Linguist and historian Noam Chomsky: “It may be different from Trump. But one should not expect too much. I do not think that Biden will be as brutal as Trump. I do not think that he would approve of the killing of Kurds like Trump.”

The Ankara Security Directorate has announced that two people have been detained over the attack on Future Party Vice Chair Selçuk Özdağ in front of his house on January 15. The security teams are still working to catch the other suspects.

Main opposition CHP Eskişehir MP Utku Çakırözer has raised concerns that 34 journalists were assaulted in Turkey in 2019, 17 journalists were assaulted in 2020 and five journalists were assaulted in the first 15 days of this year.

Detained as part of the operations against the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP), five people have been arrested, five people have been placed under house arrest and 37 people have been released on probation.

The right to a fair trial, with 63.3 percent, ranks first when the rulings of right violation are distributed by rights and freedoms. This right violation is followed by property rights with 19.4 percent and right to freedom of expression with 4.2 percent.

Amid protests against the appointment of Bulu as the new president of Boğaziçi, 2,314 academics from 52 countries have signed a joint statement: “We stand with Boğaziçi University students and faculty in their struggle for academic freedom and autonomy.”

According to a report prepared by main opposition CHP MP Tanrıkulu, 2,123 people were detained during events and demonstrations, 44 people were arrested and 294 people were convicted in trials over meetings and demonstrations in 2020.

While Turkey’s Health Ministry has reported 165 COVID-19 fatalities in the last 24 hours, over 700 thousand health workers were vaccinated against the virus in the first four days and vaccinations are expected to begin at nursing homes this week.

As reported by Evrim Kepenek from bianet, “arrested for online solicitation of a minor in the US, the man became a head of department in Turkey.” The Head of Psychology Department of Marmara University has resigned from office.

All three attacks were carried out in the capital city of Ankara as opposition parties have criticized the government for its lack of reaction.

Convicted of “insulting the President” in May 2017, lawyer and Human Rights Association (İHD) Co-Chair Eren Keskin was also faced with a “disciplinary investigation” by the İstanbul Bar Association. Keskin has been given a reprimand.

Born 119 years ago today, Nazım Hikmet spent most of his life behind bars or in exile.

Turkey began mass COVID-19 vaccination yesterday. While MHP and İYİ Party Chairs have announced that they have been vaccinated, CHP Chair Kılıçdaroğlu and HDP Co-Chairs Buldan and Sancar will wait their turn according to risk groups.

Politician Selçuk Özdağ was attacked by five people in front of his house. Özdağ is the Vice Chair of the Future Party founded and chaired by Ahmet Davutoğlu, who has defined the attack as an act of "political terror."

Healthcare workers have criticized the 3+3 percent pay rise to take effect in 2021: “Over the past year, natural gas prices have increased by 32 percent, electricity prices by 31 percent, legumes by 60 percent, cheese by 27 percent, eggs by 80 percent…”

The government has agreed with China to buy 50 million doses of the CoronaVac vaccine and received the first batch of three million doses.

Having voted against the opening of 142 new bread buffets across İstanbul, the members of the Metropolitan Municipal Council from the ruling AKP and MHP have, this time, approved the proposal, but on certain conditions.

The Central Bank has released the results of its expectation survey.

The Social Memory Platform has released a written statement about the “ongoing smear campaign” against main opposition CHP İstanbul Chair Canan Kaftancıoğlu and Hasan Ocak, who was tortured and disappeared in custody in 1995.

The snowfall is expected to continue on the weekend as the occupancy rates in the city's dams have also increased amid a water shortage threat following dry months.