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 03 ADANA 0409

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU IZ ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY,
DECEMBER 5-7, 2002

1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for
December 5-7, 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. MILITARY BUILD-UP AT INCIRLIK
(Hurriyet) Ammunition, medical materials and food are
being piled up at Adana's Incirlik Air Base due to the
proposed U.S. operation against Iraq. Nearly 30 cargo
planes landed at Incirlik beginning on December 4,
compared to nearly eight cargo planes earlier. Between
200 and 300 U.S. soldiers arrived at the base, while
military equipment / materials brought in by C-5, C-17,
Boing 747 and DC-10 cargo planes were being transported
to warehouses.

3. ADANA AIRPORT RE-OPENING MAY BE DELAYED
(Hurriyet/Milliyet) Adana Mayor Aytac Durak said he had
conveyed his concern that the repair project for the
Adana Airport would not be completed on a timely basis
to the State Airports Administration (DHMI) director
general, Mahmut Pekin. Durak added Pekin had told him,
"Don't worry, we will complete the project on time
unless there is rainfall." Durak indicated he had
replied that there could be rainfall in this season,
which might delay the completion of the project.

4. PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS WILL BE RENEWED IN SIIRT
(Hurriyet/Milliyet/Dunya/Milli Gazete/Sabah) The Higher
Election Council (YSK) declared parliamentary elections
will be renewed in Siirt on February 9. YSK had
cancelled the November 3 parliamentary elections in
Siirt. Ten per cent national threshold will be applied
in elections to be held on February 9 as well. In
answer to journalists' questions, YSK President Tufan
Algan said 18 political parties and the Independent
candidate would participate in these elections unless
political parties other than AK Party and CHP, which
passed the threshold, chose not to participate.

5. SIIRT MP ASKED TO RETURN HIS DIPLOMATIC PASSPORT
(Milliyet) Fadil Akgunduz, aka "Jet Fadil," who was
elected as a Member of Parliament from Siirt, was asked
to return his diplomatic passport following the
cancellation of parliamentary elections in Siirt.

6. F-TYPE PRISONS CONFORM TO EU STANDARDS
(Milliyet/Bolge/Turkiye) Adana Chief Public Prosecutor
Cemal Sahir Gurcay claimed transition to F-type prisons
had helped bring terror incidents in prisons under
control, which was also confirmed by reports issued by
European delegations making inspections in Turkish
prisons. "There may, of course, be some complaints
(regarding F-type prisons), but one has to pay attention
to which sectors these complaints come from," Gurcay
added.

7. SUSPENSION OF EREN KESKIN PROTESTED IN ADANA
(Evrensel) The Adana chapter of the Human Rights
Association (HRA) issued a press release protesting the
suspension of HRA national vice president Eren Keskin by
the Turkish Bar Associations Union (TBB) and the
Istanbul Bar Association for year due to an interview
with a magazine eleven years ago. The HRA described the
suspension as "tragi-comic," claiming a state security
court had decided to discontinue with the case.
8. VILLAGE GUARDS CONCERNED AFTER ABOLITION OF OHAL
(Turkiye/Sabah) Nearly 70,000 village guards are now
concerned they might lose their jobs following the
abolition of the State of Emergency (OHAL) in the
Southeast. A chief village guard complained they had
fought for years but had no social security.

9. BISMIL (DIYARBAKIR) VILLAGE GUARDS INDICTED
(Evrensel) Diyarbakir Prosecutor Abdi Cengiz concluded
his indictment in connection with the killing of three
returnees and injury of another four returnees to
Bismil's (Diyarbakir) Ugrak village. Under Articles 448
and 463 of the Turkish Criminal Code (TCK), Cengiz
demanded that ten village guards be sentenced to up to
24 years imprisonment for the killings and injuries.

10. CAPTAGON AND ECSTACY
(Milliyet/Turkiye/Hurriyet/Dunya) Mersin police, in
collaboration with Gaziantep police, seized a total of
4030 Captagon and Ecstasy pills during two separate
operations. Three suspects were arrested. Seized
pills' market value was estimated at USD 40,000.

ECONOMIC AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS
--------------------------------------
11. INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENTS REVIVING IN ADANA
(Dunya) Adana Chamber of Industry President Umit
Ozgumus said seven firms had been given incentive
certificates for investments totaling TL 13 trillion
(approx. USD 8.4 million) over the past month. Ozgumus
predicted capital savings of USD 1.8 billion deposited
in Adana banks would soon turn into investments with
implementation of the "Urgent Action Plan" declared by
the government.

12. INCOME PER CAPITA UP IN THE SOUTHEAST
(Sabah) Income per capita rose from USD 600 to USD
1,500 in the Southeast due to irrigated farming
beginning in 1995. Prior to irrigation USD 600 of
products were obtained from one hectare versus USD 1,661
in 1995, when irrigated farming began, and then to 1,543
in 2001. Annual income rose from USD 49 million in 1995
to USD 172 million in 2001. Irrigated farming expanded
to 116,000 hectares in the Sanliurfa and Harran
(Sanliurfa) Plains. Irrigated farming was carried out
in only 30,000 hectares in 1994.

13. OIL EXTRACTION
(Hurriyet) The Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) is
extracting 300 barrels of oil daily from Ozluce-1 well
near Malabadi along the Batman-Diyarbakir provincial
border. A TPAO official said it was premature to say
anything about the reserve.

14. VAN CAT RESEARCH CENTER NOW A TOURIST ATTRACTION
(Cumhuriyet) Two thousand five hundred tourists have
visited the Van Cat Research Center at Van's Centennial
University this year.

15. GASKI ROBBED
(Evrensel) Muhtar Ozturk, who was in charge of
Gaziantep's Sehrekustu chapter of the Gaziantep Water
and Sewage Administration (GASKI), was robbed by three
women he had invited in for a chat. The robbers
pretended they had come in to pay their water bills.
After Ozturk let them in, one woman poured boiling water
from the oven on him, while the other two women hit him
with sticks. When Ozturk fainted, the robbers tied
Ozturk's hands and feet to his desk and ran away, taking
with them all the collected money.
HOLTZ

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