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 0145

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU IZ ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY,
MAY 27, 2003

1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary
for May 27, 2003. Please note that Turkish press
reports often contain errors or exaggerations;
AmConsulate Adana does not vouch for the accuracy
of the reports summarized here.

POLITICAL, SECURITY, HUMAN RIGHTS

2. Evrensel: It is claimed that MKP-HKO (Maoist
Communist Party-Peoples Liberation Army) member
Aycan Tato, killed in the clashes at Dinar Deresi
of Tunceli on May 24, was the victim of an extra-
judiciary killing. Eyewitnesses claimed that
security forces opened gunfire, without any
warning, on Tato as he walked toward the wooded
area from the house the security forces were in.
It is claimed that no weapons were found on Tato.

3. Evrensel: Nine presidents of Bar Associations
in Eastern and Southeastern Turkey prepared an
alternative Draft Law to the Repent Law. At a
press conference, the presidents demanded a
"general amnesty." They proposed no action to be
taken against people who had not been subjected
to any investigation in the past, and that these
people should benefit from the law provided they
applied within one year of the date the law was
enforced. The Bar Association presidents also
proposed a five year suspension of sentences for
inmates and prisoners with definite sentences.

4. Cumhuriyet: The Chief Public Prosecutor of
the Diyarbakir State Security Court, Saban Erbas,
sent to Ankara a report on the draft Repent Law.
The report, which expressed the views of the
officials in the region, is deemed as a "road
map" for the draft Repent Law which will be
handled at the National Security Council's
meeting tomorrow. Erbas, whose judiciary
jurisdiction covers Batman, Bingol, Diyarbakir,
Mardin, Sirnak, and Sanliurfa provinces, said
that the armed combat with terrorism should be
supported with legal arrangements and
psychological operations as well. Saban
emphasized that the state did not achieve its
objective of persuading the terrorists to come
down from the mountains because of the lack of
legal arrangements. Saban added that developing
technology and diversity in communication
devices, and domestic migration made it difficult
to follow terrorist organizations; he emphasized
that it was important to know the organizational
structure of terrorist organizations in combating
them. Regarding the most recent Repent Law,
declared on August 26, 1999, Saban said it was
not successful because of its narrow scope. He
added, "In order to bring down the terrorists in
the mountains, security forces constantly claimed
that the terrorists could benefit from the repent
law. The terrorists who surrendered to security
forces as a result of this propaganda were
disappointed with the fact that the repent law
was not applied. They reached the conclusion that
the security forces' propaganda did not reflect
reality."

5. Cumhuriyet: One single house has not been
built for the 1966 earthquake victims in Mus. The
earthquake victims in Mus warned the Bingol
earthquake victims not to be deceived by promises
made by politicians, and that they should take
care of themselves. Regarding the situation of
the 1966 earthquake in Mus, Mayor Abdulbari Han
said: "The officials promised houses for 4,400
people. With contributions from the World Red
Crescent, the British government built 589
temporary barracks for the victims, and officials
promised that permanent houses would be
constructed in a very short time. Although 37
years have passed since the earthquake, no houses
have been built in Mus, and most of the people
qualified for the houses have died."

ECONOMIC AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS

6. Turkiye: Mustafa Caliskan, the President of
the Adana Chapter of MUSIAD (Independent
Industrialists and Businessmen Association), said
the sugar price in Turkey was fivefold that of
world prices, and added, "the state should end
the period of loading its losses on the shoulders
of 70 million people." Caliskan said a kilo of
granular sugar was sold for approximately one USD
while it was only 0.20 USD in the world markets.
Caliskan said while sugar is overpriced in the
country, the General Directorate of the Sugar
Plants was seeking permission to export its
excessive sugar stocks for half the price
determined for exportation. He said the issue
should be investigated.
HOLTZ

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