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 0277

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU IZ ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY
25-27 OCTOBER 2003

1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary
for October 25-27, 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. Hurriyet / The Armenian Patriarch for Turkey
visited Akdamar Island in Van. Patriarch will
stay in Van for three days and call on the
Governor during that time.

3. Evrensel / Van WomenQs platform condemned the
abuse towards women during their press
conference in Van.

4. Evrensel / New York Times reported that a
village in Diyarbakir, Turkey was burned by
Turkish soldiers. According to the report, to
burn villages where guerillas might be getting
some help is a systematic policy of the
security forces.

5. Evrensel / The great Kurdish poet Cegerxwin was
memorized in Elazig and Tunceli during the
celebrations organized for his 100th birthday.

6. Evrensel, Ozgur Gundem / Youth from the Peace
and Democracy Platform protested against the
war in Iraq and possible deployment of Turkish
troops to Iraq in Gaziantep, Mersin, Samsun,
and Antalya.

7. Turkiye / During the operations in Darende,
Malatya province, Jandarma found 104kg of
marijuana and 1kg of Indian kemp and detained
Hikme Bahadir, Seyho Berktas and Hasan
Dumlupinar.

8. Turkiye / Security forces in Hakkari detained
Sabahattin Suvagci, Hakkari head of the
Democratic PeopleQs Party (DEHAP), and four
unidentified people.

9. Ozgur Gundem / In Derik, Mardin, a truck driver
was killed by a Kalashnikov for an unknown
reason.

10. Radikal / Two earthquakes of 3.9 shook
Sirnak and Pervari, Siirt province on October
26.

11. Bolge, Milliyet / Relatives of Sema Celik, a
woman who died of a heart attack in Gaziantep
State Hospital, accused the hospital officials
of stealing the womanQs eyes.

12. Turkiye / In Diyarbakir, police detained
Mevlut Ozler for selling counterfeit US and
Turkish banknotes.

13. Turkiye, Sabah Guney, Milliyet / Dr. Wolf
Ruthard Born, German Ambassador to Turkey,
visited the Adana Governor and Mayor on October
24.

14. Ozgur Gundem / There are 21 ongoing court
cases involving Musa Ciftci, assistant head of
the DEHAP in Hakkari.

15. Ozgur Gundem / During the protests of DEHAP
members in front of the AKP building in
Gaziantep last week, protestors are being
accused of breaking a police officerQs finger.
DEHAP members denied the allegations.
16. Evrensel / The Qpeace deskQ project Adana
WomenQs platform wanted to have in Inonu Park,
Adana at the weekend, was not permitted by the
police.
REID

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