Yaman Akdeniz from the Bilgi University School of Law appreciated Turkey's decision to sign the European Convention on Cyber Crimes. However, Akdeniz emphasized that this was not enough, saying that the protection of individual data should be implemented in domestic law.

The police intervened with tear gas and truncheons against demonstrators voicing their opinions on a democratic constitution in Kadıköy/Istanbul during the weekend. The meeting was attended by 5,000 people, among them members of political parties and non-governmental organizations.

An Istanbul Court dismissed the request to be accepted as joint plaintiffs made by Turkish-Armenian Agos newspaper and the Armenian Church. Neither will the file be transferred to a military court as demanded by the defendants' lawyers. The case will continue on 15 April.

A gendarmerie laboratory confirmed that the mine that killed seven soldiers in South-East-Turkey in May 2009 belonged to the army. The prosecution file of the case launched by the victims' families was transferred to the Prosecutor's Office of the General Staff.

Bayandır from the Peace and Democracy Party brought the doubts about the suspicious death of Metin Alataş, employee of the Kurdish Azadiay Welat newspaper, to Interior Minister Atalay. Alataş was attacked a few months prior to his death and had previously claimed to be threatened.

Former MP of the closed Democracy Party Leyla Zana was sentenced to three years' imprisonment under charges of "propaganda for a terror organization" on the grounds of calling PKK leader Öcalan the "Leader of the Kurdish People". Lawyer Gümüş stated to file an appeal.

Mehdi Tanrıkulu, editorial manager of the Kurdish Azadiya Welat newspaper, was arrested upon his claim to make his defence in court in Kurdish. Tanrıkulu faces imprisonment of up to ten years. He referred to the Treaty of Lausanne and the European Court of Human Rights.

While the according draft law prepared in the scope of the government's democratic initiative is still pending in parliament, children accused of terror crimes are exposed to maltreatment in prison. 18 children in the Maltepe Children Prison started a hunger strike. Apparently, they were beaten and threatened by prison guards.

The report on the Hürriyet Campaign against Domestic Violence reveals weak points regarding the current provincial infra structure, the implementation of protective measures and the legal situation. A lack of protection leaves victims in a difficult and often dangerous situation.

The European Court of Human Rights sentenced Turkey to a total fine of € 400,000 in compensation. Six applicant sought justice for allegedly being tortured in police custody in 1997. The responsible police officers of the time had not been tried.

An Istanbul Court decided to close the weekly Yürüyüş magazine because of alledged "propaganda for an illegal organization" based on an article entitled "We are on the way to Kızıldere". The 22nd issue of the magazine was confiscated. An investigation into the editorial manager was launched.

A total of 86 people were arrested in operations regarding the "Sledgehammer Coup Plan" carried out in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Çanakkale, 70 of them are active military officers. Chief Prosecutor Engin deposed investigation prosecutors Berk and Bayraktar from office.

Turkish Journalists Society President Erniç criticized that issues like freedom of expression, the right to inform and journalists' work security and safety of life "are doomed to remain in hollow words". Journalists are controlled by postponing the pronouncement of judgement, Erinç said.

According to a drafted amendment of the Law on Radio and Television Broadcasting Institutions and Publishing Rights, the limit of foreign investment shall increase to 50 percent and RTÜK shall take over supervision and the ascertaining of the number of viewers.

Police operations in the context of the "Sledgehammer coup plan" carried out in Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir and Çanakkale on 5 April resulted in the arrest of 20 people. Senior Rear Admiral Tuncay Çakan from the Istanbul Gülhane Military Medical Academy was among the people arrested.

The Diyarbakır Prosecution demands a total of 127.5 years imprisonment for 17 members of the "Peace Groups" that entered Turkey in 2009. They are charged with "spreading organizational propaganda" and "praising crime and criminals" in a press conference at the Human Rights Foundation.

TRT started broadcasting in Arabic via the TRT El Turkey television channel. PM Erdoğan said at the opening ceremony, "Even though our faces look to the west, by no means does that mean we are turning our backs to the east". The channel can be watched via satellite by more than 3 million viewers.

Metin Alataş, employee of the Kurdish Azadiya Welat newspaper, was found dead in the Hadırlı district of Adana. Newspaper editor Boltan doubts an alleged suicide: "Altaş was killed by illegal forces or he was forced to commit suicide", Boltan argued.

Massive police presence intervened against Tekel workers in Ankara. A press release by unionists had to be re-located. Tekel workers will continue their resistance against the loss of employee personal rights with protest actions of several days' duration each in the coming months.

In a single hearing, a 15-year-old child was sentenced to imprionment of more than six years. The conviction was based on police statements and a photo showing a child from behind. Lawyer Turgay Berk appealed to the decision.