US embassy cable - 05ADANA24

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000024 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, ADANA, Press Summaries 
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR JANUARY 31, 2005 
 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for January 31, 
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 
 
YENI SAFAK / TERCUMAN / BOLGE:  Cetin Nuhoglu, Chairperson 
of the International Transportation Association (UND), reported 
that Iraqi officials have proposed constructing five secure 
parking stations at various locations between the Turkish border 
and the city of Baghdad for the convenience of truckers 
traveling between those two points. Nuhoglu added that the Iraqi 
government promised to provide security for the parking 
stations, if both sides agree upon the conditions for 
constructing them. 
 
CUMHURIYET:     Prospects are good that the Turkish government, 
facing recent pressure from Washington, will agree to the U.S. 
request to use Incirlik as a "logistical base" for its tasks 
related to Afghanistan and Iraq.  In this first phase, the U.S. 
is seeking the quick implementation of regulations that would 
allow U.S. civilian cargo flights access to and from the 
Incirlik airbase. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   During raids conducted at several houses after 
last week's public unrest in Siirt, three more people were 
detained and imprisoned in Siirt. To date, the total number of 
people in detention is twelve. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Though police do not have the right to attend 
ordinary meetings of political parties (other than sending 
official police representatives to party congresses), police 
(allegedly) attempted to film an ordinary meeting of DEHAP 
(Democratic People's Party) in Diyarbakir.  Police (reportedly) 
had obtained a warrant from the Diyarbakir Governorate to film 
the meeting. However, according to Ozgur Gundem, new regulations 
adopted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs do not allow the 
filming of political party declarations - even those delivered 
outside the meeting - unless they pose a threat to public order. 
 Due to the (alleged) anti-democratic attitude of the police, 
the party meeting of DEHAP was cancelled. 
 
VAKIT:  Nine families who lost their homes during last 
week's earthquake have been provided accommodation in the city 
center of Hakkari, said Hakkari Governor Erdogan Gurbuz. 
Meanwhile, Mustafa Zeydan, an MP from AKP (Justice and 
Development Party), advised that people should ignore rumors 
claiming another big earthquake will hit the city in the near 
future. 
 
YENI SAFAK:     Recai Kutan, Acting Chairperson of the Saadet Party 
(Happiness Party), met with the party's provincial chairpersons 
in Ankara. During his speech, Kutan stated that the U.S. wants 
to use airbases in order to carry out its future plans of 
attacking Iran. This should be regarded as a step on the road to 
realizing the U.S.'s Greater Middle East Project, according to 
Kutan. 
 
CUMHURIYET:     A Turkish Agriculturalists' Association report lays 
out the grave threat of drought that will seriously affect most 
parts of Turkey, especially central Anatolia, Thrace and 
southeast Anatolia, in twenty years time. Precipitation levels 
during April and December, 2004, were much lower than during the 
same months in the previous year. The resulting reduction of 
water levels in dams strongly portends the scarcity of water in 
the near future for big cities like Istanbul, where the 
increasing population has multiplied its water use by a factor 
of three. 
 
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS 
 
1.      YENI SAFAK:     Cantemur Aslan, General Manager of SEKA 
(Turkish State Pulp and Paper Plant) and Atilla Osmancelebioglu, 
Governor of Mersin, delivered the good news that SEKA's port in 
the Tasucu district of Silifke in Mersin will be reopened.  It 
had been idle for ten years. (Note:  The SEKA plant itself will 
reportedldy start operating once again after remaining idle for 
two years.)  Osmancelebioglu asserted that the reopening of the 
SEKA port would relieve some of the pressure from which the 
bigger ports, such as Mersin, Silifke and Antalya, have been 
suffering. 
 
2.      ZAMAN:  This year the free trade zone of Yumurtalik in 
Adana has maintained last year's high pace of activities. Twelve 
companies are currently operating in the region and four 
petrochemical companies' investment projects, which cost $50 
million in total, will be completed in the second half of 2005. 
 
 
 
 
REID