Gezi Park protests

Turkey has transferred ownership of Istanbul's Gezi Park, the focus of anti-government protests in 2013, from municipal to national ownership, drawing criticism from local authorities who said they would challenge the decision.

Kudret Cetinkaya, a 21-year-old student in Istanbul, experienced brutal intervention by the Turkish police against this week's mass student protests in Istanbul.

A mob of supporters of outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump swarming the U.S.Congress is a "disgrace to the history of democracy," President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Jan.8.

"This process in the U.S, which was described as the cradle of democracy, really shocked all of humanity," Erdoğan told reporters, noting that the case the U.S. is faced with has not happened in its history.

The Constitutional Court has rejected civil society activist and businessman Osman Kavala's appeal for his release pending trial on the grounds that his detention since late 2017 did not violate his right to liberty and security.

The General Assembly of Turkey's Constitutional Court, the country's highest, ruled on Dec. 29 that businessman Osman Kavala's detention did not violate his rights to liberty and security.

Kavala, 63, has been jailed since late 2017.

A criminal court in Turkey extended the detention of businessman Osman Kavala as part of a probe into the 2016 defeated coup.

The court also renewed the arrest warrant for fugitive Henri Barkey, who was a former CIA advisor.

Kavala and Barkey are both accused of "violating the constitution" and conducting "political or military espionage activities."

International media channels have been subjecting Turkey of having double standards by showing those "burning down the streets" as peaceful protestors, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, criticizing international media organizations on Dec. 1.

A Turkish photographer has dived into the Mediterranean Sea to capture pictures depicting what he calls modern day addictions and problems of society, including smartphone addiction that has accelerated recently as people stayed at their homes for over two months as part of sweeping measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.

A Turkish court issued a new arrest warrant on March 9 against businessman Osman Kavala, who was re-arrested last month after being acquitted in a separate trial, according to local media reports.

Kavala on Feb. 18 was acquitted from charges in connection with Gezi Park protests in 2013. He was re-arrested on Feb. 19, as part of a probe into the defeated coup attempt of 2016.

An Istanbul court on Feb. 19 arrested businessman Osman Kavala, as part of a probe into the defeated coup attempt of 2016, after he was acquitted from the Gezi Park trial.