Cablegate: Southeast Turkey Press Summary

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 0399

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU IZ ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY
NOVEMBER 22, 2002

1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary
for November 22, 2002. Please note that Turkish
press reports often contain errors or
exaggerations; AmConsulate Adana does not vouch
for the accuracy of the reports summarized here.

POLITICS, SECURITY, HUMAN RIGHTS
--------------------------------

2. ANTI-HIZBULLAH OPERATIONS IN THE SOUTHEAST
(Cumhuriyet) Six hundred nineteen Hizbullah
suspects were arrested during 333 anti-Hizbullah
operations carried out in the Southeast over the
first ten months of the year. Of these, 228 were
ordered to remain in custody. Officials have
reported a decrease in the number of anti-
Hizbullah operations and the number of Hizbullah
suspects arrested in these operations.

3. HIZBULLAH SUSPECT CONVICTED
(Bolge) Adana State Security Court convicted
Halil
Bezek, arrested during a June 2000 anti-Hizbullah
operation in Mersin, for "terror organization
membership" and sentenced him to a prison term of
12 years and six months.

4. AGAR RE-JOINS DYP
(Turkiye) MP Mehmet Agar, who was elected as an
Independent from Elazig, re-joined the True Path
Party (DYP), changing the make-up of the
Parliament. With Agar as a DYP member again, DYP
is also in the Parliament now being represented
by Agar only. Recent MP distribution is as
follows: Justice and Development Party - AKP
(363), the Republican People's Party - CHP (178),
DYP (1) and Independent (8).

5. MAYOR ARRESTED FOR THEFT
(Evrensel) Siirt's Aydinlar district Mayor
Behcet Kavun, together with the Motherland Party
(ANAP) Aydinlar president and six municipal
employees, was arrested for having stolen the
Turkish Electricity Distribution Corporation's
(TEDAS) electricity poles. The arrestees will
reportedly be taken to the Aydinlar Prosecutor's
Office later today (11/22).

6. HADEP PUNISHES UNFAITHFUL MEMBERS
(Evrensel) The People's Democracy Party (HADEP)
Van Disciplinary Council suspended four of its
municipal council members of the Bostanici (Van)
municipality. The suspension followed the
council members' de facto assaults against the
municipality, physical assault against the mayor,
impeding of municipal activities, discussion of
municipal activities outside the municipality,
and filing complaints to the Governor's Office,
which in turn initiated an investigation against
the municipality.

ECONOMIC AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS
--------------------------------------

7. GAP PROJECT FOREIGNERS' FAVORITE
(Turkiye) According to the Southeastern Anatolia
Project (GAP) - Entrepreneur Support and Guidance
Center (GIDEM), seven of the seventeen firms
which had made investments in the GAP region were
U.S. firms. Other foreign firms with
investments in the region are from Germany (2),
Italy (2), Switzerland (2), Israel (1), Iraq (1),
Syria (1), Saudi Arabia (1), Iran (1), Spain (1)
and Bulgaria (1). (Note: When the number of
firms reported are added up, the number exceeds
17.) GIDEM officials said many firms were also
preparing to make investments in the region,
while eight (foreign) firms have begun
production. These entrepreneurs serve in the
field of irrigation pipes, yarn spinning, and
petroleum. An American firm is reportedly
carrying out feasibility studies to establish a
solar energy plant that will generate electricity
from solar energy, while some other U.S.
businessmen are working on a multi-faceted
agricultural project in the region.
HOLTZ

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