Cablegate: Southeast Turkey Press Summary for August 10, 2006

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RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0806
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RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC
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RUETIAA/DIRNSA FT MEADE MD
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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR AUGUST 10, 2006

This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for August 10,
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

EKSPRES / BOLGE / SABAH (GUNEY) / EVRENSEL: Eric Green, the
U.S. Consul in Adana, paid a courtesy call to the Governor
Adana. When asked by journalists during this visit about
transportation of materiel from Incirlik airbase to the NATO
port in Mersin's Silifke district, Mr. Green said that it was a
routine process as far as he knew. Journalists further asked
Consul Green on recent media reports about whether the U.S.
would appoint a special representative to coordinate the steps
that will be taken in countering the PKK. Green said they were
waiting a clarification from Wahington about that and that he
had no further comments on the issue. Mr. Green said that the
Consulate and the Governor's Office had always enjoyed
continuous warm relationships and expressed his gratefulness to
the Turkish authorities for the assistance they provided during
the evacuation of U.S. citizens from Lebanon.

EKSPRES: The U.S. authorities at Incirlik Air Base said that
the materiel transported from the base was unusable military
materiel derived from a routine inventory check made biennially.
The materiel will reportedly be sent to the U.S. via a military
vessel that will arrive at the NATO port on August 15.

BOLGE / EKSPRES / EVRENSEL / YENI SAFAK: The dailies reported
that another fleet of trucks carried materiel from Incirlik Air
Base to the port in Mersin. Evrensel daily alleges that, since
Turkey does not allow aircraft carrying military ammunition to
take off from Incirlik Air Base, such ammunition is being
allegedly moved by trucks to the port in order to be shipped to
the Greek side of Cyprus. Yeni Safak daily reported that the
U.S. Embassy announced that the trucks dispatched from Incirlik
were operating in coordination with the Turkish General Staff.

EKSPRES: Ummuhan Bayram, Chairperson of women's branch of
Adana's BBP (Grand Unity Party), who said that they were
boycotting products of Israel and the U.S., made a call to the
people to do the same. Bayram said they had collected 5,000
signatures from women to protest and stop "the massacre Israel
carried out against people of Lebanon and Palestine."

EVRENSEL: 150 members of EMEP (The Party of Labor) held a
press announcement in Elazig and protested Israel's Zionism.

EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM: Istanbul 12th Heavy Penalty Court
lifted the ban on Ozgur Gundem daily's publication and
dissemination. The newspaper appeared on shelves back again
today (see press summary 08/08).

BOLGE / EKSPRES: Tacidar Seyhan, Adana deputy from CHP, brought
allegations about the U.S. transporting weapons and war materiel
from Incirlik Air Base to Israel to the agenda of the Turkish
Parliament.

BOLGE: Members of Adana branch of Memur-Sen (Union of Civil
Servants) staged a protest against Israel's offensive on
Lebanon.

BOLGE / YENI SAFAK: Jandarma Intelligence Directorate of
Hatay's Jandarma Command, upon receiving a tip-off, conducted an
operation on a Syrian-plated truck that would have travelled to
Syria via Hatay's Cilvegozu Border Gate. Jandarma teams found
74 automatic hunting guns, 227 blank pistols (9mm), and 24,700
cartridges.

EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM / HURRIYET: To prevent DTP (Democratic
Society Party) from winning to win more seats in the parliament
in case election threshold gets lowered, AKP officials launched
fresh efforts to impose a conditional 2 or 3 per cent threshold
for independent lawmakers. Despite alleged plans against DTP's
future representation in the parliament, DTP has been making
preparations for launching 'Democratic Election Campaign.'

OZGUR GUNDEM: CHP Deputy national chairman Onur Oymen said
that if the U.S. appoints a political representative concerning
issues about the PKK, Turkey, in the end, would be forced to see
the PKK as a legitimate interlocutor.

OZGUR GUNDEM: Members of the Initiative for Preservation of

ADANA 00000182 002 OF 002

Hasankeyf made a call to people to show their reaction against
the Ilisu Dam Project by sending fax messages and e-mails to the
Austrian, German and Swiss companies, which are financing the
project.

YENI SAFAK: Turkish Armed Forces continues to dispatch military
units to the districts located near the border area in Hakkari
to prevent PKK members' infiltrations into the country.
REID

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