Ankara court rules release of jailed Austrian journalist Sandra Bakutz. A reporter for Austrian radio Orange 94.0 and German weekly Junge Welt, she was charged with belonging to illegal organization.

Defamation charges have been brought against lawyer Aygun, for saying The Gendarme Commander threatened me in the presence of Tunceli deputies; Gundem representatives were also charged for publishing the remarks.

Denouncing police brutality against peaceful demonstrations by women for International Womens Day, Amnesty International calls on the Turkish authorities to ensure that perpetrators of human rights violations are brought to justice.

2 March trials of Fikret Baskaya and Ragip Zarakolu symbolise the continuation of freedom of expression problems in Turkey.

Supreme Court of Appeal in a historic hearing decides that secular state can not be secured through punishing thought. Freedom of thought is viable only with providing freedom for irritating or even shocking ideas, 14 judges decide against 13.

Bones unearthed after confessions of former paramilitary JITEM member Aygan belongs to Murat Aslan, lost during custody 10 years ago. The IHD and the Diyarbakir Bar Association called on the prosecutors to take immediate action.

Ministry of Justice remains silent for Human Rights Associations request to examine the prison conditions of Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan. A group of IHD officials were denied access to the Imrali island. by the land officers in Gemlik.

The Human Rights Directorate of the Prime Ministry launches investigation to look into charges that a Gokhan Belguzar was tortured to death during police custody. Police claims that the victim committed suicide by hanging himself in the detention cell.

Cevher Ilhan of Yeni Asya newspaper is released from jail. Ilhan is freed after two days in prison due to amendments in Article 312 of the Turkish penal code. He was prosecuted for his article on 1999 earthquake.

Now-nonexistent Uzundere people have changed 4 villages in 9 years. They drink water of the nearby villages well and live in windowless houses snowed on for 6 months. They dont have any cultivation or grazing land. 89, 293 village guards and problems.

How can a father take his 12-year-old son to a clash? asked Guler, a CHP lawmaker and a member of the Human Rights Commission of TBMM. None of our findings point to a clash. Guler wants the investigations to be carried out in a transparent manner.

The fight against terrorism has created certain wars, Human Rights Foundations chair Onen. Certain countries have been occupied. Human rights violations have increased. All these point to a new struggle area. We need international solidarity.

The furious people of the Kiziltepe, Mardin urge for the murder, in a police operation, of the 12-year-old Ugur, and his father Ahmet Kaymaz uncovered. They are seeking to hide the incident from public says local human rights activist Perincek.

INdependent Deputy Sirin handed a question motion to Prime Minister Erdogan about a mass grave found in Diyarbakir and claimed to be of villagers who got lost 11 years ago. He demanded that the ministries, and army make their finding on the issue public.

The June, July and September reports of the Turkish Human Rights Foundation show that defendants facing charges of torture are mostly acquitted.

A court acquitted police officers Ismail Icen and Mustafa Yucel, who were being charged for torturing Daslik. Her lawyer appealed the case at the Supreme Court of Appeals. Icen, who stood another trial for torture, was acquitted in recent months.

Cases against nine police officers from the Istanbul Anti-Terror Branch who were charged with torturing Yeter and 14 others in another incident in 1997 were dropped on 11 November, because they had reached the time limit for such proceedings.

Attorneys of Kutlular the owner of daily Yeni Asya and Şirin, the writer of daily Selam who were sentenced to 2 years and 1 year 8 months respectively are going to appeal to supreme court for the correction of their sentences.

5 press workers arrested during a police raid on the offices of Dicle News Agency (DIHA) and Ozgür Halk newspaper prior to the June NATO Summit in Istanbul are indicted with having affiliations with and assisting an illegal organization.

Turkey is now ahead of some EU member states in its legal protections for detainees, said Sugden of HRW. The Turkish state resisted these changes for more than two decades, but its recent achievements have finally brought international credit.