Bilal Erdo

U.S. State Department Spokesperson John Kirby has urged Turkey's government to respect the "independent professional judgment" of journalists, commenting on an April 28 decision by an Istanbul court that sentenced two Turkish journalists to two years in prison for republishing a cover of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo featuring an image of the Prophet Muhammad in their columns. 

Two journalists were sentenced to two years in prison on April 28 for republishing in their columns a cover of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo featuring an image of the Prophet Muhammad. 

The editor-in-chief of the daily Cumhuriyet, Can Dündar, was fined 28,650 Turkish Liras for "insulting" then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, his son Bilal Erdo?an and seven others, a court ruled on April 25. 

Bar?? ?nce, a former editor of Birgün who still writes for the leftist daily, has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for "insulting" Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an in his plea submitted to court in a former case.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an's son is under investigation in Italy for money laundering in connection with a 2013 corruption scandal that rocked the Turkish political establishment, according to Italian media reports.

An Istanbul court ordered on Feb. 9 the release of a former police officer who was arrested in a probe over the alleged "parallel state" conspiracy.

Istanbul's 13th High Penal Court decided in a unanimous vote to release Hüseyin Korkmaz who had been detained 17 months ago.

Some 69 people, including the U.S.-based Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen and former police chiefs, formally went on trial on Jan. 6, accused of attempting to topple the Turkish government through the corruption investigations that went public in Dec. 2013.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu is reluctant to change to a presidential system but is being forced to do so by the "insistence" of President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an - the only person that desires such a system, according to Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli.

Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal K??çdaro?lu has pledged to bring the now-dropped Dec. 17 and Dec. 25, 2013, graft probe cases into account.

Can Dündar, the editor-in-Chief of daily Cumhuriyet who was recently imprisoned for publishing a story on Syria-bound intelligence trucks, stood trial for insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an's son in two opinion pieces on the Dec. 17, 2013 graft probe, the largest corruption investigation in modern Turkish history, on Dec. 17.