Cablegate: Southeast Turkey Press Summary, April 01, 2004

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS ADANA 000038

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV TU IZ ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY, APRIL 01, 2004

This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for April 1, 2004.
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

RADIKAL: New Mardin Mayor Metin Pamukcu, who was elected from
Saadet Party (Felicity Party), decided to join AK Party. AK
Party was disqualified from running in the municipal election in
Mardin for not submitting their candidate's list to the
Provincial Election Board on time.

SABAH (Guney Supplement): Photographs of cafes, gas stations and
motels along the highways in the United States were exhibited in
Adana. Vice American Consul Deborah Hart, Adana Governor Kemal
Onal, Adana Mayor Aytac Durak, and the Cukurova University
Rector inaugurated the exhibition together. The photographs will
be displayed in Ankara afterwards.

CUMHURIYET: In Mardin, Dargecit (township) Mayor Suleyman Anik,
elected from Democratic Force's Union under SHP, was
apprehended, together with his wife at their house for alleged
membership to an outlawed organization. One unlicensed weapon
and prohibited publications were found in Anik's house. Anik's
wife was released after the interrogation, but Anik was put in
Midyat prison for "membership in the organization." The Mardin
Governorate announced that Anik's relationship with
PKK/KONGRA-GEL had been discovered in the documents seized
during the Mardin Provincial Jandarma Command's operations in
rural Dargecit. The announcement stated that Anik had served as
mayor in Dargecit some time ago, and that he was arrested on
September 23, 1991, for his relationship with PKK and that he
was released subsequently on October 24, 1991. Anik then sought
asylum in Sweden in 1992. He was stripped of Turkish citizenship
in 2001, but, with a (later) Cabinet decision, he regained his
Turkish citizenship in 2002. Anik has dual citizenship.

EVRENSEL/ILKEDE OZGUR GUNDEM: It is alleged that Dumlupinar
Elementary School in Van is being used by special teams for
interrogation and torture purposes at night. Some detainees
claim having seen torture tools at school.

EVRENSEL: The Malatya State Security Court acquitted the ten
Bingol DEHAP administrators who had been arrested for taking
flowers and attending the funeral of a Konrga-Gel militant.

MILLIYET: An Adana shoe shop owner giving counterfeit money to
his customers was arrested. Police seized USD 1,200; twenty-five
TL 20 million notes; and four TL 1 million counterfeit
bank-notes.

AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS

EKSPRES: Agricultural Engineers Chamber President for Hatay
Ahmet Sever said 400 cubic millimeters of rain have fallen in
the Amik Plain as of now in 2004. If precipitation does not
exceed 600 cubic millimeters by April 10, the wheat yield in the
province would decrease by half, he said.

REID

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