US embassy cable - 05ADANA96

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000096 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, Press Summaries, ADANA 
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR MAY 03, 2005 
 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for May 03, 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 
 
RADIKAL / SABAH:        A Parliamentary commission as set up to 
investigate the fuel oil smuggling discovered that the number of 
loaded fuel oil trucks at the Mersin port does not match the 
number of trucks passing through the Habur border gate. 
Commission members also observed that despite the elimination of 
some of the problems on the Iraqi side of the border, there is 
still reportedly a 15-kilometer queue of trucks waiting at the 
Turkish side of the gate. 
 
CUMHURIYET:     Cumhuriyet quotes one of the members of the 
Parliamentary Commission investigating fuel oil smuggling as 
saying that processes at Habur border gate are plagued by 
corruption. Trucks are sometimes allowed to pass the gate 
without being inspected. The commission member also said that 
smuggling has become an ordinary activity in the region, since 
it yields better profit than engaging in activities such as 
animal husbandry. 
 
CUMHURIYET:     The trial of six young people who allegedly 
attempted to burn the flag during Nevruz celebrations in Mersin 
started yesterday. The court released the defendants pending the 
trial. 
 
CUMHURIYET:     The paper reports that the 1,800-kilometer BTC 
(Baku-Tibilisi-Ceyhan) pipeline's (reportedly 60,000) parts, 
especially at points where pipes are welded to one another, are 
highly vulnerable to corrosion. According to the report, the 
possible leaks from these parts may cause damage to the 
environment, and corrosion may cause high temperature 
explosions, as well. 
 
CUMHURIYET :    Ali Topuz, Deputy Chairperson of CHP's 
Parliamentary Group and member of CHP's "Commission for 
Assessing the GAP Project's Current Situation and its Future", 
said that GAP project should be  redesigned and a new program 
established and implemented. 
 
RADIKAL / OZGUR GUNDEM / YENI SAFAK:    Twenty-one-year-old 
Cetin Kum was shot dead in Yukari Tulgali village of Van after 
allegedly not complying with a soldier's instruction to halt. 
Kum was reportedly trying to cross the border to smuggle fuel 
oil to Turkey when he was shot. Ozgur Gundem's report claims, 
however, that Kum was only grazing his sheep when he was shot. A 
delegation from the Van Human Rights Association examined the 
matter and prepared a report, which claimed that Kum was shot at 
close range. 
 
HURRIYET / EVRENSEL / SABAH:    The European Court of Human Rights 
(ECHR) will announce on May 12th its decision regarding the case 
of Abdullah Ocalan, leader of the terrorist organization, PKK. 
 
HURRIYET / YENI SAFAK:  Iran, reported as being under 
international pressure generated by the U.S., is reportedly 
enhancing its trade relationships with Turkey. Both countries 
are readying to mutually decrease their customs tariffs. State 
Minister Kursad Tuzmen, currently visiting Tehran, stated that 
the products sold in the border trade areas will be increased 
and diversified. 
 
EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM:                 A 7 p.m. curfew was 
reportedly imposed by the military in Uzungecit village of the 
Uludere district in Sirnak. According to reports, the curfew was 
imposed because 72 village guards refused to take up arms there 
when military operations started. 
 
ZAMAN:  The private Kurdish language schools in Istanbul, 
Diyarbakir, Batman, Van and Kiziltepe are reportedly suffering 
financial losses due to inadequate numbers of students. One of 
the owners of the schools attributes the lack of attention to 
the poor economic status of people and the intimidation that 
people cannot overcome. 
 
EKSPRES:        Organic citrus fruit production started this season 
in Vakifli, the Armenian village in Samandag district of Hatay, 
and has already yielded produce, pleasing the producers in the 
village. Berc Kartun, the muhtar (headman) of Vakifli village, 
said that his community is able to obtain healthy produce 
without applying chemical pesticides. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Ozgur Gundem reports that a 24-year-old PKK 
member, Adnan Batur, was allegedly tortured and killed after 
being caught and wounded on October 23, and another alleged PKK 
member allegedly suffered the same fate in March.  (Note:  Ozgur 
Gundem provides graphic descriptions of the state of the bodies 
as were reportedly discovered.  End note.) 
 
 
REID