Poyraz

Turkey has discovered a major gold deposit holding an estimated 3.5 million ounces (99 tonnes) of the precious metal valued at around $6 billion, the Anadolu state news agency reported on Dec. 22. 

The find in the midwestern town of Sögüt was reported by Fahrettin Poyraz, who heads the Agricultural Credit Cooperatives of Turkey and the Gübretaş fertilizer production firm.

The Constitutional Court has ruled that the conviction of a Turkish author over a book he wrote about former President Abdullah Gül constituted a violation of freedom of expression.The court has ordered a retrial, stating that penalization of criticism of politicians would "damage pluralism" in society.