Cablegate: Southeast Turkey Press Summary for August 08, 2006

VZCZCXRO4976
RR RUEHDA
DE RUEHDA #0178/01 2210936
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 090936Z AUG 06
FM AMCONSUL ADANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4251
INFO RUEUITH/AFOSI DET 521 ANKARA TU
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0799
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0694
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEILB/NCTC WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/AFOSI DET 522 INCIRLIK AB TU
RUETIAA/DIRNSA FT MEADE MD
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 0852

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000178

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR AUGUST 08, 2006

This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for August 08,
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

HURRIYET / ZAMAN / SABAH: Nedim Seven, a senior member of
the PKK, was caught in an operation Dutch police conducted at
the border area with Belgium last week. Turkey, who listed
Seven in wanted notice, has launched efforts for Seven to be
returned to Turkey.

HURRIYET / ZAMAN / SABAH / YENI SAFAK: After receiving a
tip-off that terrorists were seen in an area between two
districts of Sivas, security forces conducted an operation there
and killed one terrorist. Separately, a terrorist attempting
to place an explosive on a road in Sirnak's Uludere district
died when the explosive went off. Meanwhile, teams of jandarma
command found 10 kilograms of A-4 explosives in an area near a
road in Agri's Taslicay district. Sabah daily reported that
three soldiers were wounded because of a mine blast in rural
sections of Hakkari's Yuksekova district.

EVRENSEL / YENI SAFAK: A rocket attack was carried out on a
police check point located at the entrance of Hakkari's Semdinli
district late at night the previous day. No casualties were
reported.

YENI SAFAK: Jandarma teams seized a total of 31 unlicensed
pistols, twenty of which were of Glock brand, in the fuel tank
of a car in Sirnak's Uludere district, announced the Sirnak
Governor's Office.

EKSPRES / CUMHURIYET: Per August 6, marking the 61st
anniversary of atom bomb attack on Hiroshima, the spokesperson
of Global Peace and Justice Commission (GPJC) in Adana said, as
he pointed out the nuclear bombs allegedly kept at Incirlik
airbase, that nobody was willing to live in a place jeopardized
by the threat of nuclear bombs. GPJC members will hold a
protest as they ride their bicycles to the gate of the airbase
on August 24 at 12.30.

EVRENSEL: Sultanbeyli district municipality (AKP) in Istanbul
stopped construction of a Cemevi (Alawi worshipping place) whose
ground-breaking was held on April 8 on grounds that the
construction area was a basin for water supply. Alawi community
considered that move as a pretext for hindering Cemevi
construction because the municipality has allegedly been
ignoring 28,000 unlicensed buildings in Sultanbeyli.

BOLGE / SABAH (GUNEY) / ZAMAN: Adana Mayor made a call to
district mayors to fight against unlicensed construction
operations in the province. The mayor accused the Seyhan
Municipality bureaucrats for attempting to misguide the Seyhan
Mayor about a controversial building whose construction has been
completed. Adana Mayor claims that the building can only be
legal when it gets demolished. Sabah Guney daily commented on
the tension between the two municipalities and reported that two
municipalities in fact shared the blame on unlicensed
constructions in the province.

RADIKAL / CUMHURIYET / ZAMAN / HURRIYET / EVRENSEL: Two masked
terrorists raiding the house of a non-commissioned officer of
Jandarma Intelligence in Sirnak's Beytussebap district killed
the officer and wounded his son.

RADIKAL / BOLGE / EKSPRES: Dead bodies of two soldiers, who
died in a terrorist attack in Gumushane (see press summary
08/07), have been received by their families in Mersin.
Reportedly, the number of soldiers who died in terrorist attacks
and whose hometowns were Mersin increased to 9 in the last three
months.

YENI SAFAK / EVRENSEL: Human Rights Association, Democratic
Society Party and EMEP (Party of Labor) issued a written
statement to denounce a court decision imposing a 15-day ban on
Ozgur Gundem daily's publication and dissemination.

OZGUR GUNDEM ONLINE: Istanbul 12th Heavy Penalty Court lifted
the ban on Ozgur Gundem upon appealing of the newspaper with the
same court against its decision. The newspaper will appear on
shelves back again on Thursday.

ADANA 00000178 002 OF 002

CUMHURIYET / ZAMAN / RADIKAL / SABAH: Two deputies resigned
from SHP (Social Democratic People's Party) allegedly because
SHP has said that the Kurdish issue is a reality for Turkey that
must be recognized. The deputies criticized the party for not
being "sensitive about terror issues and national unity."

RADIKAL / YENI SAFAK: A 50-person group in Van which was
mostly comprised of women and children held a protest in front
of the municipality because of lack of water in Yenimahalle
quarter of the city.
REID

© Scoop Media