US embassy cable - 05ADANA3

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000003 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, ADANA, Press Summaries 
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR DECEMBER 28, 2004 
 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for December 28, 
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 
 
MILLIYET / SABAH / OZGUR GUNDEM:        120 villagers had to migrate 
from their towns due to the alleged oppressive attitude of Zeki 
Mujde, the Agha of eight villages in Ercis, Van, (Note. Agha is 
a rural landlord in Southeastern Turkey. End Note.) To 
investigate the issue, the Ercis Prosecutor launched a judicial 
process. It is claimed that the Agha (allegedly) forced the 
villagers to migrate from the town because the villagers voted 
for another candidate in the local elections on March 28, 2004 
(that designates the administrative authority of a village.) 
Niyazi Tanilir, the Governor of Van, called the villagers back 
to their towns and said that Zeki Mujde will cover all the costs 
of the villagers if they return 
 
MILLI GAZETE / TERCUMAN / CUMHURIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM / MILLIYET / 
ZAMAN / YENI SAFAK / EVRENSEL:  The legal proceedings have 
been started against villagers who threw stones and eggs to U.S. 
experts that came to take the Tomahawk cruise missiles that 
crashed in the field of a small village of Sanliurfa on March 
2003. End Note.). The litigation is brought against 13 villagers 
on the grounds that they damaged public property and they could 
face up to 3 years of imprisonment. (Note. Villagers broke 
several windows of the four vehicles carrying the experts. End 
Note.) Mustafa Karakus, the administrative authority of the 
village, said, "How come a public lawsuit can be brought against 
us! It is us that should bring a lawsuit against the U.S.A that 
dropped cruise missiles on our land. If that missile hit us 
instead of the empty land, the whole village would be gone 
forever. We will decide at the end of this legal proceeding 
whether to bring a lawsuit against the U.S.A or not." 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM / EVRENSEL:        Ten years ago, the response of 
Human Rights Commission of the Turkish Assembly to an 
application of one of the relatives of seven people that 
disappeared in Mirik in the province of Tunceli was that seven 
villagers might have been brought away by the illegal 
organization (note: official reference to PKK/Kongra Gel. End 
note.) since the seven people had not been involved in the 
conflicts between eighteen terrorists and the security forces, 
during the military operation conducted on September 21-2, 1994. 
The Human Rights Commission of the Turkish Assembly further 
stated that the district, where it was known that 8 people 
lived, was found empty during the operation, but for the sheep 
grazing on the empty land. 
 
CUMHURIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM:      The Human Rights Association 
demanded that the people accountable for the mass graves in 
Kulp, Diyarbakir, where the dead bodies of 11 villagers were 
found, be found and an investigation be brought against the Bolu 
Commando Brigade that conducted the operations in the region 
then.(Note. allegedly in 1994.  End Note.).  It is (allegedly) 
found out that Bolu Commando Brigade is also accountable for the 
killing of 14 people during operations conducted at Zengok and 
Altinova townships in Mus province and the disappearance of 2 
people in Lice, Diyarbakir. 
 
 
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS 
 
1.      BOLGE / TURKIYE / EKSPRES / VAKIT / MILLI GAZETE: As 
compared to the figures of the previous year, the exports from 
Turkey to the Middle East countries are breaking the records and 
the volume of exports has increased by 40.9 percent. Mehmet 
Hadra, President of the Turkish-Arab Businessmen Association, 
said that it is pleasing that Arab businessmen prefer to import 
from Turkey in the first place. Hadra pointed out that the 
efforts of the Government (of Turkey) played a substantial role 
in establishing the amicable trade relationships with Syria, 
especially on the issue of a free trade zone agreement. 
 
 
2.      EKSPRES / BOLGE:        Fethi Coskuntuncel, President of the 
Adana Chamber of Commerce claimed that expanding the scope of 
incentive with the introduction of the new Incentive Law would 
negatively affect Adana's economy. Whereas the current incentive 
law allowed the granting of subsidy to cities whose per capita 
income is less than 1500 USD, the new law also grants subsidy to 
cities whose per capita income is 2000 USD. According to 
Coskuntuncel, if the new Law takes effect, Adana will fall 
behind in the competition with the markets of Hatay, 
Kahramanmaras, and Gaziantep, the cities that will also be 
eligible for the incentive. 
 
3.      HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):    The businessmen who accompanied 
President Erdogan on his visit to Syria brought back three 
beneficial outcomes for the economy of Gaziantep. The first one 
is the Free Trade Zone Agreement signed by the both countries. 
The second one is that Syria is going to open a Consulate in 
Gaziantep in the first quarter of 2005. Lastly, Gaziantep will 
be included within the scope of the Incentive Law. 
4.      HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):    Sunay Demircan, General 
Coordinator of the EU Program in Turkey for Promoting 
Non-Governmental Organizations, held a seminar called "EU 
Projects: A General Overview and Basic Principles". The seminar 
provided information to managers of NGOs in Adana on how to 
benefit from the funds that EU makes available for the projects 
of NGOs. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
REID