Turkey Live Coverage (2 May): After May Day Celebrations, Back to Politics

See also Syria, Egypt (and Beyond) Live Coverage: "War Crimes" in Idlib, Deaths in Cairo

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2000 GMT: Former political advisor of PM Erdogan Cuneyd Zapsu says: "Syria will be a great market for Turkey as the administration in Damascus will change this year." 

1730 GMT: Hossein Ali, a member of the Kurdistan Alliance group --- an alliance between Kurdistan Democratic Party and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan --- in the Iraqi parliament, said:

The Iraqi Kurds' reliance on Turkey can jeopardize the political future of the Kurdistan region. All throughout history, Turkey has never been and never will be a point of reliance for Iraqi Kurds.

1600 GMT: Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc says the dismissal of Undersecretary of Public Security and Order Murat Ozcelik is out of the question. 

1445 GMT: Among those 100 journalists and 35 distributors who have been in jail since January 2012, 21 including 12 journalists have been put on trial for 254 years in prison, with charge of making "terrorism propaganda". By April 2011, only 47 journalists were in jail.

Besides, 120 summary of proceedings have been prepared for 24 MPs of Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) by prosecutors. 

1400 GMT: Turkish Foreign Ministry reiterates the conditions of a possible rapprochement with Israel.

On its Twitter account, the Ministry says Israel shall apologize, pay compensation to the families of those Turkish citizens killed on board of the Humanitarian Aid Convoy and lift the "inhuman blockade" of the Gaza Strip as soon as possible. 

1330 GMT: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Chief of General Staff Gen. Necdet Özel held their weekly meeting which lasted more than three hours. No statement were released with regards to the content of the meeting.

1215 GMT: In the province of Tunceli, seven people were taken into custody with charges of being members of the Kurdistan Societies Union (KCK) --- an organisation claimed to be the urban structure of the outlawed PKK.

1130 GMT: It has been claimed that Turkish Undersecretary of Public Security and Order Murat Ozcelik resigned over a split of opinion on the Kurdish opening issue with Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay.

As known, Ozelik, who is the former ambassador to Iraq, has been one of the most influential policy makers on the Kurdish opening and on the so-called 'new anti-terror strategy' that is calling on the government to dismiss 'secret' negotiations with the leaders of the outlawed PKK organisation, including its imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan, and to have a non-violent channel with the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party.

Moreover, Ozcelik has been behind the government's new Iraq policy that is based on giving full support to Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) President Massoud Barzani against Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. In return, Barzani was expected to use his influence to urge Kurdish leaders to listen to Ankara on the solution of the problem.

May Day Celebrations

On Tuesday, hundreds of thousands of people gathered in various squares of the country. The ceremonies in Taksim started with a solemn ceremony for the victims of Bloody May Day 1977, when unknown snipers opened fire onto the celebrating crowds, killing dozens of people. 

Employment and Social Security Minister Faruk Çelik attended the May Day celebrations in Tandoğan. He responded to demands from public servants for a 16% increase in monthly wages, saying: “We will sit around the table. We started [collective bargaining talks] yesterday, and we will continue. You will demand, as a necessity of democracy, and we will try to give you what you want. We will give less or more than you want, but we will solve this.”

Relations with Israel and Palestinians

Israel's Counter-Terrorism Bureau has revised its travel advisory on Turkey, stating that the threat level has significantly decreased from an "imminent threat" to a "potentially ongoing" one. The CTB said: "There is an ongoing threat of terrorist attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets in Turkey."

Meanwhile, as part of Ankara's soft power efforts in the Middle East, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has increased its humanitarian support to Palestinians. Filippo Grandi, the commissioner general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency said, "Turkey has been a relatively small donor to the UNRWA, but it has increased its contribution from just $250,000 a few years ago to $1.25 million this year."

Latest Casualties in Kurdish Conflict

In the Doğubayazıt district of the eastern province of Agri, three members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) have been killed by security forces.