US embassy cable - 04ADANA107

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000107 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, IZ, TU, Press Summaries, ADANA 
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY AUGUST 18, 2004 
 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for August 18, 
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 
CUMHURIYET,TURKIYE, VAKIT, SABAH (Guney Supplement), ZAMAN, 
BOLGE: An unidentified assailant unleashed a spray of gunfire 
toward Adana Municipality on August 17 and ran away from the 
scene in a car which had parked behind the municipal building. 
No casualties have been reported. The driver of the car, Halil 
Ibrahim Kirici, 28, was arrested by police. Separately, the 
Adana Municipality Secretary's Consultant Gokcen Aydin was 
wounded in the leg during an armed attack in front of the 
Municipality on August 6. 
TERCUMAN, ULKEDE OZGUR GUNDEM, EVRENSEL: PKK/Kongra-Gel 
militants attacked guards deployed in Oguldami village of 
Gurpinar, Van province with long-barrel weapons, killing one 
guard. GOT dispatched reinforcements to the village and launched 
an intensive operation in the region. Ulkede Ozgur Gundem 
reported that as a result of a gun fight that broke out between 
village guards in Kizilagac, Mus province, about an unknown 
dispute, one village guard was wounded. An investigation about 
the matter is being conducted by GOT forces. Ulkede Ozgur Gundem 
also reported that HPG guerillas ambushed a military convoy from 
the Mila Gurani Battalion near Silopi, Sirnak province. Two 
military vehicles were destroyed but no casualties have been 
reported. 
TERCUMAN: GOT forces undertook stringent security measures 
throughout the country against possible PKK attacks on the 
anniversary of its foundation on August 15th . But what was 
expected did not happen. The PKK supporters did not undertake 
any violent actions. PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan allegedly 
instructed his supporters from the Imrali Prison that they 
should halt any actions until Turkey has obtained a date from 
the EU for its candidacy. 
TERCUMAN, MILLIYET, HURRIYET: A group of five PKK/Kongra-Gel 
militants attacked a house in Mosul, Iraq, where it is alleged 
that guerillas affiliated with Osman Ocalan have been staying. 
Osman Ocalan recently split with from the PKK/Kongra Gel and 
founded the "Patriotic Democratic Party" in Iraq. The Iraqi 
Security Forces intervened in the incident and arrested one 
wounded PKK-Kongra-Gel militant and a car used in the attack. 
HURRIYET: A monument-like grave has been built in Seyrantepe 
village of Pazarcik, Kahramanmaras province, for high ranking 
PKK militant Engin Sincer, who had been killed in an internal 
dispute in the Kandil Mountains in Northern Iraq. Based on the 
rumors that an opening ceremony would the monument, Kahramanmars 
Governor Ilhan Atis circulated a notice canceling a varietyof 
meetings in Pazarcik during August 17-18. He also closed the 
Pazarcik highway to traffic citing resurfacing of the road, in 
order to impede the opening ceremony of the monument. 
EVRENSEL, SABAH: The Diyarbakir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office 
is examining the charges filed by the Diyarbakir Governor's 
Office against Mayor Osman Baydemir for visiting the family of a 
PKK/Kongra-Gel militant who had been killed in a recent 
operation in town. The Acting Chief Public Prosecutor, Faruk 
Kurt, said that the Heavy Penalty Court Prosecutor's Office was 
examining the information and evidence provided by the 
Governor's office to determine whether or not the case would be 
handled by them. Inspectors from the Interior Ministry concluded 
their investigation of the case and returned to Ankara. Mayors 
provided written materials to inspectors as required. 
ULKEDE OZGUR GUNDEM: Following the PKK/Kongra-Gel's rocket 
attack at Special Team's Headquarter in Bicer Quarter of Hakkari 
on August 8th in which 2 Special Team Members were killed, GOT 
forces have intensified pressure on the public. An 8 p.m. Curfew 
has been implemented in Bicer Quareter. Searches at a police 
checkpoint at Depin Bridge at the entrance to Hakkari have been 
intensified. NGO representatives, such as the Human Rights 
Association, Mazlumder (Opressed Persons' Association), KESK 
(Public Employees Union), DEHAP, and Free Party, requested an 
appointment for August 12 to meet with the Hakkari Governor to 
discuss issues concerning the citizens. 
ULKEDE OZGUR GUNDEM, EVRENSEL: In Diyarbakir province, a 
committee from the Free Citizen Movement delivered to the Silvan 
Sub-governor's office 7,867 petitions advocating freedom for 
Abdullah Ocalan and advocating the GOT consider him a 
counterpart in solving the Kurdish issue peacefully. The 
six-person committee was detained by police. The crowd that 
gathered in front of the DEHAP office prior to delivering the 
petitions carried a banner reading "South, West, East: APO is 
the President of the Homeland' and shouted "Neither Denial, Nor 
Destruction, Nor Separatism; Democratic Republic." Tension 
arouse when police filmed the I.D. cards of the people who tried 
to enter the square where the demonstration took place. 
ULKEDE OZGUR GUNDEM: In Sanliurfa province, police detained 
Yakub Akbas and Abdullah Akbas for hanging banners publicizing 
Abdullah Ocalan's book entitled "Defending a People" in Eyyubiye 
Quarter on August 15. The Sanliurfa Heavy Penal Court imprisoned 
them for "Committing a crime by hanging Abdullah Ocalan's 
banners." In fact, the book, which covers Abdullah Ocalan's 
defense at court, is not prohibited. 
ULKEDE OZGUR GUNDEM: In Hakkari province, the Public Prosecutor 
pressed charges against the Yuksekova DEHAP District Chairman 
Resul Temel for the speech he had delivered at the funeral 
ceremony of a Syrian national HPG guerilla, known as Zerdest, 
who had been killed during the GOT forces' raid at a house in 
Vezirava village on June 15. Temel, who gave a deposition to the 
Public Prosecutor yesterday, said the Public Prosecutor asked 
him what he had meant at the funeral by saying "We do not want 
anybody to be killed anymore. Everybody has to do his best so 
that the peaceful climate in our country will not be damaged and 
people will not be killed." 
ULKEDE OZGUR GUNDEM: Migrant Association's Batman Chapter set up 
a five-person committee of experts to render legal and 
consultancy services to evicted villagers who are in the process 
of returning to their villages. These services will be provided 
to needy villagers for free. 
CUMHURIYET: The National Education Ministry's research in 
Eastern and Southeastern Turkey revealed that only 50% of 
elementary school graduates have been attending secondary 
schools. 
 
 
REID