Erdoğan hailed for Davos walkout

Veysel Karani Demir, general director of the Başkent Doğalgaz Distribution Co., said the accident was most probably caused by a blockage in the flue outlet after the carbon monoxide blew back because of a counter wind.

Jan. 4 -- (1) Thousands gather to protest Gaza massacre

Despite cold and rainy weather, İstanbul’s Çağlayan Square hosted tens of thousands of people who gathered to display their solidarity with the Palestinian people after the launch of an Israeli offensive in Gaza. The demonstration at Çağlayan Square,

Jan. 9 -- (2) Ammunitions found in Gölbaşı

A large cache of weapons, ammunition and bombs was found buried in Ankara’s Gölbaşı district as a result of a police search based on a map discovered in the home of İbrahim Şahin, a former head of the National Police Department’s Special Operations Unit. The operation was launched after Şahin recently ordered the assassination of non-Muslim minority leaders in Sivas.

Jan. 25 (3) -- 10 mountain climbers killed in avalanche

Ten mountain climbers were killed and several others were trapped under the snow after they were caught in an avalanche in northeastern Turkey. Gümüşhane Governor Enver Salihoğlu said 10 people had been killed by the avalanche on Mount Zigana, site of a small ski resort in the province of Gümüşhane, near the Black Sea coast. Seven people were pulled from the snow, two of whom were seriously injured. One of them died at the hospital.

Jan. 26 -- Union leader detained in Ergenekon probe

A union leader detained as a suspect in the investigation into Ergenekon was arrested by the İstanbul 13th High Criminal Court, bringing the total number of arrests made after last week’s raids to 18. The chairman of workers’ union Türk Metal, Mustafa Özbek, was arrested, while research company owner Erhan Göksel was released by the court despite the prosecution’s demand for his arrest.

Feb. 5 -- Turkey approves Kyoto Protocol

The Turkish Parliament approved its membership of the Kyoto Protocol, the UN-led pact to combat global warming. Turkey had in June announced its intention to sign the accord, which was first agreed by world governments in 1997. The government had postponed signing it for more than a decade because of its concerns about the cost to its economy.

Feb. 24 -- DTP leader speaks Kurdish in Parliament

Pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) leader Ahmet Türk addressed lawmakers during his party’s parliamentary group meeting in Kurdish, sparking heated discussions over whether a politician can speak any language other than Turkish in Parliament. During his speech, Türk recalled that Feb. 21 is celebrated as International Mother Language Day, adding that everyone should be free to use their mother tongues. State-owned TRT 3, which was broadcasting the parliamentary group gathering live, immediately stopped its broadcast when Türk switched to Kurdish.

Feb. 25 -- THY plane crashes in Amsterdam

A passenger plane operated by Turkish Airlines (THY) carrying 134 people crashed in a field while approaching Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, killing nine and injuring dozens of others. The dead included three pilots on board identified as Hasan Tahsin Arısan, Olgay Özgür and Murat Sezer.

March 6 -- (5) Balbay arrested over links to Ergenekon

A bureau chief from the Cumhuriyet daily, Mustafa Balbay, and the owner of a news Web site, Neriman Aydın, were arrested by order of İstanbul’s 14th High Criminal Court as part of the ongoing Ergenekon investigation.

March 10 -- Additional indictment  in Ergenekon case  submitted to court

The İstanbul Prosecutor’s Office submitted an additional indictment in the Ergenekon trial. In the second indictment -- a 1,909-page document -- 56 individuals are indicted, 21 of whom are suspects in custody, while 35 were released pending trial.

March 13 -- (6) First high-speed train begins running in Turkey

Turkey’s first high-speed train, running between Ankara and Eskişehir, has started to carry passengers. Prime Minister Erdoğan took an inaugural ride at 9:40 a.m. with a host of other officials and journalists following a ceremony at the Ankara train station.

March 16 -- (7) -- 5th World Water Forum kicks off in İstanbul

The 5th World Water Forum, a global conference on water, kicked off in İstanbul in search of a united commitment for urban water resource management in the face of the planet’s fast-growing water-related problems.

March 27 -- (8) Yazıcıoğlu dies in helicopter crash

A helicopter carrying six people, including BBP leader Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu, which crashed in Kahramanmaraş in the afternoon on March 25 was found by villagers with no survivors. Despite efforts by search-and-rescue teams mobilized in the area, the helicopter was found by villagers somewhere between Sisne and Elmadağ on Friday afternoon.

State opens Kurdish TV channel

The state-owned Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT), under the motto of “We live under the same sky,” began its Kurdish broadcasting at 5:00 p.m. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, “May TRT 6 be beneficial” in Kurdish during a news conference upon his return from a tour of the Middle East. He had said the same sentence earlier in an interview with TRT 6. Kurdish singer Rojin presented  the opening program.

40 detained in Ergenekon probe

Nearly 40 people were detained in simultaneous police operations staged in six cities as part of the ongoing investigation into Ergenekon, a clandestine network of groups and individuals accused of plotting to overthrow the government. The new detainees include military officers, an academic, the former head of the Police Special Operations Unit, seven retired generals and the former head of the Higher Education Board (YÖK).

Erdoğan walks out of panel after spat with Peres

During a panel discussion on Gaza at the World Economic Forum (WEF) held in Davos, Prime Minister Erdoğan -- who has so far not hesitated to voice his anger and feelings of offense due to the disproportionate use of force by Israel leading to the killings of hundreds of civilians -- walked off the stage in protest of a moderator who did not allow him to speak in response to Israeli President Shimon Peres, who made remarks supporting the Israeli offensive in Gaza.

AK Party wins local elections, loses strength

Around 48 million voters cast their votes at 177,050 polling stations throughout Turkey to elect 36,820 people, not including muhtars (neighborhood heads). The ruling AK Party experienced another victory in the polls, leaving its rivals in the dust as it garnered nearly 39 percent of the national vote, a figure lower than the share of votes it won in parliamentary elections in 2007. The Republican People’s Party (CHP) won around 23 percent of the vote.