US embassy cable - 05ADANA18

UNCLAS ADANA 000018 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, ADANA, Press Summaries 
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR JANUARY 25, 2005 
 
 
1.      This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for January 
25, 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.      CUMHURIYET / HURRIYET / RADIKAL / VAKIT / TERCUMAN:  A 
group of 1000 people protested yesterday in Siirt when security 
forces did not allow the group to bury two (alleged) 
PKK/KONGRA-GEL members --killed during an operation conducted at 
the Gabar Mountain of Sirnak on January 20 -- at a cemetery in 
the city center. During yesterday's turmoil, the group shouted 
slogans, burned two cars and threw stones that shattered the 
windows of many buildings. Nearly a hundred people were detained 
during the events and some of them were released later.  Murat 
Yildirim, the Governor of Siirt, announced that the bodies of 
the alleged terrorists were buried in Eruh.  According to 
Yildirim, some politicians were maliciously exploiting people's 
feelings and inciting disturbances, and that's why the families 
of the dead people did not show up during the burial procedures, 
Yildirim said. 
 
3.      OZGUR GUNDEM / EVRENSEL:        According to the reports of 
Ozgur Gundem and Evrensel, the bodies of the alleged terrorists, 
which were brought to Siirt the day before from Sirnak, were 
seized by the security forces at the entrance of Siirt. Fourteen 
hours later, the bodies were buried, without the approval of 
their families and without conducting religious rites, into 
(allegedly) a single pit in the ground in Eruh (the hometown of 
the deceased in Siirt). The families of the alleged terrorists 
will file complaints about the local authorities. 
 
 
4.      CUMHURIYET:     Selahattin Durmus (sic), attorney and 
Chairperson of the Human Rights Association's Diyarbakir Branch, 
was acquitted during a hearing yesterday of charges that he had 
praised the PKK/KONGRA-GEL in statements he had given to a 
newspaper a while ago, in response to the EU's decision to 
include the organization on its list of terrorist organizations. 
 (Note:  Last name should be Demirtas.  End note.) 
 
5.      ZAMAN / OZGUR GUNDEM:   Wolves, trying to survive heavy 
winter conditions, are continuing to disturb settlements in 
Turkey's southeastern region.  Villagers say that groups of 
villagers on horses are chasing wolves, not to kill them, but to 
draw them out of the settlement areas. The villagers add that 
never before have wolves approached human settlements so closely 
and in such large numbers. 
 
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS 
 
1.      HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):    ADTM (Adana Foreign Trade Club), 
established in large part through efforts of the Adana Chamber 
of Commerce and UK's Sheffield Chamber of Commerce in 2002, 
today has turned into an organization that encompasses a larger 
regional effort. Antakya, Mersin, Kayseri and Gaziantep 
provinces will also be opening Foreign Trade Clubs on February 
23 and 24. A presentation will be held to provide information 
about the East Mediterranean Foreign Trade Center on the same 
day.