RIGHTS - Bianet

RIGHTS

Page 254

Parliament Discusses The Special Forces For Keeping Files On People

Democratic Society Party deputy Akın Birdal brought the topic of keeping files on people to the Parliament. He asked Interior Minister Beşir Atalay questions about the matter.

7 August 2008 Tolga Korkut

Hayat TV Is Back After Three Weeks

Hayat TV Is Back After Three Weeks

Hayat TV, which was accused of aiding the pro-Kurdish Roj TV, is back to broadcasting after it resolved the bureaucratic problems encountered in the process.

7 August 2008 Erol Önderoğlu

Kurdish Politician Alınak Refuses To Buy His Freedom

Kurdish politician Mahmut Alınak is entering the prison for refusing to pay the fine he received for the crime of “praising the criminals Deniz Gezmiş, Musa Anter, Vedat Aydın, whose names he proposed to give to the streets and parks.

6 August 2008 Erol Önderoğlu

“Ergenekon And Dink’s Murder Case Must Be Combined”

Ergin Cinmen, one of the lawyers of the Dink family in Hrant Dink’s murder case, demands that the prosecutors deepen the investigation of Hrant Dink’s murder using the finds in the Ergenekon case.

6 August 2008 Erol Önderoğlu

Police Cannot Humor The Murderer

Police Cannot Humor The Murderer

Istanbul Police Department announce that they are going to file a lawsuit against the newspaper Radikal for carrying a story about Ogün Samast’s pictures taken by them. The reporter says he would be honored to be sued for this.

6 August 2008 Erol Önderoğlu

Ogün Samast Was With Two Other People When He Killed Hrant Dink

Ogün Samast Was With Two Other People When He Killed Hrant Dink

According to a telephone communication revealed by the Ergenekon investigation, there were two more individuals with Ogün Samast when he killed Hrant Dink and Yasin Hayal, the instigator of the murder, was a member of the Great Union Party at the time.

Another Internet Site Becomes Inaccessible

Another Internet Site Becomes Inaccessible

Youtube, the biggest global video sharing site, has been inaccessible for three months now. Another site, dailymotion.com, is banned, too.

4 August 2008 Erol Önderoğlu

Democratic Mass Organizations Protest Güngören Explosions

Leftist Platform consisting of various political parties and non-governmental organizations protested the Güngören explosions, blaming the government not going against the counter-guerilla mentality.

4 August 2008 Bawer Çakır

Prosecutor Says No Need For Special Laws To Protect Atatürk

Prosecutor Says No Need For Special Laws To Protect Atatürk

Beyoğlu Prosecutor Muzaffer Yalçın let go Nuray Canan Bezirgan and Kevser Çakır, who were accused of insulting Atatürk. He says not liking Atatürk will not diminish his value.

1 August 2008 Erhan Üstündağ

Democratic Mass Organizations: The Coup Makers Must Be Tried

Various organizations and political parties make a press release regarding the escalation of violence in Turkey. According to them, Güngören and Kerkük incidents are the result of different counter-guerilla groups settling scores internally.

1 August 2008 Bawer Çakır

Internet Piracy Against Freedom Of Expression Sites Is Taken To Court

The sabotage acts on freedom of expression sites antenna-tr.org and ortakpayda.org, both of which are IFEX members, are taken to the court.

30 July 2008 Erol Önderoğlu

Assaults And Murders Linked To Ergenekon

In the Ergenekon indictment, the assaults on the State Council and daily Cumhuriyet, the murders of Hrant Dink and Necip Hablemitoğlu, and the Malatya Massacre take big place.

Criticizing Headscarf Decision Takes Journalist Karaaliğlu To Court

Chief Editor of daily Star Mustafa Karaalioğlu is sued for criticizing the “turban” (headscarf) decision of the Constitutional Court. He is accused of “inciting hatred and hostility”, “insulting” and “instigating others to commit crime”.

Hundreds Of People Showed Their Support For Hayat TV

Hundreds Of People Showed Their Support For Hayat TV

Non-governmental organizations, professional organizations and many more people gathered in front of Galatasaray High School in Istanbul to support Hayat TV, which was shut down unjustly and suddenly a while ago

24 July 2008 Bawer Çakır

Parliamentary Inquiry Says The State Could Not Protect Hrant Dink

Parliamentary Human Rights Subcommittee accuses the security units of the state for not taking the necessary steps to prevent Hrant Dink’s murder in its report. It points out to the lack of communication between the institutions.

Dink Family Goes To The European Human Rights Court For The Third Time

Dink Family Goes To The European Human Rights Court For The Third Time

Lawyers of the Dink family are getting ready to go to the European Human Rights Court (EHRC) for Istanbul police chief Celalettin Cerrah’s possible role in Hrant Dink’s murder.

