Human rights activists spearheaded by the Nor Zartonk Initiative gathered in Istanbul’s Taksim Square to protest the release of Kıvanç Ağaoğlu pending trial, prior to the deliverance of the final verdict. Ağaoğlu had shot Sevag Balıkçı, a Turkish citizen of Armenian origin, to death while they were performing their mandatory military service.

Authorities reassigned two judges and two prosecutors in the case of the Zirve Publishing House Massacre. The decision constitutes an intervention in a fair trial, according to case lawyer Erdal Doğan, while his colleague Ali Koç offered a different view on the matter.

Following the fierce clashes that took place between government forces and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the southeastern province of Şırnak over the weekend, Fırat Ataman, a native of the district Beytüşşebap, told bianet that children of the town were overwhelmed by the experience of war.

Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications Minister Binali Yıldırım referred to social media a “threat” that needs to be contained. Minister Yıldırım later denied allegations that they were working on measures to censor social media, but Dr. Özgür Uçkan from Istanbul’s Bilgi University expressed doubt about his statement.

Hatay Governor Mehmet Celalettin Lekesiz yesterday announced they would no longer permit demonstrations or press statements in the southern border province for the stated purpose of “upholding social peace.”

Emma Sinclair-Webb from the Human Rights Watch (HRW) cautioned that the statute of limitations would begin to apply to cases of unresolved murders and disappearances that took place in the 1990s within three years, while speaking at a meeting in Istanbul.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a press release calling for the removal of the hurdles that lie before the investigation of security forces and civil servants for their roles in murders, disappearances and acts of torture that took place in the 1990s.

Beytüşşebap District Mayor Yusuf Temel claimed the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) had taken control of the district’s outlying areas in wake of Sunday’s clashes that cost the lives of 10 troops, while Şırnak Governor’s Office vehemently denied his claims.

As the Syrian conflict continues raging on across the border from the southern province of Hatay, many locals have grown weary of the presence of Free Syrian Army (FSA) troops in the area and are deeply worried about the impact of the war on the local economy, Ayça Söylemez reports.

The Department of Living Languages in Mardin Artuklu University is set to launch two courses to teach Hebrew and Syriac. Assistant Prof. Mehmet Sait Toprak said their aim was to train researchers who could conduct scientific studies in their own languages.

Police officers shot Cem Aygün to death in Ankara’s Keçiören district on Thursday on the grounds that he did not comply with their orders to stop. The victim’s father İsmet Aygün told bianet that the police did not even provide him with an explanation.

Ministers Veysel Eroğlu and Mehmet Şimşek met with protests during a visit they paid to Hasankeyf, an ancient city in the southeastern province of Batman dating back to at least 12,000 years ago and that is to be inundated under a dam reservoir, causing irreversible damage to history and nature.

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has increasingly come to view an authoritarian approach to politics as a solution to its own failures, renowned journalist and writer Prof. Mehmet Altan told bianet.

A court in the northwestern province of Sakarya decided to release 19 suspects accused of raping a 14 year old girl. The lawyers who watched the trial said they were harassed by the suspects’ acquaintances and the defendant lawyers.

The Fatih Municipal Council approved a new preliminary project to “transform” the historical Roma district of Sulukule in Istanbul despite a court ruling to annul the previous plan two and a half months ago. Architect Aslı Kıyak, Lawyer Hilal Küey and opposition deputy Gülay Yedekçi said the project could not have been rectified in the meantime.

Eight months on after the Roboski massacre, the People’s Democratic Congress (HDK) paid a visit to the village where the ill-fated bombing took place and shared their impressions on how the locals felt about the incident.

The Association of Human Rights and Solidarity for the Oppressed (MAZLUMDER) launched a campaign for the victims of last week’s lethal blast in the southeastern province of Antep. Campaign volunteer Birgül Aktar, however, noted the difference in people’s reactions to last year’s Roboski massacre.

Fires broke out at eight different locations in the southeastern province of Dersim on Wednesday, ravaging nearby forests. The blazes were caused by ongoing military operations in the area, Hozat District Mayor Cevdet Konak said.

Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek presented an 11 point document intended to solve the Kurdish issue during a press meeting on Tuesday. Prof. Büşra Ersanlı, who spent 8.5 months behind bars in connection with the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) trial, told bianet that the contents of the document were too murky, however.

With questions still lingering in the air about the exact nature of the Apaydın Syrian rebel camp in the southern province of Hatay following Foreign Minister Davutoğlu’s remarks, Abu Hussein, a commander of the Free Syrian Army (FSA,) spoke to bianet about what goes on in the camp.