Cablegate: Southeast Turkey Press Summary for July 01, 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 000138

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR JULY 01, 2005

1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for July 01,
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

2. HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Adana Mayor Aytac Durak announced
that the municipality was embarking on efforts to commission a
production company to shoot a documentary film on Adana.

3. HURRIYET (CUKUROVA)/EKSPRES/SABAH(GUNEY)/BOLGE: Bulent
Ozulku, who has been organizing a grassroots movement in Adana's
CHP, criticized the Provincial Chairperson Serdar Seyhan and his
brother, Tacidar Seyhan, an Adana CHP deputy, in a
"widely-attended" meeting of proponents of the "CHP Grassroots
Initiative" for disregarding the party members and pursuing
policies irrelevant to the public.

4. BOLGE/EKSPRES/SABAH(GUNEY): World Bank Ankara Office
Coordinator of Human Development, John Innes; Project Leader
Ibrahim Akcayoglu; Project Supervisor of Turkish Privatization
Authority Ozge Alpay and Project Advisor Nejat Dogan came to
Adana to conduct studies at the Adana's ISGEM (Business
Development Center), which is run by ADSIAD (Adana
Industrialists and Businessmen Association) and KOSGEB (Turkish
Support Network for SMEs). Ozge Alpay, who evaluated the first
project of Adana ISGEM as successful, said that a second project
will be launched in Adana. The delegation paid a visit to Adana
Governor Cahit Kirac and later visited ISGEMs in Mersin and
Tarsus.

5. SABAH(GUNEY)/EKSPRES/BOLGE: A group of NGOs in Adana
staged a protest against the demonstrations that were held to
express support for the outlawed terrorist organization PKK.
The group waved the Turkish flag of Turkish Republic and
condemned terrorist activities.

6. CUMHURIYET: A 30-person group staged an unauthorized
protest in Diyarbakir and chanted slogans supporting the jailed
terrorist leader Abdullah Ocalan. When the police arrived at
the scene, the group allegedly threw stones at them. Protestors
threw Molotov cocktails at the police when the police tried to
intervene. The group dispersed later when the police chased
them in the streets.

7. CUMHURIYET: Tunceli Jandarma Regional Command held a
commemoration for the first time in eight years to remember
eight soldiers, who died in a suicide bomb incident in June 1996
during an official ceremony held in a provincial city square.

8. RADIKAL: People who earn their livelihood by raising
and breeding livestock in the highlands of Agri province in the
eastern Turkey are facing the risk of grave losses because Agri
Governor issued a ban which barred people from working in the
highlands during the summer time. This was due to terror
related activities in the rural areas. The ban will reportedly
adversely affect 30,000 people and 200,000 cattle.

9. EVRENSEL/OZGUR GUNDEM: A father and a son were attacked
and shot dead in front of their business in Mardin's Kiziltepe
district. The cause of the incident is unknown and the Kiziltepe
Security Directorate is currently conducting an investigation to
uncover the criminals.

10. SABAH/OZGUR GUNDEM: Land Forces Army Commander Yasar
Buyukanit said that PKK demands under the guise of human rights
concerns are threatening the unity of the country. Buyukanit
further said, in a Defense and Aviation Journal, that some EU
countries and neighboring countries are providing logistical,
financial, educational, military and political support for the
PKK.

11. OZGUR GUNDEM: Campaigns to collect signatures and
express the demand of Kurdish people to "earn their right be
educated in their native language" has been launched in Mus,
Adiyaman and Mardin.

12. OZGUR GUNDEM: The paper reports that Van's Yuzuncu Yil
University allegedly engaged in an improper practice of
initiating an investigation against a student enrolled ats
another university in Kars.

13. OZGUR GUNDEM: Kurd-Der (Kurdish Democracy Solidarity
and Culture Association) paid visits and extended condolences to
the families of two terrorists who died in two separate clashes
in Van and Bingol. Kurd-Der members paid a visit to the family
of a 19-year-old demonstrator, Fahrettin Yilmaz, who died last
week during the popular demonstration at the funeral of a
terrorist, as well.

14. OZGUR GUNDEM: Van DEHAP demanded that the perpetrators
of the killing of 19-year-old Fahrettin Yilmaz at a Bingol
demonstration be found.
15. OZGUR GUNDEM: The Bingol Branch of the Human Rights
Association (HRA) demanded that an investigation should be
launched to probe the allegations that the bodies of the
terrorists, who were killed in the military operation of Turkish
Army in Bingol a week ago, were found as disfigured (see press
summary 06/27). HRA further stated that three of the four dead
bodies were given to their families, however, according to HRA,
a fourth dead person's body was still being kept in the morgue
of the Bingol State Hospital. HRA also claims that five persons
were allegedly reported as dead as a result of the operation,
but four dead bodies were brought to the hospital instead.

16. OZGUR GUNDEM: DTH (Democratic Society Movement) has
completed its election processes in all of the provinces in
Turkey, except for Van and Konya. Three thousand delegates who
have been elected by 300,000 voters will now elect the Founders'
Board. The elections for the Founding Board reportedly will be
conducted between July 1st and 20th.

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