Cablegate: Southeast Turkey Press Summary for September 23, 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 000168

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR SEPTEMBER 23, 2005

This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for September 23,
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 / SABAH / RADIKAL: The Van Anti-Terror Branch,
obtaining intelligence about seven terrorists residing in a
house in Van, conducted a raid on the house. Alleged terrorists
opened fire during the raid. Three terrorists were killed, and
a further four were caught alive. Two kilograms of C-4
explosives and 2 blocks of TNT explosives were reportedly found
in the house. Reportedly, two of the terrorists killed were
ones who perpetrated the September 17 attack on a Van Police
Station, which killed two police officers.

OZGUR GUNDEM: The daily reported that the operation
conducted against a house in Van, killing three alleged
terrorists, was an as "extra-judicial killing." According to
the paper, the police killed innocent people and declared them
as terrorists afterwards "on the very day the PKK/Kongra-Gel
declared that it prolonged the ceasefire."

HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): President Ahmet Nejdet Sezer, who came
to Gaziantep for the opening of Gaziantep University's academic
year yesterday, met today at the Governor's Office with the
provincial businessmen. Reportedly, the businessmen conveyed to
the President their concerns about the antional incentive list's
omission of Gaziantep province.

ZAMAN: Mehmet Agar, the DYP (True Path Party) national
leader, said that he and his Kurdish origin friends had fought
together against the terrorist organization PKK. Agar further
added that belonging to another ethnic origin did not prevent
people from being loyal to the (Turkish) flag.

BOLGE: Veysel Oguz, the MHP (National Movement Party)
Mardin Provincial Chairperson, paid a visit to Yilmaz Tankut,
the Adana Provincial Chairperson. During his visit, Oguz said
that tension has flared up in the (southeastern) region as a
result of PM Erdogan's Diyarbakir speech early in August.
According to Oguz, there exists no "Kurdish problem" in the
region.

EKSPRES: Hasan Yaman, the MHP provincial chairperson of
Adana's Seyhan district, said that a new border gate, which
would open to Tel Afar in Iraq, should be opened and the Habur
border gate in Sirnak be closed. According to Yaman, the PKK
has been benefiting from revenue gained from the Habur Gate.

OZGUR GUNDEM: A dog biting three villagers and two cattle in
Hakkari's Durankaya town raised suspicion that the dog might
have rabies.

OZGUR GUNDEM: The dead body of a young male person, who was
approximately 22 years old, was found nearby a road between the
Halfeti and Birecik districts of Sanliurfa Two days ago.
Reportedly, Birecik State Hospital will bury the dead, unless
somebody claims the body.

OZGUR GUNDEM: The paper claims that Turkey and Iran have
completed their joint military operations in and bordering on
Van's Baskale district. According to the paper, military
operations have been intensified. A military unit in Hakkari's
Cukurca district has reportedly been bombarding Turkey's border
with northern Iraq.

SABAH (GUNEY): A big Turkish flag was found on a roadside in
a torn and ragged condition in Mersin. The police, upon
receiving notice of the flag, suspected that a bomb might have
been placed under the flag. However, the bomb squad teams,
which were called to the scene, found no bombs at the spot.

RADIKAL: A lawsuit was initiated in Mardin against 13
soldiers, who allegedly have "breached the rules about firearms
use, and caused the death of people in such a way that the
perpetrator of the killing remains unknown" in October 2003 in
Kovali village of Mardin.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS

1. EKSPRES / (CUKUROVA): A group comprised of the senior
leaders of Adana, under the leadership of Abdullah Torun, Adana
deputy from AKP, and including the provincial chairperson of
AKP, the Adana mayor, chairpersons of chambers and agricultural
associations, held a press announcement. The group announced
that they were committed to forming a lobby that would fight for
the inclusion of Adana in GoT's agricultural incentive program.

2. HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Gaziantep's 5th Gapfood Fair
(Food, Food Technologies and Packaging), which has been
organized by Gaziantep Chamber of Industry, was opened yesterday
with a ceremony to which Binali Yildirim, Minister of
Transportation, attended as well.

REID

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