freedom of expression

Transsexual singer and celebrity Bülent Ersoy, on trial for alienating people from military service, defended his words by repeating that he was simply expressing his opinion for a solution without deaths.

The newspaper Alternatif has been banned for publishing the views of Abdullah Öcalan, imprisoned leader of the Kurdish Workers Party, and Murat Karayılan, a high-level officer of the same party.

Ministry of Justice refused to give permission for the trials of Nurettin Demirtaş and Selma Irmak, former DTP party officers, under article 301. Both individuals were on trial for voicing the allegation of chemical weapons regarding the Turkish Armed Forces.

Ministry of Justice gives permission for the trial of writer Temel Demirer under article 301 for saying there was genocide of Armenians in Turkey at a meeting to protest the murder of Hrant Dink on January

Prof. Aslı Tunç of Bilgi University finds it very ironic that the Doğan Media Group, which has been target of constant criticism for trying to extend to every business field possible, has become the defender of freedom of expression and democracy in the latest polemic with the Prime Minister.

Writer Murat Coşkun has been arrested for the book he wrote seven years ago. He is accused of having used expressions that provokes hostility and hatred among people.

DİHA journalist Sıddık Güler, DTP’s Çukurca District Head Mehmet Kanar and two more people are on trial for passing information about military information to the pro-Kurdish Roj TV. Next hearing will be on October 7.

Police officer Muhittin Zenit, who was on the agenda after Dink’s murder for the telephone conversation he had with one of the conspirators of the murder, Erhan Tuncel, is suing bianet.org and the NTV news channel for damages.

Kurdish politician Mahmut Alınak is entering the prison for refusing to pay the fine he received for the crime of “praising the criminals Deniz Gezmiş, Musa Anter, Vedat Aydın, whose names he proposed to give to the streets and parks.

According to a telephone communication revealed by the Ergenekon investigation, there were two more individuals with Ogün Samast when he killed Hrant Dink and Yasin Hayal, the instigator of the murder, was a member of the Great Union Party at the time.

Youtube, the biggest global video sharing site, has been inaccessible for three months now. Another site, dailymotion.com, is banned, too.

The sabotage acts on freedom of expression sites antenna-tr.org and ortakpayda.org, both of which are IFEX members, are taken to the court.

Chief Editor of daily Star Mustafa Karaalioğlu is sued for criticizing the “turban” (headscarf) decision of the Constitutional Court. He is accused of “inciting hatred and hostility”, “insulting” and “instigating others to commit crime”.

Lawyers of the Dink family in Hrant Dink’s murder case insist that not only Colonel Ali Öz, Captain Metin Yıldız and four other gendarmerie officials from Trabzon Gendarmerie, but all of the officials who could not prevent te murder should be prosecuted.

Istanbul Regional Administrative Court decided there was no need to investigate Chief of Istanbul Police Department Celalettin Cerrah and his subordinates for their role in Hrant Dink’s role.

Colonel Ali Öz, the key figure in Hrant Dink’s murder case, who is accused of not taking seriously the intelligence reports about Dink’s assassination, does not remember anything.

According to the BİA Media Monitoring Report for April-May-June 2008 shows that there is a clear increase in freedom of expression violation cases.

Inspectors from Ministry of Justice demand permission to launch an investigation against Colonel Ali Öz and six other Gendarmerie officials. Dink’s lawyer insist that they should be allowed to see the report.

Britain based Hayat TV channel's broadcasting is cut for charges of separatism. General Director Çubukçu rebuffs the charges as a political move. Çubukçu vows to resume broadcast through staunch legal struggle.

Court sent the file for the Tursun Family to the Ministry of Justice in compliance with revised article 301, who are on trial for reacting verbally to the release of the police officer who killed their son.