US embassy cable - 04ADANA33

UNCLAS ADANA 0033 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, IZ, TU, Press Summaries, ADANA 
SUBJECT:  SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY 
FEBRUARY 20, 2004 
 
 
1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary 
for February 20, 2004.  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. Bolge / Cukurova University Rector Yalcin Kekec 
stated at a conference, organized by U.S 
Embassy Ankara and the university's Foreign 
Language Center, that learning a foreign 
 
 
language is a must to benefit from the riches 
of other cultures.  Embassy's English language 
Officer Thomas Miller and Adana U.S Consulate 
staff also attended the opening ceremony of the 
conference. 
 
 
3. Turkiye, Cumhuriyet, Milliyet / Sikorsky type 
military helicopter transferring two sick 
soldiers from Yedisu Jandarma Station in Bingol 
to Bingol province, had an accident around 
Adakli, close to Bingol.  Five soldiers died 
during the accident. Investigation about the 
accident continues. 
 
 
4. Ozgur Gundem / Bilal Memeli applied to the 
Human Rights Organization in Adiyaman to file a 
complaint because he wasn't allowed to change 
his name to a Kurdish name and was threatened 
by the soldiers for that reason. 
 
 
5. Ozgur Gundem / In Sirnak, women protested the 
prison conditions of Abdullah Ocalan by 
parading and making bonfires. 
REID