US embassy cable - 03ADANA268

UNCLAS ADANA 0268 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, IZ, Press Summaries, ADANA 
SUBJECT:  SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY, 
          OCTOBER 14, 2003 
 
 
1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary 
for October 14, 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. Ozgur Gundem / Security forces detained 5 
children in Sirnak for removing the Turkish 
flag from the flagpole at Mehmetcik Primary 
School. 
 
 
3. Ozgur Gundem, Evrensel / The Diyarbakir 
Democracy Platform is going to start a protest 
to maintain peace and find a permanent solution 
for the Kurdish problem.  People will be 
turning off their lights at 8:30 every night 
for two minutes between October 15-30. 
 
 
4. Evrensel / During the Cukurova University 
opening ceremony students who protested against 
the US and Higher Education Council (YOK) were 
taken to remote areas on the campus and beaten 
by the university private contract security 
guards. 
 
 
5. Evrensel / Esma Sevgin, who was arrested after 
the Newroz celebrations in Bitlis in 2002 and 
released a short while ago, stated that Turkish 
security forces forced her to sign a paper 
showing that she had applied to Turkish 
officials to benefit from the "reintegration 
law". "This is not the truth, I was released 
because it is not a crime to attend Newroz 
celebrations anymore after the acceptance of 
the EU Orientation Packages," Sevgin announced. 
 
 
6. Expres, Bolge / Saban Bas, Adana Chamber of 
Commerce Head, announced that over 500,000 
people visited the Industrial Fair October 6- 
12, and business agreements valued at 2 billion 
USD were signed. 
 
 
7. Bolge / The Adana Human Rights Organization 
(HRO) sued the police for detaining 11 HRO 
members, including the Adana branch head, 
during the meetings they organized last week to 
protest the deployment of Turkish troops to 
Iraq. 
 
 
8. Bolge / An empty municipality bus was attacked 
by people in Ova mahalle, Adana province. 
Reportedly, PKK/KADEK members attacked the bus 
and it's in an unusable condition at the 
moment. 
 
 
9. Bolge / Sonmez Koksal, a retired National 
Intelligence Bureau (MIT) official, and Cevik 
Bir, a retired Turkish General, are coming to 
Adana to give a speech on the Turkish-American 
relationship. The Turkish-American Businessmen 
Association is organizing the event. 
REID