After reading a press statement for the Solidarity Initiative for Ismail Saygi, conscientious objector Savda was himself taken into custody. The IHD has called on parliament to recognise the right to conscientious objection.

The Supreme Court of Appeals has rejected a compensation claim by journalist Mater for being made a public target and being insulted by journalist Cölasan. Mater will appeal to the ECHR.

Vedat Kursun, the responsible editor of the Kurdish Azadiya Welat newspaper has been in police custody since 5 February, accused of “continuously spreading PKK propaganda.”

After Wordpress and Youtube.com, the Indymedia-Istanbul website has now been closed with a court decision. Turkey continues to close down whole sites because of individual contributions.

After negotiations between the Labour Platform and Minister of Labour Faruk Celik, the government has agreed to make some changes.

As part of his Middle East tour, US Vice President Dick Cheney visited Ankara and Istanbul on Monday.

A group of gay and lesbian Kurds in Diyarbakir decided that this year’s Newroz would not only be a call for political freedom, but also an honest declaration of their sexual identity.

According to the UNDP “Youth in Turkey” report, girls are still being deprived of schooling because of gender discrimination. The lack of education then affects their whole lives.

The fact that 12 of Turkey's 70 million are aged between 15 and 24 offers the country a golden opportunity to create a better future. However, this is only possible if there is investment - otherwise, poverty and social unrest lie ahead.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Aykut Cengiz Engin has released a written statement saying that the investigation into the Ergenekon gang is unrelated to any other current trials.

DTP MP Akin Birdal holds the Siirt governor and chief of police responsible for riots at Newroz celebrations, as well as the Minister of the Interior and the Prime Minister.

While some are railing at the "injustice" of raiding the house of an 83-year old journalist at dawn or the arrest of a party leader, their sense of "justice" is hypocritical.

In some cities in the southeast of Turkey, the governors did not allow Newroz celebrations to take place. Two people died in Van and Hakkari. Hundreds of people were taken into police custody.

The two gendarmerie officers on trial in Trabzon have stated that they had informed their superiors of the planned Dink murder. The superiors are said to have faked documents to hide their previous knowledge.

After 37 people were arrested in the Ergenekon case in January, there was a new wave of police detentions on Friday. Journalist Selcuk, former university rector Alemdaroglu, and party leader Perincek were among those taken into custody.

As preparations for a big Newroz celebration in Diyarbakir are nearing their end, some say “we have to go for peace.” However, others fear trouble and will stay away.

After threatening Agos and Armenians pere mail, Zafer Filiz has been sentenced to three years imprisonment. Lawyer Cetin has welcomed the sentence.

The Turkish Peace Parliament has called on the spring festival to be “an opportunity to face the past" and ÖDP MP Uras has called for "a beginning of a solution."

For the last 18 years, the “Purple Roof Women’s Shelter Foundation” has supported women. Bianet talked to the organisers.

After one of their writers was taken into custody for an article he wrote, two representatives of the Taraf newspaper have been investigated for supporting the anti-militarist statement of singer Bülent Ersoy.