23 July 2008 Erol Önderoğlu

Mandatory Religion Classes Continue To Torture

The government insists on not removing the mandatory religion classes. According to Alevi leaders, AKP’s understanding of freedom of belief is limited with the requirements and wishes of its own constituency, the sunni community.

23 July 2008 Erhan Üstündağ

In Ankara, 70 Million Steps Against Coups

Those Political parties and non-governmental organizations that are against coups are getting together to organize a demonstration in Ankara. Speaking for the coalition, Yasemin Göksu, an artist, says, “They will be at Ankara to say ‘do not touch the Parliament, politics, democracy and my freedom’”

22 July 2008 Bawer Çakır

Lawyers Reject Negligence Accusation In Hrant Dink Murder Case

Lawyers of the Dink family in Hrant Dink’s murder case insist that not only Colonel Ali Öz, Captain Metin Yıldız and four other gendarmerie officials from Trabzon Gendarmerie, but all of the officials who could not prevent te murder should be prosecuted.

22 July 2008 Erol Önderoğlu

Istanbul Police Chief Cerrah: The Untouchable Of Hrant Dink Murder Case

Istanbul Police Chief Cerrah: The Untouchable Of Hrant Dink Murder Case

Istanbul Regional Administrative Court decided there was no need to investigate Chief of Istanbul Police Department Celalettin Cerrah and his subordinates for their role in Hrant Dink’s role.

22 July 2008 Erol Önderoğlu

Colonel Ali Öz’s Testimony: Total Amnesia

Colonel Ali Öz’s Testimony: Total Amnesia

Colonel Ali Öz, the key figure in Hrant Dink’s murder case, who is accused of not taking seriously the intelligence reports about Dink’s assassination, does not remember anything.

21 July 2008 Erol Önderoğlu

Democratic Society Party Elects Ahmet Türk As President

Ahmet Türk became the new president of the Democratic Society Party. He asked for the recognition of the Kurdish identity, their mother tongues and democratic autonomy.

BİA Media Monitoring Report: Expressing Opinions More Difficult Than Before

According to the BİA Media Monitoring Report for April-May-June 2008 shows that there is a clear increase in freedom of expression violation cases.

18 July 2008 Erol Önderoğlu

Trabzon Gendarmerie Officials To Be Investigated For Their Role In Dink's Murder

Trabzon Gendarmerie Officials To Be Investigated For Their Role In Dink's Murder

Inspectors from Ministry of Justice demand permission to launch an investigation against Colonel Ali Öz and six other Gendarmerie officials. Dink’s lawyer insist that they should be allowed to see the report.

18 July 2008 Erol Önderoğlu

Police Officers Finally On Trial For Beating Transsexual Esmeray

The police officers who beat up and insulted transsexual Esmeray in June 2007 for passing by the front of the station will be tried for the crime of “simple bashing and insulting.”

18 July 2008 Tolga Korkut

Hayat TV’s Satellite Connection Cut Off

Hayat TV’s Satellite Connection Cut Off

Britain based Hayat TV channel's broadcasting is cut for charges of separatism. General Director Çubukçu rebuffs the charges as a political move. Çubukçu vows to resume broadcast through staunch legal struggle.

17 July 2008 Bawer Çakır

Justice Ministry To Decide If Tursun Family Is Tried Under Article 301

Court sent the file for the Tursun Family to the Ministry of Justice in compliance with revised article 301, who are on trial for reacting verbally to the release of the police officer who killed their son.

17 July 2008 Erol Önderoğlu

Parliamentary Committee For Dink’s Murder Still To Complete Its Report

Mehmet Ocaktan, head of the subcommittee to investigate Hrant Dink’s murder, announced that contrary to the news in the media, subcommittee’s report about the case was not completed yet.

Reporter Is Sentenced For A Crime Hundreds Of Miles Away From Him

The court sentences reporter Rüştü Demirkaya based only on informant Engin Korcum’s testimony, even though it was showed that Demirkaya was hundreds of miles away from where the crime was committed.

Supreme Court Of Appeals Reverses The Decision Against Ergündoğan

The Supreme Court of Appeals reversed the decision against journalist Ergündoğan, who was fined for attacking the personal rights of Haydar Baş, president of the Independent Turkey Party and head of the Kadirli religious order.

11 July 2008 Erol Önderoğlu

Justice Ministry Refuses Article 301 Case

Justice Ministry refused the trial of journalist İbrahim Tığ under article301, who had criticized government’s privatization program and called it an act of treason.

10 July 2008 Erol Önderoğlu

Former Interior Minister Evades Justice Again In Susurluk Case

The Supreme Court of Appeals rejected Ağar’s case on the grounds that he was a governor at the time of the crime. Ağar has been under investigation for some time in the Susurluk conspiracy.