An Istanbul court decided for a 1 month ban of weekly Aydınlık newspaper under allegations of spreading propaganda for a terrorist organization. Aydinlik's management deny praising terrorism, and were not immediately aware which articles the court order referred to.

An Istanbul court decided for a 1 month ban of weekly Aydınlık newspaper under allegations of spreading propaganda for a terrorist organization.

In the case related to the death of 8 employees who drowned in a company van during the flood in Istanbul, the court acquitted Pameks Textile company owner Cevdet Karahansoğlu and administrative supervisor Seyit Göncük.

Interior Minister Atalay said that the met with DTP co-chair Türk after the closure of the party and that he was against the closure. However, Adalay indicated that a consensus in parliament is needed for an amendment of the constitution and that no work has been done yet.

Another 30 railway workers were suspended form work because they continued their strike as a reaction to the suspension of 16 workers the day before. The State Railway Authority will claim compensation and is also going to file a criminal complaint. The unions are determined in their struggle for rights.

The Bio-Safety Bill will be discussed in the parliament in the coming days. Özlüer from Ankara University criticizes that the draft law is objectionable because it only provides a framework and leaves the details to the corporation bylaws.

After the closure of pro-Kurdish DTP, clashes occurred in the pre-dominantly Kurdish South-East of Turkey and also in Istanbul, claiming the lives of several people. A shop owner from Muş shot to the crowd right in front of the police, a person in Istanbul was paid to shoot.

Private Özdemir stated to the prosecutor that in his opinion the killing of 33 soldiers in Bingöl in 1993 was related to the Ergenekon organization. Özdemir had been injured in the attack.

Writer Temel Demirer is still on trial under article 301 for saying that Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was murdered for recognizing the Armenian genocide. At the same time, Demirer is also still waiting for a reply from the administrative court.

The Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation into the contents of the book "The 'L' State of Love" about love stories between lesbians because it allegedly deals with "unnatural relationships". Zeliş Deniz from LambdaIstanbul criticized the repetitive pretence of "public morality".

Experts from Europe and the Mediterranean and rights organizations met with families of disappeared people in Istanbul last weekend. The participants called for transparency, clarification and reparation regarding enforced disappearances, claiming individuals and governments to be held responsible.

Criminal courts in the Istanbul district of Şişli convicted 4 people of insulting and threatening the Armenian Agos newspaper until the present day. The Şişli 2nd Magistrate Criminal Court currently tries defendant Celepoğlu under charges of "inciting hatred and hostility".

Former Intelligence Office Chairman Ramazan Akyürek filed criminal complaints against Nedim Şener and Kemal Göktaş for their books concerning the murder of Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. Şener's hearing is tomorrow, Göktaş will be in court in February 2010.

After the death of 19 workers in a coal mine explosion in Bursa the company's general manager, business manager and the quarry supervisor have been arrested. A preliminary report suggests insufficiency of the mine's aeration and gas measurement. Company owner Ercan did not comment.

DTP İskenderun District Mayor Mahmut Aydıncı and journalist Ersen Korkmaz face imprisonment of up to 3 years for addressing PKK leader Öcalan as "respectable". The final speech of the prosecution will be presented on 26 January 2010.

Dünya Radio broadcasting director Kenan Karavil and Seyithan Akyüz from the Kurdish Azadia Welat newspaper were kept in custody for 4 days and are now in prison under charges of "membership to the PKK organization".

The Constitutional Court ruled for the closure of pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party and imposed a political ban on 37 of its members. Co-chairs Türk and Tuğluk are deposed from their duties as MPs. Human Rights organizations criticized the decision.

Turkish cinema actor Şafak Sezer made his statement in the case about the Molotov cocktail attack on Cumhuriyet newspaper in 2008, saying that he has been very close friends with defendant Boğaç Kaan Murathan for more than 10 years.

A court closed down Aydınlık magazine for 1 month and collected the latest issue because of alleged "Ergenekon terror organization propaganda" and making the prosecutor "a target for the organization". The IPI Local Committee and the Turkey Journalists Association sharply criticised the decision.

Prior to the summit on climate change in Copenhagen, the Greens criticise the national strategy document, arguing that it shows that the government did not quite understand the problem. The Greens admonish, "More coal and nuclear power are not the solution".