US embassy cable - 03ADANA282

UNCLAS ADANA 0282 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PINS, PHUM, TU, IZ, Press Summaries, ADANA 
SUBJECT:  SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY 
NOVEMBER 15-17, 2003 
 
1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary 
for November 15-17, 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. Ekspres, Bolge / Following the bombings in 
Istanbul on November 15, and the Democratic 
People's Party (DEHAP) meeting in Adana on 
November 16, extra precautions were taken by 
the Adana TNP. Around the U.S. Consulate on 
Ataturk Caddesi and Bebekli Church in Tepebag 
District, extra police teams were put in place 
for maintaining security.  Church officials 
announced that the church would be closed for 
Sunday services until further notice. 
 
 
3. Ekspres, Bolge, Evrensel, Milliyet / DEHAP Head 
Tuncay Bakirhan spoke at a meeting organized by 
DEHAP on November 16 in Adana.  Bakirhan stated 
that KADEK dissolved itself in order for its 
members to be able to enter politics legally. 
Approximately 5000 people (according to Bolge, 
the number is 3000) attended the meeting. 
According to Milliyet, members of the crowd 
beat a policeman who was in civilian clothes, 
threw stones at the police and broke the 
windows of parked cars after the meeting. 
Police kept the group under control by the use 
of a helicopter. 
 
 
4. Evrensel, Ozgur Gundem / In Diyarbakir, 
approximately 15,000 people attended a peace 
meeting organized by DEHAP. After the meeting, 
police detained many people who walked towards 
the city center.  The group allegedly, threw 
stones at the police and destroyed cars. 
 
 
5. Turkiye / During operations against PKK/KADEK 
in Gaziantep, security forces detained four 
people: Sukru Cinar, Bahar Narman, Mehmet Emin 
Sakar and an unidentified man for sending 
equipment to the PKK.  When the PKK members met 
the tanker truck that was loaded with the 
equipment, between Erzin and Dortyol, Hatay 
province, security forces intervened.  Police 
also detained alleged terrorists Idris Gengec 
and Halil Sahin. 
 
 
6. Evrensel / In Tunceli, Sehit Nahit Bulut Police 
Station was bombed on November 14.  Two people 
were wounded during the attack.  Police 
detained 25 people related with the incident. 
 
 
ECONOMIC 
 
 
7. Turkiye, Yeni Safak / David Key, head of the 
Baku -Tiflis- Ceyhan petroleum pipeline project 
(BTC), stated that 51% of the project has been 
completed and that the project provided 1,863 
people with jobs. 
REID