Murat Arslan, the former Chair of the Association of Judges and Prosecutors (YARSAV), which was closed by a Statutory Decree, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for "being a member of an armed terrorist organization."

Cemil Kurt, who was arrested at the same prison with his lawyers, has been released. One of his attorneys, Naim Eminoğlu, is still arrested for “having visited North Korea.”

The parliamentary inquiry submitted by HDP MP Paylan, who has demanded that a parliamentary investigation be launched into Hrant Dink murder, which cannot be solved for 12 years, has been rejected by the votes of AKP and MHP MPs.

In the eighth hearing of the Aladağ dorm fire case, the court board has rejected the families’ request for a new expert report and adjourned the hearing to April 30, 2019.

According to Minister of Transport Cahit Turhan, deaths by natural causes in the construction of the 3rd Airport “were not caused by the workplace or the employer.” As for the unnatural deaths, the Minister has stated flaws of the killed workers as reason.

In the main trial of the closed Özgür Gündem newspaper, where nine people have been tried, the court board has ruled that the arrest of newspaper’s grant holder Kemal Sancılı shall continue. The next hearing of the case will be held on April 10, 2019.

HDP MP Paylan has submitted a parliamentary question regarding the Turkish Penal Code Article 301, which stipulates prison sentence for “insulting Turkishness”. Paylan said, “In last period, investigations are unquestioningly opened as per this article."

Pronouncing its judgement regarding the Foundation of Seventh-day Adventists, whose request for being included in the official register was rejected, the ECtHR has sentenced Turkey to pay damages for “violating the freedom of assembly and association.”

Human Rights Association Co-Chair Türkdoğan has said that they presented their works and views to Minister of Justice Gül and their dialogue with the Ministry will continue.

Former HDP Hakkari MP Zeydan, who has been arrested since November 4, 2016, has been given a disciplinary punishment after he announced that he would go on a 10-day hunger strike. Zeydan will be banned from some activities in prison for a month.

Sebahat Tuncel and Selma Irmak have announced that they will go on an indefinite and irreversible hunger strike in solidarity with HDP Hakkari MP Leyla Güven, demanding that “the isolation of imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan be removed.”

Musician Ferhat Tunç, who was taken into custody at the İstanbul Atatürk Airport on his way back from Germany, has been released after deposing to the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office via Audio and Visual Information System (SEGBİS).

The Ministry of Interior has stated in a circular that social media posts on election day will be monitored by “combating cyber crimes teams” and added that “the international observers will be treated with hospitality.”

Responding to US President Trump, who said, “We will devastate Turkey economically if they hit Kurds”, Minister of Foreign Affairs Çavuşoğlu has stated, “We know the difficulty, in which Trump has found himself. His last tweet is a matter of internal affairs.”

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) MP Leyla Güven has been on a hunger strike for 67 days for the purpose of the removal of the isolation on PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan.

After the CHP revealed the “imaginary voters” registered in Princes' Islands in İstanbul ahead of local elections, new claims have emerged regarding changing voters' registered addresses to gain advantage in some districts in İstanbul, Niğde, Şırnak and Urfa.

Binali Yıldırım, whose nomination to the Mayorship of İstanbul without resigning as the Parliamentary Speaker raised controversy, has reacted to critics, saying that the debates around the issue are not legal but political.

Aydın Gün Encouragement Award of the İstanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) has been granted to young pianist Can Çakmur in 2018.

AKP Chair and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has spoken at a symposium on local administrations: “That capitalism… It doesn’t care what happens to nature.”

Releasing a statement on the occasion of January 10 Working Journalists’ Day, President Erdoğan has claimed, “Press has become more democratic and liberal in 16 years.” The reports of bianet on freedom of expression have been refuting these claims.