Cablegate: Southeast Turkey Press Summary for December 20, 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 000243

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR DECEMBER 20, 2005

This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for December 20,
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

CUMHURIYET / HURRIYET / YENI SAFAK / RADIKAL: Cemil Cicek,
spokesperson of the AK Party government, strongly opposed and
criticized the recent remarks of Joost Lagendijk, EU-Turkey
Joint Parliamentary Commission Chairperson, advising the Kurds
to move closer to the Turkish GOT, with whom a dialogue can be
established (instead of leaning towards the PKK which resorted
to armed conflict): a situation which reportedly strengthened
and benefited the position of the Turkish military forces. This
line of thought, according to Cicek, amounted to classifying
Turkey's military forces as in the same ranks with the terrorist
organization PKK.

CUMHURIYET: A radar project carried out in Hatay, whose
ownership is declared as belonging to NATO and whose
installation has been undertaken by the U.S., allegedly will be
used by the U.S., not by NATO, to watch the activities of Syria.

RADIKAL / HURRIYET / YENI SAFAK: During a meeting with the
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, NATO General Secretary Jaap De
Hoop said that there was no doubt about the terrorist character
of the PKK either in his own mind or the minds of the NATO
allies.

YENI SAFAK: The European Council warned Denmark, a country that
has been reluctant to take measures against the pro-PKK Roj TV.

RADIKAL / YENI SAFAK / OZGUR GUNDEM: Diyarbakir Prosecutor
discontinued actions against statements by Diyarbakir Mayor
Osman Baydemir, made during his speech in Belgium and
Strasbourg.

HURRIYET: Seventeen year old M.T., who killed his sister in
Diyarbakir's Baglar quarter on January 2003, was initially
sentenced to 12 years in prison. M.T.'s prison sentence was
reduced to six years and eight months following the court's
considerations of his good conduct and his young age. After
serving 3 years in prison, the court decided that M.T. be
released.

CUMHURIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM: Despite the Forensic Medicine
Authority's determination that the nine bullets found in the
body of 12-year-old Ugur Kaymaz were fatal and Ugur Kaymaz could
not engage in an armed clash, the Ozgur Gundem newspaper pointed
out that the courts dismissed the litigant's request to arrest
the defendants. The daily drew attention to the heavy police
presence at the courthouse in Eskisehir before the trial of
Kaymazs' case, sharply contrasting it with the weak police
presence during Orhan Pamuk's court hearing in Istanbul.

YENI SAFAK / OZGUR GUNDEM: Hakan Acil (27) is a police
officer whom the PKK kidnapped two months ago (see press summary
10/11 and 12/09) on a road between Sirnak and Mardin. Acil's
father waited outside the court hall in Eskisehir where the
Kaymaz case was being heard, to talk with the members of the
Human Rights Association about the release of his son.

CUMHURIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM: Nationwide protests, including in
Istanbul, Ankara, Diyarbakir, Van, Hakkari, Mus, Hatay, and
Binol provinces, were held against the December 2000 "Return to
Life Operation" launched against inmates on hunger strike in
various jails in Turkey (see press summary 12/19).

OZGUR GUNDEM: The court prosecuting 13 officers in Mardin on
charges of killing one and wounding four persons from the Demir
family during an October 2003 raid conducted on a village in
Mardin's Derik district, has reportedly been moved to the Adana
province. The reason for moving the place of the lawsuit was
given as "preserving public security." A prior notification
about this change of place reportedly was not sent to the
litigants and their attorneys.

OZGUR GUNDEM: German-based SU TV started its test
broadcasts. SU TV's audience profile will be the (Turkish)
Alawi community; however, the channel aims at making the voices
of millions, who cannot find the means to express themselves,
heard.

OZGUR GUNDEM: Mehmet Eraslan, Hatay deputy from DYP (True
Path Party), submitted a proposal demanding a probe into books,
which have been circulating for free among primary school
children. Reportedly, these books included pictures of crosses
and churches, and quoted excerpts from Christian prayers.

YENI SAFAK / RADIKAL / HURRIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM: Erdal Akpinar, a
brigadier general, who reportedly held a meeting two weeks ago
with non-governmental organizations at the Yuksekova Brigade
Command (see press summary 12/13) and warned people about the
yellow-red-green colored flags carried by the people during
demonstrations, reportedly filed a complaint against a primary
school headmaster and the trainer of a folk dance group about
the clothing of children, who performed folk dances during the
October 29 Republic Day ceremonies, on grounds that these
clothes resembled the clothing style of PKK militants.

OZGUR GUNDEM: BEKSAV (Science Education Aesthetics Culture
and Arts Foudnation) will hold a panel on "Putting the Semdinli
Case on the Agenda of the Metropolises with the Correct
Approach" on January 24 in Istanbul. Esat Canan, Hakkari deputy
from CHP (Republican People's Party); Seferi Yilmaz, the owner
of the bombed bookstore in Semdinli; Mikail Aslan, the person
wounded during the bombing will also participate in the event.
REID

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