US embassy cable - 05ADANA55

UNCLAS ADANA 000055 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, ADANA, Press Summaries 
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR MARCH 17, 2005 
 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for March 17, 
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 
 
EVRENSEL:       U.S. pressure mounting on Syria has been distressing 
the Turkish citizens living in Hatay province. Mehmet Karasu, 
Cairperson of Hatay Social Soldarity and Culture Association, 
criticizing the Turkish government for siding with the U.S., 
said "U.S. threats against Middle East will gravely affect Hatay 
and people will migrate from Syria to Turkey. All the people in 
Hatay should come out on to the streets to protest a possible 
attack of the U.S. on Syria". 
 
BOLGE:  During a lunch PM Erdogan was having with 20 MPs, 
Ayhan Zeynep Tekin Boru, an Adana MP from AKP (Justice and 
Development Party), complainted to the Premier about Binali 
Yildirim, Minister of Transportation, and how Yildirim 
disregarded the report Boru has submitted to him on 
irregularities in  Turk Telekom (Turkish Telecommunications 
Co.). 
 
ZAMAN:  Jvrg Metger, the German Federal Republic's Deputy 
Chief of Mission, payed a visit to Adana's Deputy Governor 
Mehmet Demir. Metger stated that he would be having a series of 
meetings with several authorities in Adana and Hatay provinces. 
 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   The human rights report of DEHAP (Democratic 
People's Party) expressed that charges reportedly were brought 
and prosecutions started against 177 (DEHAP) party members and 
representatives of democratic mass organizations in the last two 
months because of demonstrations and activities they carried 
out. According to the report, one person was allegedly killed 
extra-judicially, five people lost their lives because of 
torture, 333 people were taken into custody and 106 people were 
sentenced. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Some villagers, who returned to their villages 
in the southeastern region of Turkey in 2001 after being 
displaced in 1994, reportedly are being forced to enroll as 
village guards by military units. The six villagers (allegedly) 
had to take up arms forcibly; others were reportedly given 
notice and allowed a specified time to do the same. The 
villagers conveyed their complaints about the issue to Goc-Der 
(Migrators' Solidarity and Culture Association) 
 
SABAH (GUNEY):  Gokhan Gundogdu, son of Yunus Gundogdu, a 
businessman who founded Gundogdu Private Schools in Adana, came 
back to Adana after successfully completing his university 
studies at Hartwick College, where he earned a $100,000 worth of 
scholarship to study economics and business administration. Upon 
his return to Adana, Gundogdu has embarked upon founding a 
library in their private schools, giving the library the name 
"John Clemens" to honor the founder of Hartwick College in the 
U.S. 
 
BOLGE / EKSPRES:        Adana Deputy Governor Nevzat Ergun, Adana 
Mayor Aytac Durak, and many visitors participated in the opening 
of a photographic exhibition of Haluk Uygur which emphasized and 
celebrated the simultaneous presence of various religious 
beliefs in Turkey, where the majority is comprised of Muslims. 
Adana American Consul Walter Scott Reid participated in the 
event as well and was quoted as saying "It is not surprising to 
see the presence of a variety of religious faiths in Turkey, 
since Anatolia has been a cradle for ages for a number of 
faiths, many of which originated here". 
 
CUMHURIYET:     Walter Russel Mead, one of the prominent minds of 
the Council on Foreign Relations, which is an organization 
renowned for establishing the guidelines of U.S. foreign policy, 
said that the establishment of a Kurdish state would not comply 
with the national interests of the U.S. 
 
 
 
REID