US embassy cable - 05ADANA93

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000093 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, Press Summaries, ADANA 
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR APRIL 28-29, 2005 
 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for April 28-29, 
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 
 
SABAH (GUNEY) / BOLGE:  Cukurova University Rector Prof. Alper 
Akinoglu, at a ceremony held to recognize academicians who have 
been appointed as instructors, said that noone will be allowed 
to compromise the secular principles of the Turkish state. 
 
ZAMAN / BOLGE:  Adana Governor Cahit Kirac visited the Chamber 
of Geological Engineers (CGE). During his talks with the CGE 
Chairman, Kirac obtained information about the seismic movements 
in Adana.  Kirac stated that populist policies do nothing to 
address the earthquake issue.  He added that an Earthquake 
Monitoring Center will begin to operate in Adana at the end of 
2005 and that his office has completed a Disaster Management 
Plan for Adana. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   The executive officers of Egitim-Sen 
(Education Union) paid a visit to Tuncer Bakirhan, DEHAP 
(Democratic People's Party) leader, to discuss the issue of a 
lawsuit opened to shut down the Union. 
 
ZAMAN / SABAH (GUNEY) / BOLGE / EKSPRES:        The seven governors of 
the Cukurova region (Adana, Gaziantep, Mersin, Hatay, Kilis, 
Osmaniye, Kahramanmaras) held a meeting at the Adana Governor's 
Office to discuss how to handle responsibilities that will be 
transferred from the Village Services Offices, which will soon 
be closed. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM / EVRENSEL:        Special teams allegedly conducted 
a raid on a house in Hakkari on the grounds that "a wounded 
terrorist was hiding there." The fact that the operation was 
conducted with armored military vehicles and two helicopters 
disturbed local people and the DEHAP District Chairman in 
Hakkari said that close to ten houses were allegedly raided in 
the same fashion in a week. 
 
BOLGE / EKSPRES:        Three Deputy Chairmen of the ANAP (Motherland 
Party), Mirac Akdogan (Malatya deputy), Muhsin Kocyigit 
(Diyarbakir deputy) and Muharrem Dogan (Mardin deputy), and 
three members of the Party's Main Executive Board, have come to 
Adana attend the address of their leader in an April 30 meeting 
in Adana. During a press meeting, Akdogan criticized CHP's 
support for the new Political Parties Act, which allegedly aims 
to rule out the delivery of Treasury funds to parties with 
smaller Parliamentary groups. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Hacettepe University in Ankara is embarking 
upon an extensive project to conduct research on internal 
migration. The results obtained from the research will 
reportedly benefit the Chief of Staff and State Planning 
Institute as well. 
 
EKSPRES:        At a conference in Tehran, Iran, Adana Mayor Aytac 
Durak delivered a speech about his Municipality's experiences 
regarding the operation of local administrations in Turkey. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:    Kadriye Goren, a ten-year-old girl, has been 
operated on four times in Dicle University's Research Hospital 
after being hit in the eye by a bullet during a military 
operation in Derik district of Mardin on March 25. Her family 
applied to the Human Rights Association, alleging no military 
authority has extended help to date. 
 
RADIKAL:        Sahin Ayaz, a founding member of the Kurd-Der 
(Kurdish Association) and HAKPAR (Rights and Liberties Party) 
was reportedly taken into custody after participating in a 
television program. The Bursa Prosecutor's office allegedly 
detained Ayaz on the grounds that his talk aimed to incite 
hatred and hostility that would promote social class, racial, 
religious differences among people. Ayaz was released after 
submitting his statement to the Prosecutor. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   During the April 23 Sovereignty and Children's 
Day, DEHAP Provincial Executives in Siirt were allegedly 
excluded from the ceremonial wreath-laying tribute paid to 
Ataturk's statue and from the parade held in the city stadium. 
This issue has been brought to the agenda of the Turkish 
Parliament with a question submitted by CHP Canakkale deputy 
Ismail Ozay. 
 
YENI SAFAK / HURRIYET / SABAH / EKSPRES / BOLGE / OZGUR GUNDEM: 
State Minister Kursad Tuzmen stated that they would renovate the 
Cilvegozu Border Gate, the Turkish side of the border with 
Syria. The renovation activities will governed under a 
Build-Operate-Transfer project. Tuzmen expressed that this 
effort will enhance and accelerate the trade relations with 
Syria. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:    A three-person delegation assigned by 
Holland, German and Switzerland has reportedly come to Turkey to 
conduct studies at the Iskenderun Port, where the wreckage of 
M/V Ulla remains.  M/V Ulla, with its 2,200 tons of poisonous 
waste, is reportedly still negatively affecting the marine 
resources sector. 
 
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS 
1.      ZAMAN / EKSPRES / BOLGE:        Ali Kavak, Chairman of the 
Antakya Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stated that Turkish 
investors, attracted by the lower costs of investment inputs 
such as labor and electricity, have recently been seeking 
investment opportunities in Syria. 
 
2.      SABAH:  TOBB (Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity 
Exchange Offices) hosted a meeting with Israeli and Palestinian 
businessmen to promote joint projects and political ties through 
the aid of the trade partnerships. The delegations from Israel 
and Palestine showed interest in investment opportunities in the 
GAP region. 
 
 
REID