US embassy cable - 04ADANA38

UNCLAS ADANA 000038 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, TU, IZ, ADANA, Press Summaries 
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY, APRIL 01, 2004 
 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for April 1, 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 
 
 
RADIKAL: New Mardin Mayor Metin Pamukcu, who was elected from 
Saadet Party (Felicity Party), decided to join AK Party. AK 
Party was disqualified from running in the municipal election in 
Mardin for not submitting their candidate's list to the 
Provincial Election Board on time. 
 
 
SABAH (Guney Supplement): Photographs of cafes, gas stations and 
motels along the highways in the United States were exhibited in 
Adana. Vice American Consul Deborah Hart, Adana Governor Kemal 
Onal, Adana Mayor Aytac Durak, and the Cukurova University 
Rector inaugurated the exhibition together. The photographs will 
be displayed in Ankara afterwards. 
 
 
CUMHURIYET: In Mardin, Dargecit (township) Mayor Suleyman Anik, 
elected from Democratic Force's Union under SHP, was 
apprehended, together with his wife at their house for alleged 
membership to an outlawed organization. One unlicensed weapon 
and prohibited publications were found in Anik's house. Anik's 
wife was released after the interrogation, but Anik was put in 
Midyat prison for "membership in the organization." The Mardin 
Governorate announced that Anik's relationship with 
PKK/KONGRA-GEL had been discovered in the documents seized 
during the Mardin Provincial Jandarma Command's operations in 
rural Dargecit. The announcement stated that Anik had served as 
mayor in Dargecit some time ago, and that he was arrested on 
September 23, 1991, for his relationship with PKK and that he 
was released subsequently on October 24, 1991. Anik then sought 
asylum in Sweden in 1992. He was stripped of Turkish citizenship 
in 2001, but, with a (later) Cabinet decision, he regained his 
Turkish citizenship in 2002. Anik has dual citizenship. 
 
 
EVRENSEL/ILKEDE OZGUR GUNDEM: It is alleged that Dumlupinar 
Elementary School in Van is being used by special teams for 
interrogation and torture purposes at night. Some detainees 
claim having seen torture tools at school. 
 
 
EVRENSEL: The Malatya State Security Court acquitted the ten 
Bingol DEHAP administrators who had been arrested for taking 
flowers and attending the funeral of a Konrga-Gel militant. 
 
 
MILLIYET: An Adana shoe shop owner giving counterfeit money to 
his customers was arrested. Police seized USD 1,200; twenty-five 
TL 20 million notes; and four TL 1 million counterfeit 
bank-notes. 
 
 
AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS 
 
 
EKSPRES: Agricultural Engineers Chamber President for Hatay 
Ahmet Sever said 400 cubic millimeters of rain have fallen in 
the Amik Plain as of now in 2004. If precipitation does not 
exceed 600 cubic millimeters by April 10, the wheat yield in the 
province would decrease by half, he said. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
REID