Fethullah Gulen

Trust in political leaders decreased and the military was once again the most trusted body in Turkey in 2014, according to a recent survey conducted by Kadir Has University and released on Jan. 20.

Turkey has witnessed yet another huge wave of mass purges in the judiciary, with the government replacing almost 1,000 judges and prosecutors, raising more and more question marks over the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) motives in the latest restructuring of the country's top judicial body.

The European Parliament has criticized the Dec. 14, 2014 operation against TV stations and newspapers with alleged links to Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, in a joint motion that is set to be voted on Jan. 15, also recalling that "a free and pluralistic press is an essential component of any democracy."

Turkey's TV watchdog has fined six private broadcasters for breaching a gag order on the parliamentary graft inquiry commission's process by "reading out newspaper articles."

The Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTÜK) had announced that it would monitor TV broadcasters after the ban on the graft commission's inquiry was issued.

President Erdo?an expresses satisfaction at a parliamentary panel?s decision not to send four ex-ministers to a trial before the Supreme Council, calling the move ?fair,?

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu continued his verbal attacks against the Gülen movement one day after ruling party deputies on a parliamentary commission elected not to send four ex-ministers to trial at the Supreme Council, in the face of corruption allegations.

Some twenty Turkish police officials were taken into custody on Jan. 5 across eight southern and central provinces, as part of an investigation into alleged illegal wiretapping.

According to Gaziantep Police Department's Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime Unit, the arrests came after a Gaziantep prosecutor issued arrest warrants for the officers.

Former Trabzon police intelligence branch chief Faruk Sarı gave his testimony to Istanbul's prosecutor as a suspect in the murder case of Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink in 2007.

Members of the Council of Ministers and top military officials will get new anti-wiretapping phones before the end of the year, Industry Minister Fikri Işık said, while arguing that the "parallel structure" - a phrase used to describe the Gülenist movement - was deeply rooted in the strategic boards of the country's top science body.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has extended an invitation Jean-Claude Juncker to visit Turkey, as he called to congratulate the EU chief over his "new" post after being elected head of the European Commission back in July.