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 0153

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU IZ ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY,
JUNE 06, 2003

1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary
for June 06, 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. Cumhuriyet: Egitim-Sen (Teachers' Union)
members in Diyarbakir lived through a difficult
period for twelve years because of applications
during the State of Emergency Rule. Twenty-seven
union members fell victim to mysterious killings
while one hundred ninety six others were deported
from the region. Egitim-Sen's Diyarbakir Chapter
is going to prepare a report on the problems its
members and administrators faced during this
time.

3. Turkiye: It is reported that PKK/KADEK has
decreased the number of its militants in camps in
Northern Iraq as a precaution against a likely US
operation against the PKK/KADEK in the region.
The militants have been scattered from their
winter camps to a more expanded area in smaller
groups. It is claimed that the terrorist
organization has instructed one hundred fifty
militants in Northern Iraq to infiltrate into
Turkey from the borders with Iraq, Syria, and
Iran; and the ones in Turkey have been told to
move to new bases in rural Bingol and Agri
provinces. Because it is afraid that the Repent
Law under consideration would encourage the
militants to desert from and expedite the
dissolution in the organization, PKK/KADEK
instructed its militants it would never abandon
arms.

4. Evrensel: Youth and Women Organizations of
DEHAP in Diyarbakir, Sanliurfa, Siirt, Adana, and
Batman provinces announced that the Repent Law on
the country's agenda would deepen the problems,
and emphasized, instead, a general amnesty, which
would install peace and order in society, should
be declared. The security officials in Batman did
not allow the women's organization to make a
press announcement in front of DEHAP's provincial
office.

5. Evrensel: One hundred thirty families evicted
from Yesilgoz village in Sirnak a number of years
ago have not been allowed to return to the
village; they have been kept at the entrance to
Beytussebab for twenty days on the grounds that
the village road is closed. The governor had
earlier given the villagers permission to return
to their village. A prominent villager,
Abdurrahman Aslan, said Sirnak Governor, Vehbi
Avuc, initially told him the reason the villagers
have been kept in Beytussebab was because there
was no fuel to open the village road. He said the
governor later stated Aslan had not obtained his
permission to return and he would not give such
permission. When the AK Party district chairman
suggested his party would buy fuel to open the
village road if the governor granted permission,
the governor scolded the party leader not to
speak nonsense.

ECONOMIC AND AGRICULTURAL DVELOPMENTS
6. Milliyet: Welding works of the pipes that
will carry the Caspian oil via Baku-Tiblisi-
Ceyhan route started at the exit terminal at
Botas in Ceyhan. One million barrels of oil will
be pumped from one thousand seven hundred sixty
kilometer-long pipeline daily. Turkey will charge
up to USD 250 million annual transition fee for
the first 16 years and up to USD 400 million for
years 16 to 40.
HOLTZ

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