Some 15,109 rights violations took place in eastern Turkey during the first half of 2012, according to a report by the Human Rights Association (IHD.) A total of 56 security personnel and 122 militants of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) also lost their lives during the same period.

Journalists Sedat Şenoğlu and Bayram Namaz rejected an offer by Turkish government officials to reach a friendly settlement over their suit in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR.) The two journalists have remained under arrest for over six years in connection with the probe into the Marxist Leninist Communist Party (MLKP.)

An Istanbul court ruled to suspend the proceedings against the translators and publishers of “Snuff” by Chuck Palahniuk and “The Soft Machine” by William Burroughs on Thursday, even though the official expert report vindicated the novels.

A specially authorized Istanbul court rejected all the defendants’ demands in the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) trial during the first hearing of the case on Monday. Eminent publisher Ragıp Zarakolu and academic Büşra Ersanlı are also facing charges as part of the probe.

Independent Diyarbakır Deputy Leyla Zana held a press meeting in Parliament on Sunday following her talks with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the Kurdish issue. The veteran Kurdish politician’s earlier statement that PM Erdoğan could resolve the Kurdish issue had drawn sharp cricitism from various quarters within the Kurdish movement.

A court in the Aegean province of İzmir sentenced university student E.Ç. to five months in prison on the charge of “intentionally injuring a civil servant” for throwing an egg at European Union (EU) Minister and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bağış. The court later suspended the sentence.

Authorities released Lami Özgen, the head of the Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (KESK,) following Monday’s massive crackdown that led to the detention of dozens of union members. Officials arrested 28 of those detainees in the past two days, however.

The Forensics Institute unanimously voted to exempt Kenan Evren and Tahsin Şahinkaya, the architects of Turkey’s Sept. 12, 1980 coup, from having to appear in court during Friday’s trial in Ankara due to reasons of health and age.

A specially authorized Istanbul court finally ruled to release college students Baran Nayır and Ali Deniz Kılıç after they remained behind bars for 30 months. Officials had arrested Nayır and Kılıç on terrorism related charges for their participation at a demonstration.

The government’s inability to shed light on the Roboski Massacre six months after the incident reveals the attitude of the incumbent Justice and Development Party (AKP) toward the Kurdish issue, according to Aynur Aşan, the provincial co-chair of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) in the southern province of Mersin.

Reports indicate that an article stipulating the abolition of Turkey’s notorious specially authorized courts may be included in the Third Judicial Reform Package pending in Parliament, upon a directive issued by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

A specially authorized court in the eastern province of Malatya sentenced Kurdish-Alevi singer Ferhat Tunç to two years in prison on terrorism related charges due to his invocation of the names of deceased Turkish leftists during a speech on May 1, 2011.

Employees of the Atılım Newspaper and the Etkin news agency (ETHA) staged a protest in Istanbul’s Taksim Square on Tuesday by selling newspapers on the street in response to a police raid into their offices the same day.

Law enforcement officials detained 65 members of the Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (KESK) in sweeping raids across Turkey on Monday morning as part of the ongoing probe into the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK,) sparking protests in Ankara and other cities. Officials reportedly asked the detainees why they chanted slogans against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP.)

The United Nations’ (UN) Special Rapporteur Frank La Rue announced they were working on an action plan to end impunity for crimes committed against journalists and welcomed the IFEX’s decision to mark Nov. 23 as the International Day to End Impunity.

Law enforcement officials detained journalists İbrahim Çiçek and Ziya Ulusoy, as well as Ali Hıdır Polat, an advisor to the head of the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP,) on terrorism related charges Sunday.

International Delegation of the World Tribunal on Iraq will come to İstanbul to attend first KCK trial and to meet with imprisoned translator Ayşe Berktay.

Journalist Bedri Adanır’s lawyers requested more time from the court where he is standing trial to avert a possible guilty verdict, as Parliament left deliberations on the Third Judicial Reform Package dragging until October. The next hearing is scheduled for Sept. 13.

A court in the southern province of Adana ruled to sentence speech and hearing impaired Mehmet Tahir İlhan to eight years and four months in prison for making propaganda on behalf of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK.)

An Istanbul court passed a landmark verdict to annul the demolition of the city’s historical Fener-Balat-Ayvansaray districts as part of the government’s “urban transformation” scheme. Critics found the decision timely, unlike in the historical Roma district of Sulukule.