US embassy cable - 05ADANA15

UNCLAS ADANA 000015 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, ADANA, Press Summaries 
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR JANUARY 13, 2005 
 
 
1.      This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for January 
13, 2005.  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.      OZGUR GUNDEM:   Fevzi Can, a shepard grazing his sheep 
in Semdinli, Hakkari, was shot dead on November 29, 2004 by a 
junior officer, Hakan Sener, on the grounds that Fevzi Can did 
not obey the officer's warning to stop. The Semdinli Court of 
Peace then arrested Hakan Sener upon the charge against him for 
killing a person deliberately. During the first hearing of the 
court that was held yesterday at the Hakkari Criminal Court of 
Law, despite the objections of the participating attorneys, the 
court decided to release Hakan Sener and adjourned the hearing 
to March 22nd. 
 
3.      CUMHURIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM:      The negotiation talks are 
currently being held between Turkey and Russia over energy 
issues during PM Erdogan's recent visit to Russia. The Turkish 
side proposes that Russian petroleum be carried to the 
Mediterranean through the Samsun-Ceyhan pipeline, instead of 
carrying the petroleum through the (Turkish) Straits. If Russia 
agrees with this proposal, an oil refinery is going to be built 
at Ceyhan, Adana. The "Mavi Akim Natural Gas Pipline" project 
between Samsun and Ceyhan is another energy issue that is on the 
agenda of the talks. 
 
4.      CUMHURIYET / SABAH / YENI SAFAK:        The Incirlik Airbase 
issue is on the agenda of the talks between Turkey and U.S. 
Turkey is indisposed to permit the US side to use Incirlik 
Airbase in operational and more flexible terms. According to 
Yeni Safak, the Deputy President of Saadet Partisi (Happiness 
Party) claimed that U.S.A. wants to use the Incirlik Airbase for 
its plans against Iran. However, according to an interview of 
Sabah with US Gen. John Abizaid, U.S. has not made any appeals 
to Ankara about the use of the Base in "operational" terms. 
According to Abizaid, U.S.'s request was that Ankara should 
consider the U.S. side's proposal to launch a Logistics Center 
in the Base, which would relieve the traffic congestion of the 
Habur border gate in Slopi, a town of Sirnak province. 
 
 
5.      CUMHURIYET:     Mehmet Celik lost his life during a fight he 
was involved in Diyarbakir. His son, Selahattin Celik, has been 
searching for his father's skull, which had disappeared after he 
sent it to the forensic medicine three years ago. Selahattin 
Celik filed a complaint to the Higher Board of Judges and 
Prosecutors against the Diyarbakir Prosecutor because of this 
serious negligence. 
 
6.      EKSPRES:        The Mardin Governor, Temel Kocaklar, chaired a 
meeting held in Mardin on the issue of protection and 
rehabilitation of the street children. Kocaklar stated that the 
problem should immediately be addressed in Mardin, because the 
number of the street children is on the increase. 
 
7.      EKSPRES / ZAMAN:        The Adana Prosecutorsud sx octor 
forallegedly inflicting finacal loses on he SSK(Hspitals 
of Social Security Authority). Accordingto the Prosecutor, the 
six doctors "created false documents and reports fo unnecessary 
medical tratments of 27 SSK patients" and obtained illegal 
profit from such frauds inflicting a total loss of 2 trillion 
Turkish liras (US$1.5 million) on the SSK. 
 
8.      MILLIYET:       Kemal Donmez, Deputy Security Director of 
Mardin, the person in charge of conducting the operation that 
resulted in the killing of Ugur and Ahmet Kaymaz, had been 
effective in the course of the investigation although he was 
also included in the scope of the investigation. Kemal Donmez, 
before he was suspended from office, had sent an official letter 
to the Prosecutor requesting that the confessor be interrogated 
and the guns found beside the dead bodies of Ugur and Ahmet 
Kaymaz be inspected. 
 
 
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS 
 
1.      HURRIYET (CUKUROVA) / MILLIYET: The Adana Chamber of 
Commerce is going to organize the first  "International Economic 
Cooperation Forum" on February 18 and 19 in order to promote the 
region's production potential and to present cooperative 
opportunities to the foreign investors and entrepreneurs. It is 
stated that PM Erdogan will be attending the Forum as well.