Mass arrests of pro-Kurdish journalists ahead of NATO summitRSF has described as shocking an 8 June 2004 operation by anti-terrorist police that took 25 people into custody in raids on two pro-Kurdish publications and a news agency in Istanbul.

The owner of the Munzur Haber and lawyer Aygun is standing trial for giving a speech about the students who petitioned to receive education in their mother tongues. He had been acquitted before in a similar trial.

There will be Bosnian, Kurdish, Zaza, Circassian and Arabic broadcasts on radio and TV once a week each. Kurds and Zazas think six oclock in the morning is too early for the radio programs. Bosnians say they did not demand to have Bosnian broadcasts.

The broadcast in local dialects and languages, which is regarded as an important step towards the European Union path of Turkey, was launched yesterday in Bosnian. The broadcast of state-run TRT Channel caused the reactions of Bosnians in Turkey.

The Human Rights Association is protesting the execution of Siyar Perincek, the son of IHD regional head Mehdi Perincek, who was killed by police in Adana with a bullet to his back.

Director General of WAN Timothy Balding talked about how the written press would be affected by the Internet and rapidly developing electronic media in the World Association of Newspapers and the World Editors Forum (WEF).

RSF has protested jailing of a journalist for insulting the memory of Ataturk - founder of the Turkish Republic. Former editorialist Albayrak of Milli Gazete was sentenced to 15 months in prison and was sent to Kalecik prison in Ankara,

Milli Gazetes former writer Albayrak was sent to the Kalecik Prison after an appeals court upheld the 15 months of prison sentece handed to him for insulting Ataturk. Albayrak will remain in prison for five months.

The Vakit newspaper will have to pay a total of USD 40,500 in damages to 312 generals for an article titled, The country where those who do not have the capacity to become corporals have become generals.

Gun TV broadcasted a Kurdish film with Turkish subtitles for the first time. TVs chair Dogan said they broadcasted the program as an individual broadcast, and said RTUK has still not responded to their request to broadcast a Kurdish cultural program.

The second International Symposium of Religions and Peace in the Light of the Common Ancestor (Abraham) (Harran Meetings), organized by Intercultural Dialogue Platform of Journalists and Authors Foundation (JAF), begins in Mardin today.

Kalan Muzik sent the video clip of Kurdish Mirkut song to national TVs. When none broadcasted the clip, it placed announcements on 8 newspapers. People, whose mother tongue is Kurdish, do not have access to their own cultural elements, said Okcu.

Kara, former owner of the Datca Haber newspaper, who filmed Datcas local official as he was swimming, will stand trial on May 11. He who has served in prison twice before and who faces 15 days in prison, called on his colleagues to attend the hearing.

The gendarme report in the case against DIHA reporter Hakan, disproves the police statements. Hakans camera was seized as he was covering a protest, and he was charged for being a runaway activist. Police had said, Hakan had no camera with him.

RTUK ordered 4 local radios off the air for a total of 120 days, a total of 21 programs off the air, handed out 39 warnings and asked for defense statements for 19 programs. Most of the television channels involved were national.

13-page report, the rights violations are tackled with under the title of attacks and threats, trials and attempts, European Court of Human Rights, RTUK implementations, regulations and seeking judgment, and censorship and monopolization.

The constitutional amendments toward annulling DGMs do not give hope to jurists. CHD head Sensoy said, everything will stay the same as long as laws stay the same. According to Baskan from the Istanbul Bar, republic is under threat.

Journalist Yildiz who has been standing trial for the last three years for writing about a book called, Mehmeds Book, by Nadire Mater, was acquitted at the third trial. The journalist was being charged with insulting the armed forces of the state.

RTUK ordered a program on CNN Turk off the air for once, for violating advertising rules. ATV was handed a penalty for hurting the development of the youth with the program A to Z with Esra Ceyhan. RTUK handed TGRT and Show TV three warnings each.

The International Publishers Association (IPA) and International PEN organized two round tables on the occasion of the 60th Session on the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland.