RIGHTS - Bianet

RIGHTS

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Investigation Into Yasin Hayal's Connections In Dink’s Murder Case

Although the court refused to combine the Trabzon and Samsun cases about Hrant Dink’s murder with the main case in Istanbul, it did however take some positive steps.

9 July 2008 Erol Önderoğlu

Police Officers Who Allowed Ogün Samast Pictures Reach Media Are On Trial

Dink’s lawyers demand that not only those police officers who passed the pictures to the media, but also those who had their pictures taken should be tried as well.

9 July 2008 Erol Önderoğlu

The General Staff Forces Daily Taraf To Turn In Its Sources In Dağlıca Story

The General Staff Forces Daily Taraf To Turn In Its Sources In Dağlıca Story

The General Staff threatens the newspaper Taraf that if they do not return the documents they used in Dağlıca story, they will come and get them. The journalist associations show their support by indicating that the journalists do not have to turn in their sources.

9 July 2008 Bawer Çakır

Hrant’s Friends Cry Justice From Beşiktaş Square

Hrant’s Friends were at same spot as before yesterday morning to show determination and hope that in spite of all the obstacles the justice may come forward in Hrant Dink’s murder case.

8 July 2008 Ceyda Ulukaya

Court Refuses To Combine The Trabzon Gendarmerie Case With Dink’s Murder

Court Refuses To Combine The Trabzon Gendarmerie Case With Dink’s Murder

The court heard the testimonies of İğci, Tuncel and Samast, but in spite of all the indications, it refused to see any connection with the Gendarmerie trial in Trabzon. The accused did not seem to take the trial seriously, making fun of the questions.

8 July 2008 Erol Önderoğlu

Meet At Beşiktaş Square, For Hrant, For Justice

Meet At Beşiktaş Square, For Hrant, For Justice

Hrant’s friends ask everyone to gather at Beşiktaş Square in Istanbul for the sixth hearing of the case tomorrow morning (June 7) at 9:30.

6 July 2008 Erol Önderoğlu

“No Democracy Will Come Out Of An Anti-Democratic Investigation”

“No Democracy Will Come Out Of An Anti-Democratic Investigation”

The head of Human Rights Foundation of Turkey evaluates the recent Ergenekon investigation and concludes that there is no reason to be overly optimistic and claim that this operation will result in Turkey’s democratization.

5 July 2008 Erhan Üstündağ

Latife Tekin: Karabük Mayor Files Complaint, PEN Supports

Karabük Mayor and some Karabük municipality workers are getting ready to file a complaint against the famous writer Latife Tekin for insulting the people of Karabük and the Turksh government. PEN says that this is totalitarian mentality at work.

4 July 2008 Erol Önderoğlu

General Staff Takes Journalist Dilipak To The Court

The General Staff files a complaint about journalist Abdurrahman Dilipak for denigrating the Armed Forces using article 301.

3 July 2008 Erol Önderoğlu

The Constitutional Court Decreed That The Charity Membership Is Legal

The Constitutional Court annulled the expression in the Civil Code that banned charity membership.

Acquittal In Kurdish Brochure Trial

The court acquitted Diyarbakır mayor Baydemir and Bağlar Mayor Ösökmenler in the Kurdish brochure case, in which they were on trial for distributing Kurdish brochures to teach non-Turkish speakers how to manage their garbage.

How Many Soldiers Will It Take?

How Many Soldiers Will It Take?

According to the General Staff, the necessary security measures were taken in Dağlıca Ambush and the real objective of PKK was prevented. So, was what happened assumed to be normal?

1 July 2008 A. Nilüfer Zengin Kürkçü

AKP Mayor Stops Latife Tekin’s Speech About Energy Policy

At Karabük festival, the Mayor stopped the famous writer Latife Tekin’s speech, when she started criticizing the energy policies of the government.

Turkey Must Face The Sıvas Massacre

Turkey Must Face The Sıvas Massacre

The European Peace Assembly demands that the Turkish government bring to justice those responsible for the Sivas massacre fifteen years ago and meet the demands of the Alevi society.

European Council Tells Turkey To Bring Back The Migrated Greeks

The European Council reminds that the Greek population of the Aegean islands Bozcaada and Gökçeada were forced to leave their land and asks Turkey to change this situation.

Hrant Dink’s First And Only Book Is Published

Dink’s book in which he discusses the Armenia-Turkey relations that he saw as the key to solving the Armenian problem. “İki Yakın Halk İki Uzak Komşu” (Two Close People Two Far Neighbors) is published by International Hrant Dink Foundation.

