The "new constitution" issue has been dropped off from the ruling AK Party's agenda until the post-election period. Voters in Turkey do not have a clue as to why though. It seems that Turkey needs proper democracy in the first place, before looking for the advanced one.

Massive criticism on the internet filter system to be enforced on 22 August was voiced in a meeting on the matter at Bilgi University on 25 May. The participants demanded to withdraw the decision.

In the context of the trial on the murder of journalist Hayırsevener, the Istanbul 10th Special Authority High Criminal Court decided to summon 24 witnesses to the coming hearing in October. A secret witness might be heard as well.

The prosecutor is going to prepare his final plea in the case against murder suspect Ogün Samast for the coming hearing on 17 June. Samast stands accused of murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink; he described himself as a victim of circumstances.

The compensation claim filed by PM Erdoğan against poet Beyramoğlu was dismissed by the Ankara 15th Civil Court of First Instance. The court decided that Beyramoğlu's criticism of the Prime Minister remained within the scope of freedom of thought.

23 people were taken into custody in the course of police operations on 25 May in Adana because they allegedly attended commemoration events for executed Turkish leftist revolutionaries.

After the list of "banned words" recently issued by the Telecommunication Communication Presidency, now a list of banned letter combinations for motorized vehicles came to the agenda.

On 25 May, the Internet Committee organizes a meeting with non-governmental organizations, public representatives and experts to discuss the much disputed internet filter system. The application is going to be enforced on 22 August.

The website of the Yüksekova News daily became the latest target for the time being in a series of cyber attacks on news wesites such as Birgün, bianet and Sol Haber.

The 20-day isolation punishment for conscientious objector İnan Süver on the grounds of "desertion" was executed as of 23 May. Süver resumed his hunger strike on 16 May as a sign of protest against his imprisonment.

Two election offices of the Labour, Democracy and Freedom Block were demolished in Mersin; the police did not take any action. One office in Istanbul was damaged. Istanbul Candidate Önder was personally attacked.

The Istanbul 12th High Criminal Court decided to release Atılım newspaper executive Çiçek and three other defendants pending trial. Özgür Radio employee Erdoğan remains in prison. The defendants are charged with membership in the underground MLKP organization.

The publication of bianet.org was interrupted yesterday between 3.30 and 11.30 pm as a result of a cyber attack. We would like to thank our readers and colleagues who evinced their solidarity with us.

Access to the birgün.net website of the left-wing Birgün daily was rendered almost impossible after the website was flooded with hits on 16 May. The cyber attack was carried out via a minimum of 200 IP addresses, it was announced.

Thousands of people in south-eastern Turkey demonstrated against military operations that left 12 PKK members and 5 soldiers dead. Shops in the region remained closed, schools were boycotted. Demonstrators clashed with the police.

Journalist Ersin Çelik received a ten-month prison sentence because of a news item about police officers who allegedly killed student Aydın Erdem. Çelık was convicted of "disclosing the identity of a public official on anti-terror duties".

Tens of Thousands of people took the streets in 31 Turkish provinces on 15 May to demonstrate against the "Draft Bill on Rules and Procedures of the Safety of Internet Use". The draft law will be enforced on 22 August.

Journalists Ahmet Şık and Ertuğrul Mavioğlu were acquitted of charges of "violation of confidentiality" based on their two volumes on the Ergenekon investigation. The case was in the focus of national and international trial observers.

4 students in Van who were active in recent student protests were taken into custody by the Anti-Terror Police on 11 May. They were allowed to talk to their lawyers only after 24 hours. The lawyers are barred from seeing the file because of a decision of confidentiality.

The Yüksekova 1st Criminal Court of First Instance sentenced journalist Erkan Çapraz to imprisonment of ten months for publishing a certain article on the Yüksekova Haber newspaper's website. The pronouncement of the judgement was postponed.