The “Middle East Conference” organized by the People’s Democratic Congress (HDK) at Istanbul’s Bosphorus University ended with a 13 point declaration calling for the unity of the peoples in the region. The panelists covered a range of topics from the ongoing conflict in Syria to Palestine and the latest developments in Turkey.

A court in Istanbul sentenced journalist Reyhan Çapan, the editor-in-chief and publisher of the daily Özgür Gündem, to one year and three months in prison for a single headline that appeared on the paper.

Metin Bakkalcı, the head of the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV,) spoke to bianet about the ongoing hunger strikes initiated by 615 inmates to protest the obstacles that lie before the use of the Kurdish language and the continued isolation of Abdullah Öcalan, the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK.)

Turkey falls into a category all on its own with respect to clamping down on journalists, according to a new report published by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ.) The report indicates that Turkey broke its own record in arresting journalists, with some 76 press workers currently serving time behind bars.

The Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning approved a decision to fill the coastline in Istanbul’s Yenikapı district with land and transform it into a meeting square. Critics, however, believe a nearby UNESCO World Heritage Site is likely to be the first victim of that scheme and that the project has to do with the politics of public space.

Turkey’s Supreme Court of Appeals ratified a life-time imprisonment sentence against Atılım newspaper’s editor-in-chief Hatice Duman, just as it overturned a sentence of nearly 19 years in prison for journalist Necati Abay who was also standing trial in the same case.

Turkish air force jets forced a Syrian passenger plane en route from Moscow to land while it was bound for Damascus over Turkish air space on Oct. 11. Turkish officials also ordered another Armenian passenger plane bound for Aleppo to land in the northeastern province of Erzurum today. Such moves are legal but hostile acts that are not in conformity with regular aviatian practices, according to Assistant Prof. Volkan Günel.

A trustee board member at Istanbul’s Yeni Yüzyıl University ordered the dismissal of 17 faculty members in flagrant violation of due procedures. Students believe the move was a consequence of the administration’s desire to refashion the university in line with the views of the government. Meanwhile, eight research assistants at Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ) were also laid off, with hundreds more potentially facing the same prospect.

The Ankara Chief Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation against the organizing committee of the Peace and Democracy Party’s (BDP) Second Extraordinary Congress only a day after the convention. Members of the committee stand accused of making terrorist propaganda.

A total of 72 journalists and 35 distributors remained in prison in the 2012 third quarterly report term. 3 people, including one journalist and one distributor were sentenced to a total of 20 years, 7 months in prison for violating the TMK.

The parliamentary commission investigating military interventions continues talking to influential media figures about their perceptions and memories of the events in 1997 and 2007.

The newly appointed police chief in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır voiced unusual and poignant remarks about the Kurdish issue. Critics expressed hope that the sentiments he voiced will translate into action but struck a cautious note as he still remains an agent of the Turkish state.

The Higher Education Board (YÖK) slashed the number of students allowed to enroll in Mardin Artuklu University’s new Kurdish teaching program from 500 down to 250. The university decided to withdraw from the program, but the YÖK declined their request.

With more cross-border shellings taking place between Turkey and Syria over the weekend, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta voiced concern about a possible broadening of the conflict. Prime Minister Erdoğan, on the other hand, Friday struck a more worrying note and said they were “neither warmongers nor too far removed from war.”

In the women's solidarity protest, women called attention to the fact that the BDP's women deputies are being insulted and exposed to physical violence. Women said "The AKP wants war, women wants peace."

Scores of people hit the streets across Turkey on Thursday and Friday to protest the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) policies toward Syria. The demonstrations against the prospect of a war with Syria saw broad participation from a wide range of non-governmental organizations ranging from professional chambers to human rights groups.

The Turkish Prime Ministry announced on Wednesday they had responded to the deadly cross-border shelling from Syria by immediately firing back on Syrian army positions. Parliament also passed a motion allowing the government to send troops abroad if necessary amidst a flurry of international responses.

According to the report by the Assembly for Worker Health and Work Security, at least 83 workers died in September.

An artillery shell fired from Syria during the clashes between government forces and the Free Syrian Army there landed on a house in the district of Akçakale in the southeastern province of Urfa today. A mother and her four children lost their lives, while another 13 people were injured. Akçakale Mayor Ayhan complained about the frequency of bombs landing in the area due to the ongoing conflict across the border.

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) refused to provide accreditation for a number of dissident dailies to attend its party congress on Sunday. The move drew sharp criticism from journalist associations, while columnist and IPI member Kadri Gürsel called it an act of discrimination.