US embassy cable - 05ADANA31

UNCLAS ADANA 000031 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, ADANA, Press Summaries 
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR FEBRUARY 16, 2005 
 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for February 16, 
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 / CUMHURIYET:      According to a report prepared by 
Mesut Deger, Diyarbakir's CHP (Republican People's Party) MP and 
a member of the Parliamentary Human Rights Commission, 30,000 
people lost their lives as a result of terror-related incidents 
during various State of Emergency periods in the (southeastern) 
region between July 10, 1987 and December 30, 2002.  The report 
states that of those 30,000, 23,000 were members of the 
(outlawed PKK terrorist) organization and 5000 were security 
officers. 
 
CUMHURIYET:     Former Van Security Director Zeki Catalkaya will 
reportedly replace Diyarbakir Security Director Orhan Okur, in 
order to solve the ongoing dispute between Okur and Diyarbakir 
Governor Efkan Ala about how EU harmonization laws should be 
implemented. It is highly likely that Okur will be appointed to 
the office of Canakkale Security Director. 
 
BOLGE / ZAMAN / CUMHURIYET / HURRIYET / EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM 
/ EKSPRES:      During outlawed unauthorized demonstrations held on 
the sixth anniversary of Turkey's capture of Abdullah Ocalan, 50 
people were taken into custody and 10 people (Zaman reports 30 
people) were wounded in Diyarbakir.  Turkish National Police 
used construction vehicles to demolish a barricade built by 
demonstrators in Mersin.  One person reportedly died when guns 
were fired during the tumult in Mersin. The police filmed 
(allegedly for the purpose of gathering intelligence) tradesmen 
in Siirt who closed their businesses as an expression of their 
protest.  Police and small groups of protesters engaged in 
scuffles in the streets of Batman, Mardin and Hakkari. 
 
ZAMAN / OZGUR GUNDEM / EKSPRES: People excavating sand in a 
quarry in Tarsus township of Mersin found the lower jawbone of a 
dinosaur that is estimated to be 150 or 200 million-years-old. 
The fossil was handed over to the Tarsus Museum Directorate. A 
paleontologist from the Natural History Museum in Ankara, 
however, stated that the bone could not belong to a dinoasour, 
but rather to an elephant, which is only 10 or 15 million years 
old. 
 
SABAH (GUNEY):  Sabah Guney reports that Kizilay (Turkish Red 
Crescent) supplies would be gravely inadequate in the event of a 
disaster, such as an earthquake. Although Adana was selected by 
the organization as its Disaster Handling and Logistics Center 
of the Mediterranean Region, there are only 600 tents, which can 
provide shelter to only 2400 people, and no blood is currently 
available in the blood supplies of the organization, according 
to Sabah Guney. 
 
HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):    President of the Turkish Republic of 
Northern Cyprus Rauf Denktas paid a visit to Cag University in 
Mersin.  During his meeting with students, Denktas warned them 
about the danger of underhanded schemes being devised to remove 
Turkey's presence in Cyprus. 
 
 
 
 
REID