A Cypriot Journalist Receives The Courage In Journalism Award

The International Women’s Media Foundation awards Sevgül Uludağ, a journalist from Cyprus with the Courage in Journalism Award for her work done under very difficult conditions.

27 June 2008 Tolga Korkut

The European Council Reconsiders Turkey’s Status

The European Council Reconsiders Turkey’s Status

Emphasizing the AKP closure case in its latest report, the European Council proposes that Turkey goes back to being monitored. The EU expert Aktar says “the reaction is not new, the relations with the EU are at the point of stalling.”

27 June 2008 Erhan Üstündağ

“Kurdish TV Channel” Becomes Possible On Paper

President Gül signs into law the bill that opens the way for TRT to allocate a TV channel for non-Turkish mother tongues, including Kurdish.

The General Staff Knew About PKK’s Dağlıca Ambush

The General Staff Knew About PKK’s Dağlıca Ambush

According to the intelligence report published by the newspaper Taraf, the military intelligence knew about PKK’s Dağlıca ambush, which took place on October 21, 2007 and resulted in 13 deaths and 8 kidnapped soldiers. The General Staff have not commented yet.

Military Court Releases Conscientious Objector Bal

Adana military court released conscientious objector Mehmet Bal by finding him not fit for military service. His lawyer objects the decision, since, he says, Bal rejected military service based on his belief in conscientious objection.

26 June 2008 Erol Önderoğlu

Finally O.S. Is Eighteen, Dink’s Trial Will Be Open To The Media

Since the accused O.S. in Dink’s murder trial will be eighteen in the next hearing, the trial will be open to the media.

The Prosecutor Says Close The Democratic Society Party

The Supreme Court Chief Prosecutor presented his oral explanation and one more time he demands that the DTP should be closed. The DTP will present its oral defense on September 16.

Atatürk’s Revolutions Were Traumatic Claims The AK Party Deputy

Atatürk’s Revolutions Were Traumatic Claims The AK Party Deputy

The Ak Party deputy chairperson Fırat says that Atatürk's revolutions traumatized the society, although he adds that he does not say that the revolutions were god or bad. He blames the media for conducting a psychological warfare.

If Your Name Is Kurdish Then You Cannot Enter Turkey

A German citizen child whose father is a political refuge was not allowed to enter Turkey since his name included previously banned W letter, although this law is not in effect any longer. The DTP submits a motion of question.

24 June 2008 Erhan Üstündağ

The Court Postpones DTP’s Closure Defense

Due to Democratic Society Party’s (DTP) busy schedule, the Constitutional Court postpones DTP’s oral defense to September 16.

Dink’s Lawyer Say Trabzon Is In Big Danger

Dink’s lawyer Cinmen said that if the gendarmerie officials did not even know Hrant Dink before and this murder was not their concern, then anything can happen in Trabzon.

21 June 2008 Erol Önderoğlu

Trabzon Police Knew Dink’s Murder A Year Before It Took Place

Trabzon Police Knew Dink’s Murder A Year Before It Took Place

Two more witnesses in the Gendarmerie Neglect Trial in Trabzon say that they knew the murder. One of them added that it was not their concern since it was not a terrorist act.

21 June 2008 Erol Önderoğlu

Objectionable Atatürk Videos Keep YouTube Inaccessible

Objectionable Atatürk Videos Keep YouTube Inaccessible

Turkey is not one of hostile countries to the internet, but it has kept YouTube, the biggest video sharing site, inaccessible for two months because of insulting videos to Atatürk. The prosecutor says it is not enough to remove them from the Turkish database.

The Court Acquits The Agos Journalists

The Court Acquits The Agos Journalists

The new prosecutor in the Agos case says that the court verdicts can be critiqued as well and both Agos journalists, Aris Nalcı and Sarkis Seropyan, are acquitted.

19 June 2008 Erol Önderoğlu

Publisher Zarakolu Sentenced Under 301

Although the lawsuit was technically filed under article 159 of the old Penal Code, there is no question that as far as the mentality of the court is concerned, the publisher Zarakolu is sentenced under article 301. However, the court acquitted him for the crime of insulting Atatürk.

19 June 2008 Erol Önderoğlu

Another Officer Admits They Knew Dink Would Be Murdered

After petty officers Şimşek and Şahin, who are on trial for negligence in Dink’s murder, and Aslan and Erdoğan, whose statements were taken as witnesses, Captain Yıldız also says that Colonel Öz knew about Dink’s murder.

13 June 2008 Erol Önderoğlu