Cablegate: Southeast Turkey Press Summary for April 11, 2005

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 000077

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR APRIL 11, 2005

This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for April 11,
2005. 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

ZAMAN / BOLGE / SABAH (GUNEY) / EKSPRES: On the occasion of the
160th anniversary of the Turkish Police Force, major newspapers
quote President Sezer and PM Erdogan issuing messages to the
police telling them not to harm public trust; Adana papers'
coverage of this event include large photos of the official
celebration and Bolge quotes Governor Cahit Kirac as saying,
"The Turkish police does its job with love and affection.
Ninety-four per cent of the matters are solved by means of a
good dialogue between the police and the public."

BOLGE: CHP (Republican People's Party) National
Headquarters reportedly dismissed Adana's CHP Party
Administration at the end of March (see press summary 3/28).
Serdar Seyhan, CHP's Adana Provincial Chairman, who kept his
seat despite the dismissals, reportedly vowed to draft a new
party administration list after consulting the party's grass
roots. Bolge reports that Mr.Seyhan has not exchanged ideas with
party members to date, indicating that he will submit a list of
people close to him to party headquarters.

BOLGE: Mehmet Abaci responded to April 8 complaints made
about him by Adana's Yuregir Municipality's bureaucrats (see
press summary 4/8). Abaci denying being assigned as Deputy
Mayor, said he only worked under the title of "temporary worker"
in the Municipality, and stated he had never been a business
partner of the Yuregir Mayor nor was he was the "emperor" of the
Municipality.

OZGUR GUNDEM: Ozgur Gundem reports the end of the military
operations in the Cudi Mountain.

OZGUR GUNDEM: During the 6th Nature and Culture Festival of
Munzur to be held in Tunceli on July 28th, the Italian Artists'
Union (ASS Vortici) plans to launch an "Art for Peace" campaign
to end the conflicts in (Turkey's southeastern) region and to
increase public awareness of the cultural rights of the Kurds.

EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM: Hatip Dicle, a former DEP (Party
of Democracy) member and currently Democratic Society Movement's
(DSM) Coordination Council member, said that the (Turkish) Chief
of Staff should extend an apology for allegedly calling the
Kurds "so-called citizens" right after the flag-incident in
Mersin. Speaking at a meeting of DSM in Kars, Dicle reportedly
added that the "Kurds up in the mountains" (note: read PKK
members) were ready to quit fighting should democratic laws be
implemented in Turkey. Dicle expressed his wishes for the end of
long-living enmities.

CUMHURIYET / ZAMAN / YENI SAFAK / HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):
After launching a campaign in Adana calling for the end to the
U.S. presence in Incirlik Airbase (see press summary 4/7), IP
(Labor Party) erected a flag with a 100-person group in front of
the entrance to Incirlik district, where Incirlik Airbase is
located. MHP (Nationalist Movement Party) and Turk-Is
(Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions) supported the IP
demonstration. However, Zaman and Hurriyet Cukurova reports add
that the small businessmen in Incirlik reportedly support the
idea of the U.S. using Incirlik as a logistics hub.

BOLGE: The Human Rights Commission of the Turkish
Parliament prepared a report about the case of Ugur and Ahmet
Kaymaz's killing. The report pointed out "The case has several
(note: unspecified) aspects that must be investigated during the
prosecution process ... security forces used excessive and
undue force during the incident, which put Turkey in a bad
situation in the eyes of its people and of the EU countries."

EKSRPES: Ali Mufit Gurtuna, the former Mayor of
Istanbul, paid a visit to the Chambers of Commerce and Industry
in Adana and discussed economic and industrial issues. Gurtuna
said he supported the policy of granting regional incentives.
During his meeting in the Adana Chamber of Trade, Gurtuna
criticized the lack of cooperation between Mersin and Adana
provinces.

OZGUR GUNDEM: The German "human shield" activists asked the
AKP government to end human rights violations that are caused by
military operations and to release the "human shield" activists
who have been arrested. The German "human shield" activists
released a written statement, which stated that not only the
(PKK) militants, but also the community in the region and the
region's ecological system incurred losses. Drawing attention to
the alleged beatings and mistreatment the activists were
subjected to during their arrest, the report said that one
German activist was held in detention and was (allegedly)
exposed to "psychological torture."
EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM: Despite the ongoing protests (see
press summary 4/7) from public finance officers, bureaucrats,
and the public, AKP (Justice and Development Party) government
ratified the Income Administration Law in the Turkish
Parliament.

REID

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