US embassy cable - 03ADANA261

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 0261 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, IZ, Press Summaries, ADANA 
SUBJECT:  SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY, 
          OCTOBER 7, 2003 
 
 
1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary 
for October 7, 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. Turkiye, Bolge, Ekspres, Milliyet/ Prime 
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended the 
opening ceremony of the Adana International 
Industrial Fair on Monday, October 6. Three 
hundred and fifty-nine companies attended the 
fair. Fifty thousand people visited the fair on 
the first day. Erdogan also opened two new 
schools and the AKP Adana office on the same 
day. 
 
 
3. Bolge / Tuncay Bakirhan, head of the Democratic 
People's Party (DEHAP), stated that Turkish and 
Kurdish children are going to Iraq to die for 
$8,5 million. 
 
 
4. Sabah Guney / During the Prime Minister's 
opening ceremony for the new Adana AK Party 
building, a group of the Democratic People's 
Party (DEHAP) members shouted slogans praising 
Abdullah Ocalan.  Police detained 10 people for 
questioning. 
 
 
5. Tercuman / In Baskale, Van province, police 
found about 19 kg of pure heroin and a gun. The 
Police are looking for an individual known by 
the initials "F.F." for questioning about the 
incident. 
 
 
6. Ozgur Gundem / In Siirt province, 13 students 
were expelled from university dormitories 
because they had attended the DEHAP Mayor's 
son's wedding ceremony as well as ceremonies 
organized by the People's Democracy Party 
(HADEP).  The students applied to the Siirt 
Human Rights Organization to fight for their 
dormitory rights. 
 
 
7. Ozgur Gundem / In Adana about 2000 people 
attended a meeting organized by the Adana Anti- 
War Association.  The group announced that they 
don't want Turkish troops in Iraq and they 
wanted better conditions for Abdullah Ocalan in 
prison. 
 
 
8. Ozgur Gundem / In Patnos, Tutak and Elesgirt, 
Agri province, Turkish Armed Forces started an 
operation with about 90 armoured vehicles. 
Village guards are supporting the operation. 
 
 
9. Ozgur Gundem / Diyarbakir Government officials 
started an investigation about Hasan Atsiz, 
head of the Diyarbakir Agriculture Union, 
because he had attended a dinner party 
organized by DEHAP head Tuncer Bakirhan, the 
funeral of KADEK member Engin Sincer and the 
annual meeting of the Diyarbakir Free Society 
Party (OTP).  Officials stated that Atsiz is a 
civil servant and, according to the law, civil 
servants are not allowed to join in political 
activities. 
 
 
10. Ozgur Gundem / Halime Akyol, reporter of 
Dicle Press Agency, was detained by the police 
for attending Newroz celebrations in Ceyhan as 
a reporter.  Akyol sued the police after her 
release because she didn't attend the 
ceremonies. "On the same day I was on duty in 
Adana," Akyol stated. 
REID