US embassy cable - 03ADANA233

UNCLAS ADANA 0233 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, IZ, Press Summaries, ADANA 
SUBJECT:  SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY, 
          SEPTEMBER 04, 2003 
 
 
1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary 
for September 04, 2003.  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 
 
 
2. Hurriyet/Turkiye/Bolge: The two female 
PKK/KADEK militants who deserted their 
organization in Iran and surrendered to the 
security forces were released to their families 
after the conclusion of their initial 
interrogation in Yuksekova, Hakkari province. 
The girls apologized to their families and 
promised that they would never make such 
mistakes again. 
 
 
3. Evrensel: Murat Yanarer, from Golagili village 
of Malazgirt, Mus province, said he migrated to 
Mersin after his house was set on fire in 1994. 
He claimed that his house, land, and shops in 
Malazgirt were confiscated by the village guards. 
Yanarer said he applied to the authorities to 
return to his village several times, most recently 
on August 20, 2003, but received no affirmative 
responses to his petitions. He said he would take 
the case to the European Human Rights Court if he 
did not get his property back from the village 
guards. 
 
 
EDUCATION 
 
 
4. Cumhuriyet/Turkiye: A joint study by UNICEF and 
Turkish National education revealed that one- 
eighth of the girls in Turkey are not sent to 
schools at all. Many shortcomings have been 
reported from East and Southeast Turkey before 
the academic year starts on September 15. It is 
reported that in Diyarbakir alone at least 200 
classrooms and 7500 teachers are needed. The 
ratio of the girls deprived of any education is 
even greater in East and Southeast Turkey. 
Approximately one-third of the girls deprived 
of education in those regions. The number of 
girls aged six to fourteen and who have not 
enjoyed any education in Diyarbakir, Bitlis, 
Batman, Agri, Hakkari, Mus, Sanliurfa, Siirt, 
and Sirnak provinces reaches 250,000. A "Hurry 
up, Girls to School" campaign initiated by 
UNICEF aims to reduce the ratio of uneducated 
girls by half. Regarding the issue, UNICEF's 
Representative for Turkey, Edmond Mcloughney, 
said all segments of the population, 
particularly the media, had to take part in 
that activity. 
 
 
5. Sabah's Guney Supplement: The existing capacity 
of the schools in Adana do not meet the demand 
since no new classrooms have been built. The 
Provincial National Education Director of 
Adana, Omer Simsek, said they had 57 students 
per classroom in Yuregir district and 69 
students in Seyhan district of Adana. He added 
that they needed 5,000 more classrooms in order 
to have thirty students per classroom, which is 
required for a normal education. The state is 
expecting assistance from charitable 
organizations to fill the gap for the schools. 
REID