Cablegate: Southeast Turkey Press Summary for October 12, 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 000180

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR OCTOBER 12, 2005

This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for October 12,
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 (GUNEY): Farm animal breeders warned that a ban
should be imposed to prevent bird hunting in the Cukurova
region, because the season for the arrival of the migrating
birds to Yumurtalik and Karatas districts is approaching.
Breeders further called for heightened measures such as keeping
chickens in closed spaces in the villages. Bird flu threat in
Balikesir caused disturbance in the Hatay province as well.
Association for Reasearch on Birds announced that the birds
migrating over Hatay are not among the breeds that contract the
disease.

CUMHURIYET / SANAH / HURRIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM: Upon receiving a
bomb threat notification, Adana Security Directorate's
Anti-Terror Branch found a suspicious bag on one of the main
routes of Adana beside the Seyhan River. The bag reportedly
contained a fragmentation hand grenade. The police started to
probe the case. Separately, a car exploding in Hakkari damaged
two other cars. No casualties were reported. The police
heightened security measures in the area.

CUMHURIYET / RADIKAL / SABAH / OZGUR GUNDEM: An 11-year-old
child grazing his flock of sheep in Dogubeyazit district of
Agri, was severely wounded when a mine he found went off in his
hands. PKK allegedly planted the mine earlier. In a separate
incident in Van's Baskale district, a 43-year-old shepherd was
wounded when a mine went off as he stepped on it.

RADIKAL: A former village guard, Nevaf Aydin, who was accused
along with ten village guards of killing eight people and
wounding seven persons in Mardin thirteen years ago, was caught
and arrested in Izmir. The court that tries village guards has
been going on in Denizli's Second Heavy Penalty Court.

RADIKAL: The daily reported that the DTH (Democratic Society
Movement), which is expected to form a political party by the
end of this month, included in its draft charter ideas and
policies concerning women's issues and Kurdish issues that
reportedly resembled Abdullah Ocalan's views. DTH has not yet
named a national leader or the brand name of the political
party, reported the daily.

OZGUR GUNDEM: The paper promoted policies that will likely
be adopted in the charter of the DTH. Reportedly, the charter
aimed to represent all people in society and aims to cover
national-level issues. The charter reportedly envisages
democratic, participatory and alternative solutions to the
structural problems of Turkey.

OZGUR GUNDEM / SABAH: Hakan Acil, a police officer, was
kidnapped on a road between Sirnak's Idil district and Mardin's
Midyat district (see press summary 10/11). Ozgur Gundem daily
reported that a military operation was launched to find the
police officer, and F-16 aircraft were allegedly being used in
the search. Selahattin Demirtas, Chairperson of the Diyarbakir
Human Rights Association (HRA), demanded that the police officer
be released immediately. Reportedly, security officers
increased searches at checkpoints in Midyat and Idil.

OZGUR GUNDEM: A group of people staged a demonstration in
Mardin's Nusaybin district, threw Molotov cocktails and stopped
traffic. Reportedly, the people were protesting October 9, a
day which reportedly marks the deportation of Abdullah Ocalan
from Syria.

OZGUR GUNDEM: The dead body of a 25-year-old male was found
in a village of Siirt's Eruh district.

OZGUR GUNDEM: The daily continues to report the alleged
oppression against the inmates of the Kurkculer Jail in Adana.
Reportedly, a letter of complaint which was written by the
inmates and which was addressed to the Ministry of Justice, was
reportedly torn up by the jail administration on grounds that
the letter included "harmful" content.

OZGUR GUNDEM: Attorneys, who are members of the Mersin Bar
Association, after having solicited a meeting with their clients
under detention, were reportedly badly treated and harassed by
officers at Mersin's Security Directorate as they were waiting
for their client's arrival.

OZGUR GUNDEM: Municipality workers staged a protest in front
of Seyhan's Municipality in Adana. 12 workers, working in the
cleaning services of the municipality were laid off, allegedly
on grounds that they were involved in unionist activities.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS

1. ZAMAN: Saban Bas, Chairperson of Adana Chamber of
Commerce, said that following the opening of negotiation talks
with the EU, investment opportunities and transportation
facilities in the Haci Sabanci Organized Industrial Zone (OIZ),
will render Cukurova region one of the "shining stars of
Turkey." OIZ is reportedly providing employment to 15,000
workers.

2. HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Agricultural issues were discussed
in a meeting called "Turkey's Agricultural Issues and the
Cukurova Region" held by ADSIAD (Adana Industrialists and
Businessmen Association) in light of developments taking place
in the EU and World Trade Organization.

REID

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