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 0428

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU IZ ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY,
DECEMBER 24, 2002

1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for
December 24, 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. BOMB ATTACK ON TAA IN ADANA
(Hurriyet/Milliyet) Last night (12/23), two
assailants on a motorcycle threw what the paper called
a `sound' bomb on the Turkish American Association
(TAA) building and then disappeared. The bomb
exploded, making a loud noise and shattering windows
at the TAA office and nearby buildings. No casualties
were reported. Police arrived at the scene following
the explosion and took comprehensive security
measures. An operation was launched to capture the
assailants. Oya Ilkim of TAA said the association had
nothing to do with the U.S., other than its name and
that only language courses were offered there.

3. PRO-OCALAN DEMONSTRATIONS CONTINUE
(Evrensel) Demonstrations were held in Izmir, Mersin,
Batman, Siirt and Diyarbakir to protest isolation of
KADEK (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan. Protestors burned
roads by pouring gasoline, shouting pro-Ocalan
slogans, dancing to tunes of Turkish folk music,
marching with torches in their hands, and turning on
and off their lights for ten minutes. Following
demonstrations in Diyarbakir, police arrested 20
youths wearing kerchiefs.

4. GOVERNMENT WILL PAY INDEMNITY
(Evrensel) The Van Court of General Criminal
Jurisdiction ruled against the State in connection
with the 45-day detention of 70 hunger strikers who
were among 500 people arrested in the People's
Democracy Party (HADEP) office. Forty-five arrestees
were later ordered held in custody on charges of
"assisting and abetting the PKK." Acquitted after 70
days in prison, the hunger strikers sued the State by
claiming "they had been detained for no reason." They
will receive TL 1.5 billion (approx. USD 900) each in
material and moral reparations.

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

5. DROP IN ENERGY PRODUCTION
(Milli Gazete) Energy production at Sanliurfa's
Ataturk Dam Hydro-electric Power Plant, which produces
1/5 of Turkey's electricity needs, fell from 8 billion
kilowatt/hours in 2001 to 6 billion kilowatt/hours in
2002. The drop was attributed to drought in Turkey
over the past two years. The level of water in the
reservoir behind the dam has reportedly fallen to 528
(cm), with only four of the eight turbines working.
Electricity production fell from 7 billion
kilowatt/hours to 5 billion kilowatt/hours in the
Karakaya (Diyarbakir) Dam and from 6 to 4,865 billion
kilowatt/hours in the Keban (Elazig) Dam. Only three
of Karakaya's six turbines and two of Keban's seven
turbines are currently operational.

6. AGRICULTURAL EXPORTS TO EAST EUROPE UP OVER 38%
(Evrensel) According to the Southeastern Anatolia
Exporters' Union, agricultural exports from the
Southeast to East Europe increased 38.2% in the first
eleven months of the year, rising to USD 58.7 million
from USD 42.5 million for the same period in 2001. In
the same period, USD 53.7 million of textile, USD 4.1
million of dried fruits and USD 983,000 of grain,
beans and seed products were exported from the region.

7. UNDESERVED COTTON SUBSIDIES
(Milli Gazete) Through satellite photographing,
Agricultural and Village Affairs Ministry inspectors
determined 1,800 Kiziltepe (Mardin) farmers had
unjustly received a total of USD 600,000 in Cotton
Support Premium payments. Farmers who had made
fraudulent declarations were ordered to repay the
undeserved premium payments.
HOLTZ

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