Interior Minister Atalay criticized opposition parties MHP's and CHP's statements concerning the peace groups that returned to Turkey in the beginning of this week. Commenting harshly on the welcome events of DTP, he emphasized that the opening process is a success and that the government is going to continue it.

The Istanbul 13th High Criminal Court banned the weekly Özgür Görüş newspaper for 1 months under charges of "making propaganda for the PKK organization" on page 9 of the 8-page issue.

DTP Co-Chair Türk responds to the Prime Minister's criticism of turning the arrival of the peace groups into a "show". Türk said, "This is not a show, this is the enthusiasm of the people. They came for the peace process. This enthusiasm should be shared all over Turkey". Court of Appeals Chief Prosecutor Yalçınkaya has launched an investigation against DTP regarding the receptions.

The governorship filed a closure case against the Black Pink Triangle association in Izmir under charges of "opposing the public morality and the Turkish family structure". The first hearing is scheduled for February next year.

Women Engineers have started a campaign against job advertisements containing additions like "military service completed" or "male engineer" and against the publication of those adverts by the engineer chambers. They also demand to finally set up a Gender Based Discrimination Monitoring Secretary within the engineers' umbrella organization TMMOB.

Former President of the Medical Association Ölçer said that the arrival of the Peace Groups in Diyarbakır created an atmosphere of reunion and a hope for peace, "Everybody should do their utmost for the PKK to come down from the mountains".

The Turkish Journalists Society published a declaration against journalists' increasing exposure to violence lately: "We will not hesitate to apply legal ways in order to seek the rights of our colleagues and we know it as our duty to inform the public".

Selmi Yılmaz and Fakir Yılmaz, owner and editor-in-chief respectively of Kuzey Doğu Anadolu daily, have to pay 4,000 Turkish Lira in compensation. 2 Judges had filed a complaint about them, originally demanding 40,000 TL in compensation. The journalists are going to lodge an appeal against the decision.

Turkey was convicted by the ECHR of putting several newspapers to silence. 26 journalists from 4 Kurdish newspapers had applied to the European court. Turkey has to pay thousands of Euros in compensation to the complainants.

The court decided to release Erol Ölmez, Kahraman Şahin and Ümit Oğuzhan, prosecuted under the first indictment regarding the "Ergenekon terror organization". Judge Şengün furthermore requested the release of 9 other defendants including Gürses and Kerinçsiz, but this claim was rejected with the majority of votes.

Turkey fell back 20 places in this year's RSF Worldwide Press Freedom Index. The country shares rank 122 together with the Philippines. The front-runners for press freedom are Denmark, Finland and Ireland. Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea bring up the rear of the index.

The Silopi Magistrate Criminal Judge released 5 people belonging to the peace group. The prosecutors had demanded to arrest them. All 34 members of the Peace Group are free now.