A TURKISH court released 41 people on judicial control yesterday with a travel ban imposed after they were detained last week during a peaceful protest in Istanbul.

Three journalists were taken into custody along with 38 Peace Mothers who organised a march and vigil in support of those on hunger strike in protest at the continued isolation of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan.

Authorities have clamped down on the growing protests across Turkey, where more than 7,000 people are taking part in the hunger strike campaign.

Prosecutors had demanded that all of those that appeared before the court yesterday were jailed, however the judge allowed their release on control orders.

Journalists are particularly targeted by the brutal regime of Recep Tayyip Erdogan.  A number of high-profile cases will be heard this week, including that of former Cumhuriyet editor Can Dundar.

Mr Dundar is living in exile in Germany. He faces further charges after his newspaper – which has subsequently been taken over by pro-government trustees – printed an article reporting Turkish intelligence services had been caught smuggling weapons to jihadists across the border in Syria.