Cablegate: Southeast Turkey Press Summary for October 02, 2006

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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000211

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR OCTOBER 02, 2006

This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for October 02,
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 (CUKUROVA) / EVRENSEL / BOLGE / EKSPRES / SABAH (GUNEY)
/ RADIKAL / CUMHURIYET: Three people were wounded in a blast
that took place at 12.20 p.m. in front of the emergency unit of
the Mersin State Hospital in Mersin. The bomb was placed on a
bicycle left on front of the hospital. Windows of cars and
buildings in the surrounding area were broken. The police
suspect that the bomb was made up of C-4.

3. EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM: The dailies drew attention
to three bombs that had exploded at separate times in different
places last week in Mersin. Since the last bomb incident
coincided with the PKK's ceasefire declaration, the dailies
report that those incidents are raising suspicions in people's
minds. The dailies further report the formation of a group in
the province whose members were reportedly made up of retired
soldiers and police officers. This group is reportedly called
the Union of Patriotic Forces.

4. EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM: Various circles reportedly
received October 1 ceasefire declaration of the PKK with
enthusiasm. DTP will solicit appointment from the premier for
the start of a possible ceasefire process and DTP officials are
planning later to meet with the other parties like DYP, ANAP,
DSP, etc., as well. Reportedly, PM Erdogan's first reaction to
the PKK's ceasefire news as he talked with journalists during
his travel to the U.S. to meet with the U.S. President Bush was
that they would see how sincere the intentions were and how
healthy the situation was. Ozgur Gundem daily perceives
premier's first reaction to the ceasefire as moderate. The
dailies further list the conditions set by the PKK as follows:
1- The ceasefire will continue indefinitely, depending on the
developments that would take place and measures that would be
taken. 2-Weapons would never be used in the meantime; this
excludes cases when efforts are launched to destroy the PKK.
3-Other forces, not linked with the PKK and directly affiliated
with Abdullah Ocalan should also abide by the ceasefire rules.
4-All of the organizations, cadres and institutions in the
region working in the ideological, political, social and
organizational arenas, should work toward the success of the
peace process. 5-The three-envoy-structure for resolving the PKK
issue should not escalate the problems by trying to eradicate
the PKK, rather it should work towards solving the issue by
implementing a democratic project. The PKK reportedly reached
the ceasefire decision following PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan's
call for the PKK to issue a ceasefire.

5. EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM: AKP Diyarbakir Provincial
Chairperson Abdurrahman Kurt, DYP Diyarbakir Provincial
Chairperson Galip Ensarioglu, the Chairperson of Diyarbakir's
Chamber of Industry and Commerce, and the Chairperson of
Diyarbakir Bar Association, each made similar statements calling
the ceasefire a historic opportunity that should not be missed.
The dailies further cite similar comments from Esat Canan, CHP
deputy from Hakkari; Hayri Kozanoglu, National Chairperson of
ODP (Freedom and Solidarity Party), Yusuf Alatas, Chairperson of
Human Rights Association, etc.

6. RADIKAL / CUMHURIYET: Iraqi President Jalal Talabani
held an interview with a Greek newspaper and said that Turkey
should issue a general amnesty for the PKK militants currently
located in the Mountain Qandil of Iraq. PKK militants there are
reportedly anticipating such an amnesty, according to Talabani.
The daily further cited Talabani as saying that as a regional
player, the PKK had always upset the sense of trust between
Turkey and Iraq. According to Talabani, the PKK had no future.

7. EVRENSEL: The military operation launched in rural
sections of Sirnak's Beytussebap district continued yesterday.
Meanwhile, dozens of tanks from the Tank Battalion in Sirnak's
Cizre district made a "show of force" in the city center
yesterday.

8. OZGUR GUNDEM / RADIKAL: The military operation that was
started in the 3,300-meter-high Sat Mountains in Hakkari against
PKK guerillas reportedly continued yesterday. It is reported
that the scale of that operation going on in the border area

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with Iraq and Iran was one of the largest of the recent years.
Radikal daily reports that the operation was initiated against
250 PKK militants who were discovered in the Sat Mountains.

9. CUMHURIYET / BOLGE / EKSPRES: A reported PKK terrorist was
caught in the intercity bus terminal of Adana with six kilograms
of explosives and four hand grenades. The person arrived at the
terminal from a rural part of the country. The PKK terrorist
planned on carrying out bomb attacks against urban centers,
according to the Turkish Police.

10. CUMHURIYET: Mardin Governor's Office announced that one
terrorist was killed during an operation which was started in
Mardin on September 28.

11. OZGUR GUNDEM: Firat Anli, Mayor of the Yenisehir
District in Diyarbakir, said that from now on two languages,
namely Turkish and Kurdish, would be used in official documents
of the municipalities (from DTP). This decision was made in a
conference of municipalities that was held on an unspecified
date. Anli announced that decision during the reception held to
mark the opening of Kurdi-Der (Association for Researching and
Developing Kurdish Language).

12. HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): The Mardin Municipality launched a
campaign to clean up the city's mosques and churches.

13. OZGUR GUNDEM: Two young persons, both of whom were 20
years old, separately committed suicide in Batman, a city which
has become notorious for the increase in its suicide rate (see
press summary for September 25).

14. EKSPRES / SABAH (GUNEY): Adana Mayor Aytac Durak
commented on newspaper reporting on the positive reputation of
Yusuf Ernkara, AKP-based mayor of Adana's Karatas district,
after he was killed with his brother on September 22 in Adana
(see press summary for September 25 and 26). Mayor Durak said
that Erenkara had been engaged in irregularities and was not as
honest a man as the media depicted him after his murder. Durak
further dismissed any personal interest in the elections to be
held at the Karatas municipality to determine the new mayor.
Durak added that he would not accept any new Karatas Mayor who
decided to join the ranks of the Adana Municipality, since
corruption had reportedly tainted the name of the Karatas
Municipality. (Note: Three candidates will run for mayorship.
End Note.) The daily speculates on how people of Karatas
district, who have been in mourning since Erenkara's death, will
react to Durak's remarks. Meanwhile, Adana's regional
representative for Sabah's Guney supplement asks the following
questions in his column: Has Karatas district become a center
for a smuggling business which has been covering itself under
the fishing trade there? Are smuggling networks in Karatas,
whose Syria- and Lebanon-based operations are allegedly being
ignored by state officials, hindering the development of the
tourism sector in the Karatas district?
GREEN

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