US embassy cable - 05ADANA74

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000074 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, Press Summaries, ADANA 
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR 
 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for April 6, 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 
 
HURRRIYET (CUKUROVA):   A religious ceremony was held in Saint 
Pavlus Catholic Church in central Adana and the mourners 
including Catholics living in Adana attended the ceremony to pay 
their respects to the late Pope. In Mersin, the AKP (Justice and 
Development Party) Provincial Administration Board visited 
Mersin's Roman Catholic Church to pay tribute to the Pope. 
 
 
CUMHURIYET / HURRRIYET (CUKUROVA) / BOLGE:      An earthquake 
with a magnitude of 3.6 on the Richter scale shook Adana 
yesterday at 8.49 a.m. There was reportedly no loss of life, 
injury or damage to the property. 
 
BOLGE / EKSPRES:        Abdullah Dogru, AKP Provincial Chairperson, 
paid a visit to the Cukurova Journalists Association (CJA) to 
congratulate the new administration of the CJA. During their 
meeting, Dogru said that the ruling party's aim in Turkey is to 
get rid of all corruption and bring welfare to Turkey. 
 
BOLGE / EVRENSEL:       Radio Dunya in Adana protested the Supreme 
Board of Radio and Television (RTUK) decision to issue a 
one-month ban on radio channel's broadcast. The Chief Director 
of the Dunya Radio claimed that the station had quoted excerpts 
from the books that the Ministry of Tourism and Culture 
approved; therefore, the penalty imposed was reportedly not 
logical. 
 
BOLGE / EKSPRES:        April 10 is the first anniversary of the death 
of one of the most prominent businessmen and the owner of one of 
the biggest family businesses in Turkey, Sakip Sabanci. Sabanci, 
who was born in Adana and who was also the founder of Adana 
Chamber of Commerce (ACC), will be remembered at a tribute 
ceremony to be held by ACC. 
 
RADIKAL / OZGUR GUNDEM: Young members of the two clans (the 
Kecan and Haruna clan) in Idil district of Sirnak engaged in a 
bitter fight yesterday. Adil Abay (from the Kecan clan), was 
stabbed and died on the scene. Upon hearing about his death, his 
relatives gathered and threw stones at the business of a man 
from the Haruna clan and at (for unspecified reasons) the house 
of the Idil Mayor, Resul Sadak, who is a DEHAP (Democratic 
People's Party) member. 
 
CUMHURIYET / RADIKAL / OZGUR GUNDEM / EVRENSEL:  Hamit Bayram, 
the son of former Van deputy Mustafa Bayram, had been arrested 
on charges of drug smuggling last year (see press summary 
10/15/04). He later escaped from police, allegedly with help 
from the Bayram family. He was later caught in Ankara.  Hamit 
Bayram has now reportedly been released from the prison and will 
be tried without being kept under detention. 
 
RADIKAL / CUMHURIYET / EVRENSEL:        The 79th anniversary of 
Ataturk's being elected as an honorary citizen of Diyarbakir was 
celebrated with various activities. After the cermonial 
wreath-laying and paying tribute to the statue of Ataturk, which 
was carried out by the Governor Efkan Ala, Diyarbakir Mayor 
Osman Baydemir and Jandarma Regional Commander Kemal Alatas, the 
Diyarbakir Municipalty Folk Music Chorus sang Kurdish and 
Turkish folk songs. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM / EVRENSEL:        Wolves came down to the Cukuruca 
village of Hakkari and attacked a flock of 60 goats and killed 
the animals. The goats were reportedly the only source of 
livelihood for the three owners of the goats. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Tension escalated in the Cumra village of 
Konya, where MHP (National Movement Party) members reportedly 
beat three Kurds. The Sub-Governor Osman Tastan reportedly said 
that the windows of the houses and stores of the three Kurdish 
families in the village were broken, but none of the Kurds' 
lives were threatened. 
 
HURRIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM:        The Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
reportedly is trying to reach agreements with people who were 
affected by military operations in southeastern Turkey, whose 
villages were reportedly evacuated, properties were damaged or 
houses were burnt down. To prevent the possibility of being 
rendered liable by the European Court of Human Rights to 
compensate citizens, it seems Turkey will be adopting a policy 
of "negotiating" with its southeastern citizens who have applied 
for compensation within Turkey after legislation passed last 
year on this subject. 
 
 
 
 
 
REID