US embassy cable - 05ADANA78

UNCLAS ADANA 000078 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, Press Summaries, ADANA 
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR APRIL 12, 2005 
 
1.      This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for April 
12, 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 
 
2.      CUMHURIYET / YENI SAFAK:        Ten people were wounded as a 
result of fighting that broke out between the youth members of 
two families in Tatvan district of Bitlis. Nineteen people were 
detained after the incident. 
 
3.      ZAMAN:  Kemal Unakitan, Finance Minister, announced 
that the state request bids for a mine-clearing project around 
the Turkish-Syrian border that will make the land safely 
available, specifically for a project of organic cultivation. 
 
4.      EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM:        The Sub-governor of 
Malazgirt district of Mus vetoed the March 3 decision of the 
municipality assembly asking for a change in the names of two 
streets to "Musa Anter" and "Ugur Kaymaz" Streets, on the 
grounds that these two people made no significant contribution 
to the development of the district. 
 
5.      EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM:        Fourteen male refugees of 
Pakistani origin were reportedly found in Caldiran district of 
Van in a secret section of a truck, which transported livestock. 
 
 
6.      TERCUMAN:         The PKK allegedly collects blood from its 
members and sells it. According to the report of Tercuman, the 
PKK has been visiting villages in the southeastern Turkey and 
collected 3500 blood samples under the guise of medical checks 
in order to raise money. 
 
7.      EKSPRES:        A columnist in Ekspres stated that the 
hostility between Aytac Durak, tha Adana Mayor, and Abdullah 
Dogru, AKP (Justice and Development Party) Provincial 
Chairperson, actually turned into a "marriage" when a close 
friend of Durak was assigned to the position of Akdeniz TV's 
Chief Broadcasting Director. Abdullah Dogru is reportedly one of 
the business partners of the Akdeniz TV in Adana. 
 
8.      EKSPRES / BOLGE:        Yuregir Municipality in Adana held an 
official ceremony yesterday to initiate the construction of a 
reform school for juveniles, which was described as a 
significant facility for solving the street children problem. 
The Adana Governor's Office and the Security Directorate 
provided support for the reformatory project, as well. 
 
9.      OZGUR GUNDEM:   The Governor's Office in Hakkari 
allegedly started a probe through civilian police to identify 
the names of students who did not participate in the March 25 
flag-march activity of the Governor's Office. Reportedly, 
families of the students are disturbed about this development 
and have filed a complaint with the Hakkari Prosecutor.