utopias) Youth Camp that meets in Sinop every year between the dates 9 and 23 August. Sinop governor demanded that the camp be removed immediately. Eleven were taken into custody in an anti-nuclear demonstration against the planned nuclear plant in Sinop.

Six people protesting the nuclear power plant planned to be built in Sinop, a Black Sea Coast Town, are taken into custody. The Greens Party asks the government to cancel the plan.

According to, Prime Ministry’s Human Rights Directorship, 7183 children were lost last year. Most of the incidents were in the cities with highest migration rates.