BİANET

The fifteenth hearing of the main trial of Özgür Gündem newspaper, which was closed by a Statutory Decree, was held at the İstanbul 23rd Heavy Penal Court in İstanbul Çağlayan Courthouse today (January 13).

Announcing his opinion as to the accusations, the prosecutor has demanded that Eren Keskin be penalized for "membership of a terrorist organization" over her four articles as well as the articles and pictures published on the newspaper while she was its editor-in-chief.

BIANET

The chair and board members of the İzmir Bar Association are under investigation over a statement criticizing LGBTI+phobic remarks by President of Religious Affairs Ali Erbaş.

FREEDOM HOUSE

A new law, which ostensibly addresses terrorism financing, instead places onerous restrictions on civil society and threatens to silence its leaders through terrorism charges.

In response to the Turkish parliament’s adoption of a law allowing the Ministry of the Interior to replace and appoint the leaders of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), Freedom House issued the following statement:

FREE TO THINK REPORT

Following a four-year crackdown and a massive purge of scholars, Turkey’s academic community is now severely paralyzed, while thousands of dismissed academics still await justice, facing lengthy delays in appealing their dismissals and unable to work in academia.

DUVAR ENGLISH

Turkish police have detained a group of women for throwing purple paint at the Ankara provincial building of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in protest of the killing of four women on the same day.

A group of women from the University Women's Collective gathered in front of the party building and chanted slogans before throwing the paint.

REUTERS

Turkey’s top court on Tuesday ruled that high-profile philanthropist Osman Kavala’s detention had not violated his right to liberty and security, state media said, after he spent more than three years in jail without a conviction.

BIANET

İzmir Medical Chamber has demanded that Turkish Medical Association (TTB) High Honorary Board Member Dr. Şeyhmus Gökalp be released.

Holding a press statement at the conference hall of the chamber yesterday (December 28), İzmir Medical Chamber Chair Op. Dr. M. Lütfi Çamlı, Secretary General Dr. Nuri Seha Yüksel, TTB member Dr. Yıldıray Orhan, Executive Board member Op. Dr. Hakan Köse addressed the reporters.

DUVAR ENGLISH

Turkey's parliament passed a law on Dec. 27 that would ramp up oversight of foundations and associations and, according to rights groups including Amnesty International, risks limiting the freedoms of civil society organizations.

BIANET

Drafted by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the "Bill on Preventing the Spread and Financing of Weapons of Mass Destruction", which also foresees the appointment of trustees to NGOs, has been passed by the Justice Commission amid objections from the opposition.

BIANET

Ankara Medical Chamber (ATO) held a press conference about the imprisonment of physician Şeyhmus Gökalp yesterday (December 24).

Addressing the reporters about Dr. Şeyhmus Gökalp, who is also the High Honorary Board member and former Central Council member of the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) and has been arrested since November 23, the chamber has called for his immediate release.