Cablegate: Southeast Turkey Press Summary for September 26, 2007

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SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR SEPTEMBER 26, 2007

1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for
September 26, 2007. Please note Turkish press reports often
contain errors or exaggerations; AmConsulate Adana does not
vouch for the accuracy of the reports summarized herein.

POLITICAL:

2. HURRIYET: Iraqi Interior Minister Jawad Al-Bolani came to
Ankara to reportedly discuss reviving a now ineffective
anti-terror agreement signed earlier with Saddam Hussein's
regime. In bilateral meetings, issues such as the recognition
of the PKK as a terrorist organization, hot pursuit against PKK
terrorists, prevention of PKK activities in Iraq, etc. are on
the agenda. During the meetings, the Turkish Interior Ministry
will request the extradition from Iraq of 150 PKK terrorists.

3. ZAMAN: The daily reports despite intelligence indicating
he was the target of a suicide bomb threat, President Abdullah
Gul was adamant about conducting his first official visit to
southeastern Turkey in mid-September.

4. ZAMAN / EKSPRES: In his book titled "I Witnessed
Infidelity," a retired colonel revealed that in the past there
were interesting methods to convince locals not to allow
terrorists into towns or cities. In one example, the military
staged a fabricated conflict, opening fire with machine guns and
rockets at predetermined targets in Semdinli under cover of
nightfall. The following morning they would tell how such
conflicts could harm the city and the people, wrote the colonel
in his book.

5. GUNDEM ONLINE: On the online edition of Gundem daily, DTP
Deputy National Chairperson Nurettin Demirtas called on local
people, DTP party organizations, civil society organizations and
unions to embrace and support Gundem in the of a recent
one-month ban imposed by an unspecified court.

6. OZGUR GUNDEM ONLINE: Diyarbakir Governor Huseyin Avni
Mutlu, appointed to his position on September 13 when the former
governor was assigned to a position at the PM's
Undersecretariat, gave his personal cell phone number to local
journalists, demonstrating open access to his office. The
governor said he wanted to ease office appointment procedures so
as to facilitate direct contact with the people.

SECURITY

7. HURRIYET / ZAMAN / SABAH: A PKK terrorist stole a vehicle
carrying bread to a jandarma station located 10 kilometers from
Tunceli. The suicide bomber detonated the vehicle near the gate
of the station, causing the death of one soldier. Two soldiers
were seriously wounded and two soldiers sustained minor
injuries. Sabah and Hurriyet dailies report on the same
incident, with conflicting details on the bomb itself. The army
launched a military operation with air support in several
districts of the province following the incident. Jandarma also
detained six people in the bakery in Tunceli, which supplied
bread to the jandarma unit. Separately, a PKK mine detonated
when a herd of sheep was passing a road near a jandarma station
in Tunceli's Pulumur district. Many of the animals were killed.

8. ZAMAN ONLINE: Upon receiving a bomb tip-off, police
stopped a passenger train which departed Adana at 1915 yesterday
for Islahiye district. The police evacuated passengers and
searched the train. The Ceyhan district governor visited the
site to investigate.

9. ZAMAN / HURRIYET / HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Hakkari police and
jandarma raided a house in Yuksekova district, uncovering arms
and other materials used in improvising weapons. The arms found
included one Kalashnikov, one G-3, one 9-mm modified gun, 11
hunting rifles, 18 barrels, 11 broken pistol parts, 4
binoculars, etc.

10. SABAH: While attending UNGA's 62nd session Foreign
Minister and Chief EU Negotiator Ali Babacan, expressed Turkey's
frustration about pro-PKK Roj TV that has been continuing to
broadcast programs from Denmark.

ECONOMY

11. HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): A Turkish economic journal conducted
a survey and listed 21 companies from the Cukurova and GAP

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region among Asia Minor's 100 largest companies. Eleven of
those companies are reportedly from Gaziantep. Gaziantep's
Sanko was ranked third.

CULTURE / SOCIETY / ENVIRONMENT

12. SABAH (GUNEY): The Syriac Church and a businessman in
Mardin paid for two municipality iftaar dinners for nearly 3300
people.

13. HURRIYET: A 3.8-magnitude earthquake shook Hakkari at
0150 yesterday. No casualties were reported.

14. BOLGE: Deputy Chairman of Turkey's Sports Federation for
Handicapped People presented Adana Mayor Aytac Durak a plaque on
behalf of Jan Berteling, Chairman of the International
Wheelchair basketball Federation, to express gratitude for
Adana's support in holding wheelchair basketball tournament for
the last three years.

15. SABAH (GUNEY): Mersin's governor, mayor and provincial
sports director returned to Mersin from their trip to France.
The delegation attended a meeting held with Mediterranean
Olympics Committee in France. Mayor Ozcan said they have
expended every effort to convince the committee to hold the 2013
Olympics in Mersin.
GREEN

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