US embassy cable - 05ADANA28

UNCLAS ADANA 000028 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, Press Summaries, ADANA 
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR FEBRUARY 14, 2005 
 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for February 14, 
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 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Huseyin Aygun, attorney and former Chairperson 
of the Tunceli Bar Association, claimed that Tunceli's Jandarma 
Commander Namik Dursun threatened to kill him. Commander Dursun 
was previously reported to have threatened and insulted the 
headmen in Tunceli in late December 2004. Aygun, who applied to 
the Elazig Human Rights Association, held a press conference 
along with Tunceli's CHP MPs, stated that Dursun accused him of 
"being a traitor" and "an enemy of the (Turkish) State." Aygun 
further claimed that Dursun threatened to kill him by 
(allegedly) stating, "We will get rid of his (Aygun's) physical 
existence; we will defame him." 
 
CUMHURIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM / EVRENSEL:   Demonstrations were 
held in many cities -- including Adana, Bursa, Antep, and Batman 
-- to protest Turkey's capture of Abdullah Ocalan six years ago. 
Turkish National Police intervened with pepper gas spray and 
water cannons in Mersin when a 300-person group, chanting 
slogans, attempted to walk to the city's Akdeniz District. 
 
TERCUMAN / BOLGE / VAKIT / ZAMAN / TURKIYE / CUMHURIYET: Iraq 
announced that it plans to close the (Ibrahim Khalil) Border 
Gate for five days on February 17.  Trucks transporting fuel 
have therefore lined up in 45 kilometer-long lines on the 
Turkish side, causing a bottleneck in the flow of traffic at the 
Habur Border Gate in Silopi, Sirnak province. Drivers estimate 
that the line will exceed 50 kilometers today. 
 
CUMHURIYET:     Following the visit of Gen. John Abizaid last month, 
U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR) Commander Burwell Bell will come to 
Ankara this week to discuss defense cooperation issues, 
especially the more effective use of Incirlik Airbase as a 
logistics center, which is an issue that has been on the defense 
agenda of the two countries since Abizaid's last visit. 
 
 
HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):  The Ministry of Defense announced a tender 
invitation pursuant to a Council of Ministers decision to clean 
up areas affected by mines.  Aslan Kutukcu, Governor of Kilis, 
stated that the Kilis Governor's Office could offer a much lower 
bid than those offered by private companies to de-mine the areas 
within Kilis province. Moreover, Kutukcu claims the Office of 
the Governor would have another competitive advantage:  the 
people recruited for this endeavor would be the natives of the 
province who are familiar with the land. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Attempts to remove the toxic waste of the M/V 
Ulla, which sank in Iskenderun Gulf on September 6, 2004, are 
underway.  (Note:  Ankara 5168 covers the sinking incident and 
related environmental concerns.  End note.) AKP Antakya MP 
Mehmet Soydan announced to fishermen and environmentalists that 
bids will be taken today and tomorrow for the task of bringing 
the ship to the surface.  According to Soydan, this task will be 
completed by March 2005. 
 
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS 
 
1.      EKSPRES / BOLGE / TURKIYE:      Ayhan Barut, Branch 
Chairperon of th Chambr of Aricultural Engineers, state 
that drastical 
 low temperatures and the frost experienced in 
the Cukurova region seriously damaged vegetables and fruit 
(especially citrus fruit) that has not been harvested yet. 
(Note: Cukurova is a wide fertile agricultural plain. End Note.) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
REID