Freedom of Expression Workshop directed at lawyers will be held at the Istanbul Hotel Villa under the framework of the BİA² project implemented by the IPS Communication Foundation. Approximately 30 lawyers from 15 provinces to attend May 27-28 workshop.

Main opposition CHP MP Canan Aritman sends letter to PMs wife Emine Erogan calling on her to either dress properly to represent Turkish women abroad or stay at home.

Lawyers of the Istanbul Bar Association have marched to Istanbuls Taksim Square in protest of recent attacks on State Council and Cumhuriyet daily. Accompanied by judges and prosecutors, around 1,000 jurists pledge support to secularism and democracy.

Human Rights Foundation chair Onen says Turkish-Islamic synthesis reviving in different shape with State Council attack and notes nationalist atmosphere in lack of leftist movement brings economic benefit to politics. The compromise is about an economy o

Women from 11 organizations stage sitting protest against new Anti-Terror Bill in front of Istanbuls historic Galatasaray High School. Women say chauvinist and anti-Kurdish policies threaten them the most.

Patriotic Front holds weekend meeting in Iskenderun saying no to USA, rejecting alleged plans to convert popular Mediterranean seaport into a US base. Iskenderun Port is not for sale protestors say.

Lawyer Arslan the chief suspect for the killing of Council of State judge and accomplices jailed after court order. Former officer Muzaffer Tekin, still under interrogation for charges of soliciting and ordering the armed attack

Democratic Left Party Honorary Chairman and five ties Turkeys Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit fighs for his life after suffering a brain hemorrhag. Ecevit, unconcious remains in intensive care after 4.5 hour surgery.

Turkeys mainstream media covers the attack on Council of State judges as the worst attack against state institutions ever. Mainstream Turkish dailies Hurriyet a secularist newspaper and Islamist Zaman publish columns alarming for a grave situation.

Lawyer İlkiz saysAttack on Council of State is a despicable massacre of law. Prof. Dr. Azrak: A justice mechanism operating under heavy threat cannot fulfill its function. Judges are humans too. Responsibility is with the whole of the administration.

Attack on Council of State judges condemned by President Sezer, PM Erdogan, Minister of Justice Cicek and a number of NGOs. Sezer: This is an attack against the secular republic. MAZLUMDER says the attack shouldnt be associated to the Council of Stat

Court decision to ban headscarf cannot justify murder says international rights group Human Rights Watch upon the killing of a Turkish State Council judge and wounding of four others who had decided to ban headscarf in state offices.

Armenian Turkish journalists Dink and Engin were attacked during court hearing in Istanbul. Defendants escaped near-lynch attempt under police protection. They are exploiting court cases for nationalist plots says Dink.

IOM and Police Directorate record significant increase in human trafficking in Turkey. 583 women from other countries rescued from traffickers and returned home since 2004. 6 thousand plus caught and sent back due to prostitution.

Prosecutor Karacal justifiying with procedural reasons drops his indictment against journalist Nese Duzel for the words of pro-Kurdish politician Orhan Doğan whom she had interviewed for daily Radikal. Yet the case against DTP official Dogan will continue

Court of Appeals quashes compensation sentence against Radikal daily journalist Yıldırım Turker in Prime Minister libel case. Court says the behavior of the Prime Minister can be debated and even severely criticized

Journalists Karakurt, Tatlıcan and Kılıc of daily Hurriyet face prison terms under article 6/2 of Anti-Terror Law (TMY) for an interview with PKK leaders in Northern Iraq. Interview was part of journalistic duty, the journalists defend themselves.

Seven of 20 intellectuals who willingly violated the restrictive articles of Turkish Penal Code plead guilty before the public prosecutor. They testify that they admitting the results have undersigned a 31 point text to violate the articles.

Greenpeace sends letter to Turkish president raising concerns on new Environment Law, saying some articles protect environment offences. Requests Sezer return the law to Parliament. Organization launches Stop-This-Law campaign over the internet.

May Day 2006: Workers demand government abandon Social Security Law, Anti-Terror Bill and nuclear power plant projects. Observers say youth and women participation in Istanbul May Day rally high despite lower overall attendance.