Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis was the first Greek leader to visit Turkey for 49 years. The visit has been hailed as a sign of good will on both sides.

The new UNICEF report on the state of children in the world shows positive developments in child mortality and average life expectancy. However, too many children are still deprived of education or forced to marry underage.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has selected five new judges for the ECHR, four of them women. One of them is Prof. Dr. Karakas.

Erdogan spoke at the Forum of the Alliance of Civilisations in Madrid, discussing the headscarf and Article 301 in a press meeting.

According to research carried out by the WHO and the Iraqi government, 151,000 civilians died between March 2003 and June 2006. Non-violent deaths have increased by sixty percent.

A primary school student, Deniz Türkeş, who is a contributor to the children's magazine Minus 18 (Eksi 18) joined bianet's year-end investigation and evaluated the year 2007 for us.

In 2007, a law on nuclear power was passed, gold mining activities increased, and the Kyoto Protocol was not signed by Turkey.

In his last speech of 2007, Prime Minister Erdogan mainly spoke of the Kurdish question and violence. “We are aiming at a democratic, laicist and social legal state for 2008.”

Turks in Northern Cyprus have also formed a Conscientious Objectors' Initiative, opposing militarism and legislation which punishes "alienating the public from military service".

At a pre-election rally in Rawalpindi, opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was shot and later died. In an ensuing explosion at least 20 people died.

According to UNICEF, millions of children have been affected by the ongoing war in Iraq, suffering from malnutrition, illnesses, interrupted education and displacement.

Academic Ünlütürk Ulutas has researched women who migrate to Turkey from the former Eastern bloc. They miss their children, fear the police, work hard and live secretively.

Dr. Cengiz Aktar is pessimistic about Turkey's accession to the EU if the current atmosphere continues.

After a boat capsized off the Turkish Aegean coast, 46 refugees died. The search for survivors and bodies goes on. Six Palestinians were rescued.

Ümit Sahin of the Greens said that Turkey, like Australia, should commit itself to the Kyoto Protocol before the end of the Bali Climate Change Summit.

The General Staff announced that the army has carried out its first operation since a bill of authorisation was passed by parliament.

Turkey has been ranked 17th largest economy in the world, but needs to work on gender inequality, education and other issues.

According to the Landmine Monitor 2007 report, 18 people died and 55 people were injured because of landmines last year.