US embassy cable - 05ADANA66

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000066 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, ADANA, Press Summaries 
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR MARCH 29,2005 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for March 29, 
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 
 
MILLIYET / EVRENSEL / CUMHURIYET / ZAMAN:       The Foreign Ministry 
and the General Staff will prepare and submit a report about 
Incirlik airbase to Prime Minister Erdogan. The U.S. reportedly 
wants to use the airbase as a logistics hub without putting 
forward a time limitation for its use and without having to 
provide prior notice to Turkish authorities. The U.S. also 
reportedly wants no restrictions to be imposed on the direction 
of flights and destinations to and from the airbase. The Turkish 
response about the airbase is pending PM Erdogan's decision. 
 
CUMHURIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM:      A group of 23 human shield 
volunteers, aiming to end military operations and conflict in 
the Cudi Mountains of Sirnak, set off for Sirnak from Adana, 
Antep and Hatay.  The group's car was reportedly stopped at the 
exit of Diyarbakir province and searched by soldiers. The car 
was (allegedly) stopped for the second time thirty-five 
kilometers from Mardin to be searched once again; identity cards 
of the group were checked, as well. 
 
SABAH (GUNEY):  Sukru Sariisik, the Second Army Commander; 
Ayhan Tas, the Sixth Army Corps Commander; Huseyin Senturk, the 
39th Mechanized Brigadier General; and Idris Sahin, the Garrison 
Commander, paid a visit to Abdulkadir Sari, the Hatay Governor. 
 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   During the first Alawi Conference held in 
Ankara, participants discussed topics including participation in 
the activities of NGOs, nurturing democratic Alawi 
organizations, the state's mandatory religious instruction and 
the state's Religious Affairs Directorate. The idea to unite 
Alawi organizations under a single umbrella and to act under a 
federal union was also discussed. 
 
CUMHURIYET:     During his meetings with Elazig's Deputy Governor 
and Mayor as well as with the Rector of Firat University, 
Wolf-Ruthart Born, German Ambassador to Ankara, said that German 
Government supported Turkey's endeavors to join the EU.  When 
asked about the alleged scenes of European MPs supporting the 
PKK during Newruz celebrations, Born said that the PKK is a 
terrorist organization and those who follow the PKK are 
terrorists. 
 
EKSPRES / BOLGE:        Contrary to rumors floating in the political 
circles of Adana, Abdullah Caliskan, Adana MP from AKP (Justice 
and Development Party), announced that he will not sever his 
ties with his party. This week AKP MPs seemed to resume amicable 
terms with Caliskan after last week's disputes among them about 
the economic status of Turkey. 
 
CUMHURIYET:      Mervan Gul, Mayor of Siirt, had originally been 
elected to Parliament before becoming Mayor, but vacated his 
parliament seat to allow PM Erdogan to run in a 2003 
by-election.  Recently however, Mervan Gul has been accused of 
nepotism.  According to reports of an Audit Commission 
consisting of municipality assembly members, Gul has allegedly 
provided trillions of lira worth of resources unlawfully to his 
kin. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Ozgur Gundem claims that the way in which the 
youth were taken into custody and arrested after their recent 
attempt to dishonor the Turkish flag was contrary to Convention 
on Children's Rights, Beijing Rules and domestic law. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Urfa's Provincial Directorate of Education 
(allegedly) issued a statement that prohibits students, teachers 
and staff from joining any unauthorized demonstrations, meetings 
and activities of non-governmental organizations. The statement 
was sent to all of the primary schools in the province. 
 
EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM:        Attorney Hamza Yilmaz applied to 
the Ministry of Interior to change the name of his hometown 
Arslankasi, in Keban district of Elazig, to "Niskusagi." 
Yilmaz, claiming that the law had been breached when his town's 
name was changed to "Arslankasi" in the 1960s, alleged that the 
change had been part of the state's assimilation policy. 
 
 
CUMHURIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM:       Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline 
Calmy-Rey will come to Turkey as the guest of her Turkish 
counterpart Abdullah G|l. Calmy-Rey plans to visit Istanbul, 
Ankara and Diyarbakir. In Diyarbakir, Calmy-Rey will reportedly 
visit Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir, and members of the Human 
Rights Association. 
 
HURRIYET / CUMHURIYET / EKSPRES / SABAH (GUNEY):        In Mersin, 
Gokhan Kiziltepe, the police officer who saved the flag from 
being stepped on and burned in Newruz celebrations, was given 
his prize and certificate of honor by Ministry of Interior 
officials and the Mersin Governor. Kiziltepe donated the 
twenty-four salary installments he was awarded to the Martyrs 
and Veterans Solidarity Association. During his address to the 
audience, Mehmet Ekizer, Deputy Director of the Mersin Security 
Directorate, accused DEHAP (Democratic People's Party) of not 
singing the Turkish National Anthem and hanging the Turkish flag 
during their party meetings and congresses. 
 
ZAMAN / SABAH / OZGUR GUNDEM:   Mehmet Agar, DYP (True Path Party) 
leader, stated in a meeting held in Diyarbakir, "We will not 
allow anybody to separate the Turks and Kurds, to politically 
abuse the sacred values of Turkish nation, to draw this country 
into a chaotic battleground. The red color in the flag 
represents, among other things, the blood of the people -- 
including those of eastern and southeastern Turkey -- who died 
for this country." However, Ozgur Gundem criticizes Agar, who is 
a former National Security Director, as being one of the 
engineers of the conflict that started in the southeastern 
region in 1993. 
 
ZAMAN:  Zaman reports that it was discovered that Alaattin 
Erdogan, Head of the DEHAP delegation sent to Mersin to 
investigate the flag-insult incident, had served a prison 
sentence in the past for showing disrespect the Turkish flag in 
Mersin. Alaattin Erdogan was the Provincial Chairperson of the 
former HADEP (People's Democracy Party) in Mersin and the Adana 
State Security Court allegedly found him guilty of stepping over 
the Turkish flag and throwing it into the wastebasket in 1998. 
 
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS 
 
1.      SABAH (GUNEY) /  EKSPRES / BOLGE / HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): 
Suleyman Onatca, Chairperson of the Adana Industrialists and 
Businessmen Association, announced that his visits with Syrian 
and Jordanian authorities last week were very fruitful in terms 
of economic relations. Onatca said that his visits to Jordan's 
Minister of Industry, Chairperson of the Chamber of Commerce, 
and Chairperson of the Industrialists and Businessmen 
Association aimed to enhance Adana's trade relations with Middle 
Eastern markets. 
 
 
REID