US embassy cable - 04ADANA165

UNCLAS ADANA 000165 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, Press Summaries, ADANA 
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR DECEMBER 7, 2004 
 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for December 7, 
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 
 
SABAH:  Members of the Human Rights Commission of the Turkish 
Parliament, Huseyin Guler (Republican People's Party) and Mehmet 
Nezir Nasiroglu (Justice and Development Party), have completed 
their report about the recent Kiziltepe incident (see November 
30 press summary). Tomorrow, Mehmet Elkatmis, the head of the 
Human Rights commission, will make public the 12-page report. 
The report states that at the time of the incident Ahmet Kaymaz 
and his son were dressed casually (slippers, no outerwear that a 
person wears when leaving the house) and there were no signs of 
clashes. The report says that it is not likely that a father 
would draw his son to such a dangerous situation. The report 
concluded that Ahmet Kaymaz and his son are innocent and the 
perpetrators should be penalized. 
 
CUMHURIYET/OZGUR GUNDEM: The police detained 300 villagers in 
Bismil, Diyarbakir who were protesting against a rural landlord 
family called Sinanli. The villagers claim that the landlord had 
unlawfully seized land which belonged to them.  They clashed 
with Jandarma as they protested and prevented the tilling by 
other villagers of the land.  Many people were (allegedly) 
wounded during the clash.  Most of the 300 villagers were 
released the same day, however 122 of them were kept at the 
police station overnight.  The Jandarma raided the village 
yesterday morning and detained another 27 people. During a 
briefing on "Stock-breeding and Agriculture," three 
representatives of the group approached the Minister of 
Agriculture, who told them he plans to send aides to address 
their problems. 
 
CUMHURIYET:  An earthquake station having satellite technology, 
the second of its kind in Turkey, has been introduced into 
service in coordination with Bogazici University, in Bolucek 
township in Sanliurfa. 
 
RADIKAL:        The mayor of Diyarbakir and a delegation of 
businessmen are going to visit 4 EU countries and seek support 
before the upcoming EU decision about Turkey in 17 December. 
 
TURKIYE:        The Governor of Mardin, Temel Kocaklar, in a written 
announcement, stated that during operational activities carried 
out by security forces in Derik, Mazidagi, Kiziltepe and city 
center of Mardin, 15 shelters used by members of the terrorist 
organization were uncovered.  In the shelters they discovered 
ammunition, one Kalashnikov, 11 bullet shells, three binoculars, 
13 hand grenades, 300 meters of electricity cable, 65 batteries, 
and 25 kilos of ammonium nitrate. 
 
BOLGE:  During police operations in Mersin, eight persons who 
are members of the Fundamental Human Rights and Liberties 
Association were detained and brought into court for allegedly 
being members of the DHKP-C. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   750 "human shields," comprising 
representatives of Diyarbakir & Izmir NGOs and villagers from 
Bergama, organized a convoy to Dicle, Diyarbakir Province, 
aiming to stop security operations taking place there. Jandarma 
stopped the group en route.  The group then held a 3-kilometer 
demonstration called "A Walk for Peace."  Oktay Konyar, the 
spokesman of the Human Shield Initiative and Bergama Peasants, 
said, "On the eve of the December 17 decision, 750 people are 
trying to bring two parties together to negotiate for peace." 
 
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS 
 
1.      BOLGE:  The gross income of the GAP region, which was 10.5 
billion dollars in 1998, is expected to reach up to 24 billion 
dollars in 2010.  Mehmet Acikgoz, the Deputy Director of GAP's 
Regional Development Administration Office, said that per capita 
income, that stood at $1685 in 1998, will increase by 6.4 per 
cent to $3563 in 2010.  Acikgoz added that 1.2 million people 
will be able to find jobs during the completion of the project. 
 
 
 
REID