Cablegate: Southeast Turkey Press Summary for July 3, 2006

VZCZCXRO8775
RR RUEHDA
DE RUEHDA #0156/01 1860502
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 050502Z JUL 06
FM AMCONSUL ADANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4216
INFO RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 0816
RUEUITH/AFOSI DET 521 ANKARA TU
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0764
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0661
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000156

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR JULY 3, 2006

This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for July 03, 2006.
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: A police officer was killed as he was trying
to defuse a bomb placed allegedly by PKK terrorists in
Diyarbakir's Kocakoy district, announced Diyarbakir Governor's
Office.

ZAMAN / CUMHURIYET: Twenty-six of the 35 people detained and
arraigned following last week's operation against corruption in
the Habur Border Gate in Sirnak's Silopi district have been
arrested.

ZAMAN / CUMHURIYET: The report BOTAS (Petroleum Pipeline
Company) has presented to the parliament reportedly urges that
Turkey should demand a share of Kirkuk oil in exchange for
financial losses totaling 500 million USD incurred because of
oil transfer problems in Kirkuk(Iraq)-Yumurtalik(Adana, Turkey)
pipeline.

CUMHURIYET / HURRIYET / RADIKAL / ZAMAN / YENI SAFAK / SABAH:
A 49-year-old MIT intelligence center regional director in
Batman has been killed in the building where he worked by
another employee working on a contract basis who was reportedly
in a state of frenzy. The assailant has been arrested and is
being interrogated.

HURRIYET: Parliament Spokesperson Bulent Arinc had to respond
to questions in Denmark of a Danish journalist, who was
reportedly well-known for his articles in support of Roj TV
broadcasts in Denmark, because of an interview arranged by the
Turkish Consulate undersecretary and a consulate official in
Denmark.

RADIKAL / OZGUR GUNDEM / YENI SAFAK: Chairperson of
Butchers in Diyarbakir has been invited to Chile for his
outstanding performance in resolving a total of 417 feuds in the
southeastern region of Turkey peacefully. A Chilean delegation
came to Diyarbakir specifically to exchange information about,
and benefit from, experiences gained in resolving feuds in the
area.

RADIKAL / SABAH: Head of the EU Delegation in Turkey, Hans Jorg
Kretschmer, has reportedly been angered by PM Erdogan's program
in Erzurum, which was not clarified until the last minute before
a ground breaking ceremony in Erzurum's Karayazi district that
was initially planned to be opened by PM Erdogan, Education
Minister Huseyin Celik and Kretschmer. When PM Erdogan decided
not to attend the ceremony in person, but through a live
interactive TV session, Kretschmer reportedly decided to leave
Erzurum without attending the ceremony, despite that the fact
that he arranged his schedule months ago.

YENI SAFAK / OZGUR GUNDEM: Many Syriacs living in different
parts of the world convened in Adiyaman to attend a mass
religious ceremony marking the anniversary of the foundation of
Syriac Church in Adiyaman.

OZGUR GUNDEM: An investigation has been started against DTP
Chairperson in Hatay's Iskenderun district because of a banner
reading a Kurdish May 1 slogan he carried on May Day in
Iskenderun.

OZGUR GUNDEM: The daily claims that soldiers damaged the
graves of five PKK members, who were killed in 1991, in Siirt's
Eruh district.

OZGUR GUNDEM: The funeral of a PKK member, who was killed on
June 25, has been held in a quarter of Mersin. Members of DTP's
Mersin chapter, members of Goc-Der's (Solidarity Association for
Displaced People) Mersin Chapter, and members of Tuhad-Der
(Solidarity Association for Prisoners' Families) visited the
family of the PKK member and paid their condolences.

OZGUR GUNDEM: A total of nine DTP senior officials have been
arraigned and arrested for allegedly keeping possession of arms
and bombs in their houses last year, reported the daily.

EKSPRES: During a reception held to celebrate 80th
anniversary of Turkey gaining sovereignty on coastal waters, of
Chairperson of Mersin's Chamber of Marine said that people
engaged in tourism sector and local people should support the
hydrofoil line between Mersin and Syria's Lazkiye port launched
recently to boost tourism sector in the region.

ADANA 00000156 002 OF 002

YENI SAFAK / OZGUR GUNDEM: The muhtar (headman) of Karaduvar
quarter in Mersin drew attention to the environmental pollution
caused by the leakages from petroleum lines transferring oil
from the storage spaces to the vessels in the sea. Agriculture
and fishing sector has reportedly suffered greatly because of
that pollution.

CUMHURIYET: The restoration project launched at Van's Armenian
Christian Church on Van's Akdamar Island has entered its last
phase. Electricity and water network, conveniences the church
lacked to date, will reportedly also be provided soon.

ZAMAN A student in Adana won the third rank in javelin throwing
category in World High School Level Championship.
REID

© Scoop Media