US embassy cable - 03ADANA235

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 0235 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, IZ, Press Summaries, ADANA 
SUBJECT:  SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY 
SEPTEMBER 06-07-08, 2003 
 
1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary 
for September 06-07-08, 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. Evrensel / In a meeting organized by the Van 
Democratic People's Party (DEHAP), about 30,000 
people gathered to celebrate World Peace Day. 
Tuncer Bakirhan, head of the Van DEHAP chapter, 
stated that DEHAP does not want to see Turkish 
troops in Iraq. 
 
 
3. Evrensel / Ali Aksan in Mersin province, was 
not allowed to register his children's names in 
Kurdish.  Two of the names were rejected 
because they were the names of two PKK/KADEK 
members.  Aksan stated that he has filed a 
letter of complaint at the public prosecutor's 
office for the unfair treatment. 
 
 
4. Sabah, Guney, Turkiye / People found a 
suspicious package in front of Adana Akbank on 
Kiyiboyu Street. After the bomb specialist 
exploded the package, they found that it was 
full of paper. 
 
 
5. Turkiye / Police arrested five people: E. 
Kamalak, A. Kirac, M. Kirac, B. Demirci and R. 
Kirac in Kahramanmaras province for illegally 
hiding approximately 7kg of marijuana. 
 
 
6. Evrensel / Youth branches of SDP, DEHAP and 
SHP organized a meeting in Adana for the Peace 
Day celebrations.  The crowds shouted 
complaints against  the USA and against the 
possible deployment of Turkish troops in Iraq. 
 
 
7. Turkiye / Three people who unfurled the 
PKK/KADEK flag in public and subsequently 
attacked police during the Peace day meeting in 
Mersin were arrested. 
 
 
8. Turkiye / Syria surrendered 9 PKK/KADEK 
terrorists to Turkey in Hatay province. The 
terrorists allegedly were responsible for the 
Kurdish Democratic Association. 
 
 
9. Turkiye / In Siirt and Mus provinces, three 
children died after playing with grenades they 
had found in a field. 
 
 
10. Milliyet / Six high school students in 
Gaziantep participated in a meeting advocating 
"No war in Iraq".  Police detained the students 
for a day.  Although they were released on the 
same day, their schools punished the students 
for undisciplinary action and discharged them. 
Now, according to the law, the students have to 
apply to schools outside of Gaziantep to 
continue their education. 
 
 
ECONOMIC 
 
 
11. Sabah, Guney / The "American Corner" in 
Gaziantep, which was opened about three months 
ago, is very popular among investors, 
businessmen and students.  About 250 people 
visit the center every month. 
 
 
12. Turkiye / In Hekimhan, Malatya province, 
MTA, Turkish Metal Research Center, is going to 
start searching for gold. 
 
 
CULTURE and TOURISM 
 
 
13. Turkiye / About 90 people, under the 
supervision of Professor A. Yener, from Chicago 
University, started the excavation work at the 
Atcana Hill archeological site in Reyhanli, 
Hatay.  Yener sated that the work will continue 
until October 15. 
 
 
14. Evrensel, Hurriyet / Famous musicians Leman 
Sam and Tuluyhan Ugurlu had a performance on 
Nemrud Mountain peak in Adiyaman on September 
6. A large crowd was on the mountain to listen 
to the performance. 
REID