Özcan

Özcan Purçu, who is expected to become the first ever Roma politician in the Turkish Parliament, has said he opted to be nominated from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) as the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) "Roma initiative" ultimately failed.

An award-winning journalist was briefly detained on April 15 in a case stemming from one of her recent reports that allegedly "slandered" someone, according to Turkish media.

Zeynep Kuray, a journalist at daily BirGün, was visiting her father in Ankara's Sincan Prison together with her sister and Revolutionary People's Party (DHP) chairman Celal Özcan when she was detained.

Fifteen suspects in a corruption probe into former officials at Mersin Metropolitan Municipality have been arrested, including the son of the former mayor from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), Macit Özcan, as well as two of the latter's brothers.

The former metropolitan mayor of the southern province of Mersin, Macit Özcan, is reportedly wanted by the police as part of a corruption probe against the previous executives of the municipality.

The Presidential Culture and Grand Awards of 2014 will be presented to actress Gönül Ülkü Özcan, elegy performer Celal Yilmaz, lyricist Beşir Ayvazoğlu and the Kubbealtı Academy Culture and Arts Foundation, Culture and Tourism Minister Ömer Çelik has announced.