US embassy cable - 04ANKARA4285

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 004285 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, IZ 
SUBJECT:  SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY, JULY 27, 2004 
 
THIS CABLE IS FROM AMCONSUL ADANA. 
 
1.  This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for 
July 27, 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.  Tercuman, Evrensel, Vakit, Cumhuriyet, Yeni Safak, 
Turkiye:  According to NTV news, General Charles Wald, 
Vice Commander of the US Forces in Europe, announced 
that Washington would like to deploy 48 F-16 warplanes, 
currently in Germany, at Incirlik Air Base 
unconditionally and without any restrictions.  The 
Turkish GOT has not made up its mind about the matter 
yet. 
 
3.  Tercuman, Hurriyet: Through his lawyers, Abdullah 
Ocalan gave messages from Imrali Island, where he is 
imprisoned, to PKK/Kongra Gel militants.  Ocalan 
declared himself as a "spiritual leader," and claimed 
that Celal Talabani was organizing a plot against 
Turkey. Ocalan added that Talabani dreamed of founding 
"Greater Kurdistan" and declaring Van as the capital of 
that state, and that he tried to use him for that end. 
Ocalan praised Kemalism, but also criticized it for 
ignoring the Kurdish issue due to pressure from 
Britain. Ocalan accused his brother, Osman Ocalan, of 
cooperating with Talabani and also of suggesting that 
the Americans exclude him (Abdullah Ocalan) from the 
solution to the Kurdish question. Ocalan claimed that 
the United States was trying to start a real war 
through the Kurdish nationalists. 
 
4.  Tercuman: Mines planted by PKK/Kongra Gel militants 
in the rural Semdinli, Hakkari province, exploded, 
killing five cattle.  Jandarma are conducting an 
investigation on the explosion. 
 
5.  Turkiye: PKK/Kongra Gel militants ambushed a 
jandarma team in Yeniyazi, Bingol province. One soldier 
and one village guard were killed, while six guards 
were wounded. 
 
6.  Tercuman: An explosion occurred in Hakkari July 26 
around midnight. According to the information obtained 
from the police radio announcements, the explosion 
happened in the Hakkari Security Directorate's 
ammunition storage area.  No casualties were reported, 
but there was reportedly damage done to security 
vehicles. Hurriyet newspaper reported that Hakkari 
Governor, Erdogan Gurbuz, announced that the explosives 
were remote bombs dropped at the Security Directorate's 
wall by terrorists. 
 
7.  Ulkede Ozgur Gundem: Approximately four thousand 
people attended the "Peace Festivity" organized by the 
Municipality of Silvan, Diyarbakir province. People 
sang peace songs, and voiced their demand for peace 
during the celebration. Silvan Mayor, Fikret Kaya, said 
the organizers would turn the one-day event into a 
festival next year. The crowd chanted "President 
Ocalan" during the festivities. 
 
8.  Ulkede Ozgur Gundem: Siirt Mayor, Mervan Gul, 
appointed Abdurrahman Tetik as his deputy. Tetik had 
been convicted some time ago for assisting and 
harboring Hizbullah militants. Eruh Mayor, Hamit Nas, 
is also accused of similar charges. Nas is facing three 
pending cases, and he had been imprisoned for two 
years. 
 
9.  Ulkede Ozgur Gundem: DEHAP's Tunceli Provincial 
Office condemned the attack by MKP/HKO (Marxist 
Communist Party/Peoples Liberation Army) members in 
Tunceli's Pulumur township in which one person was 
killed and one wounded. 
 
10. Ulkede Ozgur Gundem: Peoples Defense Forces (HPG) 
militants attacked a security checkpoint on the 
Semdinli-Yuksekova highway in Hakkari province on July 
22, killing one officer and three soldiers. HPG 
militants attacked police check-points and security 
buildings in Cukurca, Hakkari province, on July 23, and 
claimed to have killed many GOT forces. One HPG 
militant was killed during the attack. GOT forces 
launched a large-scale operation around Cilo Mountain 
on July 23. 
 
11.  Evrensel, Ulkede Ozgur Gundem: The "Sheep Shearing 
Festival" had been celebrated in Sirnak province for 
centuries before being interrupted in 1990 during the 
violence.  It was revived on July 23 by the Beytussebap 
Municipality in the Lalesi Pasture. Thousands of people 
attended the festival that lasted for three days. 
 
12.  Sabah: The CHP Parliamentarians' (MPs') report on 
the recent drug-related events in Van said that Van 
Governor Tan told the MPs that the state did not exist 
for an hour during the incident. The report states 
that: the police have politically been besieged and did 
not fire one single bullet during the raid; there is no 
confidence in the narcotics police; a certain group 
engaged in drug-related activities has been providing 
profits to state authorities; and, some tribes in the 
province have established their own forces. The report 
indicated that the former Van lawmaker, Mustafa Bayram, 
raided the police station with 25 armed persons 
carrying long-barreled weapons, and that Bayram's son, 
who is the mayor of Edremit, broke the nose of 
Narcotics Director with the butt/handle of his pistol. 
 
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 
 
13.  Hurriyet: The Southeastern Anatolian Regional 
Development Administration (GAP Administration) 
President, Muammer Yasar Ozgul, announced that 
approximately $545 million had been allocated this year 
for the GAP project, which requires $14.4 billion in 
order to be completed. Initially, the project was 
planned to for completion in 2005, but with current 
funding levels it may be difficult to finalize the 
project even in 2010.  Spending of $32 billion was 
envisioned for the GAP Project, which started in 1989. 
Only 52% of the financial investment has been realized. 
The project includes construction of a number of dams 
over the Tigris, Euphrates and their tributaries for 
energy purposes, and irrigation schemes for promoting 
agriculture.  While 73% of the energy project has been 
realized, irrigation projects have remained at 13%. 
 
DEUTSCH