Cablegate: Southeast Turkey Press Summary for 18 September, 2006

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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR 18 SEPTEMBER, 2006

This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for September 18,
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 ONLINE Land Forces Commander General Ilker Basbug
took the pulse of public sentiment in the Hakkari province.
Basbug, who paid a visit to the Hakkari Governor's Office,
walked around the city center and chatted with the people in the
street. In addition to listening to what people in the street
had to say, Basbug stated that "traitors" had caused the death
of 10 children in Diyarbakir. Basbug condemned the bomb attack
and expressed his strong desire to track down the perpetrators.

EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM: One week after the Diyarbakir
bombing, the Evrensel daily asked in today's edition whether the
bombing's perpetrators were being pursued or not. The daily
pointed out that during a period when the DTP and civil society
were calling for the PKK to cease fire, and the PKK was
preparing to respond positively to the call, authorities had
ignored the PKK's recent condemnation of the bombing and had not
paid any attention to the Turkish Revenge Brigade, which claimed
responsibility for the attack on its website. The authorities
have reportedly also turned a deaf ear to allegations that the
"Atabeyler gang" and former retired JITEM members were allegedly
summoned back for duty in the region a while ago. According to
Ozgur Gundem daily, Adil Timurtas, a PKK defector, said that the
TIT (Turkish Revenge Brigade), which claimed responsibility for
the bomb attack, was an illegal organization allegedly acting
under the auspices of the military.

EVRENSEL: Mass organizations and political parties held a
demonstration in Tunceli to condemn the Diyarbakir bomb attack.
DTP's Adiyaman chapter also held a silent demonstration and made
a press announcement in the province.

BOLGE: PKK supporters in Mersin carried out unauthorized
demonstrations in some parts of the province to protest the
Diyarbakir bombing. When demonstrators hurled stones and
Molotov cocktails at the police, the police intervened in light
armored police vehicles.

OZGUR GUNDEM: Representatives of political parties in
Batman, including DTP, SHP, ANAP, CHP, AKP and SP, made a press
announcement to condemn the Diyarbakir bombing and expressed
messages of solidarity.

OZGUR GUNDEM: The coffins of six PKK terrorists who were
killed in an operation in a village in Van's Ercis district (see
the press summary for September 17) have been brought to the
Ercis State Hospital. Some families came to the hospital to see
whether their family members were among the dead.

OZGUR GUNDEM: Southeastern Journalists' Association held its
annual journalism awards ceremony. Kurdish author Mehmet Uzun
was given the special jury award during the ceremony.

OZGUR GUNDEM: Human Rights Association's Diyarbakir Chapter
established the European Human Rights Center under a joint
project with the IFIAS (Institute for International Assistance
and Solidarity) in order to expand its capabilities for sharing
information and dialogue.

OZGUR GUNDEM: A CHP deputy asked the parliament whether the
government had signed an agreement with the U.S. guaranteeing
that it would never carry out a cross-border operation targeting
the Qandil Mountain in the northern Iraq.

OZGUR GUNDEM: Members of the Human Rights Sub-Committee of
the European Parliament will come to Turkey to meet with human
rights representatives in Istanbul and in southeastern Turkey.

BOLGE: AKP Adana Provincial Chairman Mustafa Attaroglu told
journalists that he was a peaceful man who dealt with issues
calmly. Attaroglu, while discussing current and future
investments in Adana province, added that the way to overcome
challenges in the province and to overcome difficulties was to
foster cooperation and solidarity.

BOLGE: Six kilograms of hashish, worth approximately 12,000
YTL, were found by Iskenderun police in an intercity passenger
coach in Hatay's Iskenderun district during an anti-drug

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trafficking search operation.

HURRIYET ONLINE: A fire broke out yesterday at around 11 p.m.
in a wooded area in Hatay's Samandag district. Firefighters
were not able to reach the fire because of the rough and
elevated terrain in the area.

EKSPRES: This daily reported alleged irregularities carried
out with computer and medicine purchases made by the Provincial
Health Directorate of Adana.

SABAH (GUNEY): Turk Harb-Is (Defense Industry and Allied
Workers Union) held a number of protests against the recent
laying off of 17 workers who were employed at VBR (Vinnel-Brown
And Root Co.) and AAFES (Army and Air Force Exchange Service)
companies at the 39th Wing Air Base in Adana's Incirlik
district.

EVRENSEL: As the new school year starts today for millions of
students in Turkey, the Tunceli chapter of Egitim-Sen (Teacher's
Union) drew attention to education-related issues in the
southeastern province. According to the union, the southeast's
violent environment has serious adverse effects on education.
YIBOs (Boarding Schools for Primary School Children) had
reportedly been employed also as barracks for soldiers.
Moreover, the shortage of teachers and personnel in the schools
of the districts of the region had reached serious levels. The
schools also lacked facilities such as libraries and
recreational areas.

SABAH (GUNEY): The seventh International Mersin Festival has
ended.

SABAH (GUNEY): American soldiers working at the Incirlik
Airbase played a friendship basketball game with one of Adana's
local teams.

OZGUR GUNDEM: The first snow of the year fell in the Ararat
Mountain in Agri.
GREEN

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