US embassy cable - 04ADANA152

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000152 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, PREF, ECON, ETRD, TU, ADANA, Press Summaries 
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY 
 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for November 30, 
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 
 
ZAMAN/YENI SAFAK/CUMHURIYET/EVRENSEL: The Turkish Parliament's 
Human Rights Commission, comprising ruling and opposition MPs, 
went to Kiziltepe, Mardin yesterday to investigate the shooting 
of a father and his 12-year-old son in Kiziltepe, Mardin.  The 
commission went to Mardin yesterday to investigate the incident. 
 The Governorship of Mardin declared that the incident, which 
took place last week, was a result of a clash with the 
'terrorists'.  However, the Human Rights Association (HRA) 
declared that the incident was an 'extrajudicial killing'. The 
HRA report said that Ahmet Kaymaz was a truck driver and his 
son, Ugur Kaymaz, was a student at Dicle Primary School. The 
report claimed that the father and son were shot from a close 
distance by security forces, which, according to the report, 
proved that they were killed 'deliberately or by mistake' 
(allegedly). The commission members said that they will 
investigate the matter in a detailed manner before preparing a 
report. Cumhuriyet reports that Republican People's Party (CHP) 
decided to send a separate committee to Mardin. 
 
GUNDEM: "Perpetrators still holding their offices, 
protesters in jail."  Police officers and the Governor of Mardin 
who claimed that Ahmet Kaymaz and his son were 'terrorists' are 
still holding their offices.  However, protesters of the killing 
(allegedly), Adil Basaran, Azad Karahan and Ismail Asi were put 
in jail when they 'showed resistance to police 
officers'(allegedly). 
 
GUNDEM: A 19-year-old shepherd, Fevzi Can, (allegedly) was 
shot dead by Jandarma forces in the township of Orencik in 
Semdinli, Hakkari.  The relatives of Can, who came to take the 
dead body, were forced to sign an official document stating that 
he was "a terrorist killed because he did not obey the warning 
to stop." It is anticipated that the European Parliament will 
express sharp warnings to Turkey regarding the event.  Gundem 
says this event validates political observers who had forecasted 
that opponents of EU accession may "start killing people" before 
the upcoming EU decision about Turkey in December. 
 
GUNDEM: In Batman, the "Peace Keepers" group from the Batman 
Democracy Platform wanted to plant seedlings at the peak of Mawa 
Mountain as a symbol of peace and in memory of soldiers and 
guerillas who have died in the region's conflicts. However, 
soldiers prohibited the group from climbing the mountain. 
 
GUNDEM: 'Penalizing people that paste or hang posters on the 
walls is an irrational act!' reports Gundem. Engin Kirmizigul 
and some other students have been charged with hanging posters 
on the walls of Hacettepe Medical School cafeteria and could 
face up to 12 years of imprisonment.  The posters were saying 
'No to War. War is Murder' and 'Get your Identity Card to Access 
Free Medical Service'.  They have protested the charges brought 
against them. 
 
GUNDEM: The Yezid'is returning to their village in Feqira, 
Batman, after 15 years of conflict in the region, are being 
oppressed.  Peasants and some fanatic people in the neighboring 
townships are continuously threatening the four Yezidi families, 
whose members are mainly elderly persons, says the Federation of 
Yezidi Associations. 
 
GUNDEM: Former U.S. Ambassador Peter Galbraith, who has also 
served as an advisor to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 
evaluated the current status of the "South Kurdistan" (Note: 
This is the formulation used in Gundem newspaper, referring to 
N. Iraq.  End note.) After stating that the Kurds in northern 
Iraq have existed as if in a self-ruling country since 1991, 
Galbraith added that the Kurds no longer want to be governed 
from Baghdad, reports Gundem. 
 
YENI SAFAK:     Approximately 1000 people participated in a "Panel 
for Humanity" organized by Ozgur-Der/Tatvan Branch. The main 
subject matter of the panel was 'Humanity Exposed to the Threat 
of America' and the panel drew great public attention in Tatvan. 
 
MILLIYET:       Joost Lagendijk, the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary 
Committee's Co-Chair, said that it is high time Turkey solved 
the Kurdish issue through the means of establishing dialogue and 
implementing sound policies. It is claimed that Lagendijk 
invited Turkey to start negotiations with KONGRA GEL, which, 
actually is listed by the EU among its (designated) terrorist 
organizations. 
 
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS 
 
11.HURRIYET: Exports from the GAP provinces to free trade zones 
within Turkey has increased by 80% in the first 10 months of 
2004 as compared to the same time period last year. According to 
the data provided by Southeastern Anatolia Exporters' Union, 
from January - October 2004, exports from the provinces in the 
region to free trade areas was USD 41.2 million. 
 
12. (U) Baghdad minimize considered. 
 
 
 
 
REID