Cablegate: Southeast Turkey Press Summary for October 4, 2006

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TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR OCTOBER 4, 2006

This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for October 04,
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

OZGUR GUNDEM: DTP-based mayors of the southeastern region,
including Sirnak, Batman, Mardin's Nusaybin and Kiziltepe
districts, Diyarbakir's Baglar and Kayapinar districts,
Sanliurfa'a Viransehir district, made a call to the
authorities to respond positively to the cease-fire declaration
of the PKK.

3. ZAMAN: Adana Mayor Aytac Durak, as he talked about
the Cukurova Industry and Commerce Fair, which entered the last
phase of its organizational preparations, said that it was
pointless and unnecessary to hold a fair in every province.

SECURITY

4. HURRIYET: Arte, a TV station, which is a joint venture
of Germany and France, broadcast a documentary that was
allegedly propaganda for the PKK. The documentary depicted
lives of two female and two male PKK members living in the
Qandil Mountain of Iraq.

5. OZGUR GUNDEM: The daily reports a soldier, whose death
as was serving his military service in Tunceli's Battalion
Command on September 30, raised suspicion among his family
members. The military officials claim that the soldier
committed suicide. The hometown of the soldier who died was
reportedly Mardin

6. HURRIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM: Land Forces Commander
Ilker Basbug, who paid a visit to the Diyarbakir Governor
together with the Jandarma National Commander, said that the
fight against the PKK would continue until the last terrorist in
the mountains was done away with. According to Basbug, the PKK
should lay down arms unconditionally and surrender to Turkish
judicial authorities. Ozgur Gundem commented on the visit
saying that military circles "were not pleased with the
cease-fire."

7. OZGUR GUNDEM: Soldiers from a jandarma command
arrested two village guards in Van's Gurpinar district allegedly
for stealing telephone wires which were installed for public use.

HUMAN RIGHTS

8. ZAMAN / OZGUR GUNDEM: Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir
upheld his remarks made during to "calm down" people during the
violent public demonstrations in March in Diyarbakir during the
trial brought against him at Diyarbakir's Sixth Heavy Penalty
Court (see press summary for October 3) on charges of
voluntarily "aiding and abetting the terrorist organization."

9. HURRIYET: A 22 year old male has been sentenced to a
life in prison for killing in the name of honor his 16 year old
sister who was pregnant, 2.5 months ago in Gaziantep.

ECONOMY

10. OZGUR GUNDEM: Authorities responded to the protests of
Adana Chapter of Chamber of Architects, and said that the
problem about shortage of funding for Old Roman Bridge's
renovation in Adana was solved.

CRIME/LAW ENFORCMENT

11. HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Jandarma teams seized twenty-eight
kilograms of hashish during an operation against drug
trafficking in Diyarbakir's Lice district.

12. OZGUR GUNDEM: During an anti-drug operation in
Hakkari's Yuksekova district, three kilograms of opium gum was
seized.

GREEN

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