US embassy cable - 05ADANA106

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000106 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, Press Summaries, ADANA 
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR MAY 16, 2005 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for May 16, 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 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Cemal Kavak, DEHAP (Democratic People's Party) 
Istanbul Provincial Chairperson, said that European Court of 
Human Rights' (ECHR) decision on Ocalan's trial was a timely 
opportunity for Turkey to resolve the Kurdish issue peacefully. 
The Kurdish issue cannot be solved through force and violence, 
but rather, "democratic means should be implemented to achieve 
results", said Kavak.  Meanwhile, lawyers and jurists in Iraq 
reportedly held a press conference in the Ocalan Culture and 
Arts Center in Baghdad, where the President of the Iraqi Human 
Rights Association stated that Iraqi people would struggle not 
only for human rights, but also for the rights and freedom of 
Kurdish people, and for the person who represents them, namely 
Ocalan.  Kurds in Lebanon sent 4,000 signatures to the ECHR to 
support the court's verdict. 
 
EKSPRES/ ZAMAN / BOLGE / CUMHURIYET / SABAH (GUNEY):    MHP 
(Nationalist Movement Party) Adana Provincial Chairperson Yilmaz 
Tankut described the ECHR's Ocalan decision as a move synonymous 
with degradation of the honor and dignity of Turkey and branded 
this decision as mere provocation. These remarks came during a 
press meeting held to announce the enrolling of new 150 members, 
some of who severed ties with AKP to join the MHP party lines. 
AKP Adana Provincial Chairperson Abdullah Dogru criticized 
Tankut's remarks and reminded that it was MHP and the coalition 
government that "nourished" Ocalan in Imrali Island after he was 
arrested in 1999.  Meanwhile, IP (Workers' Party) Adana 
Chairperson was also highly critical of the decision passed by 
the ECHR and blamed the GOT for showing impotence regarding the 
development. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Soldiers reportedly buried nine alleged 
terrorists who were killed during a conflict that broke out in 
Ovacik district of Tunceli in a cemetery under tight security 
measures, rather than returning the bodies to their families. 
The families and people were allegedly not granted entrance to 
the cemetery. 
 
HURRIYET:       During a military operation deploying a reported 
10,000 Turkish soldiers in Bingol, a conflict between the 
terrorists and the Turkish military killed three soldiers and 
wounded four soldiers.  (Note:  This article is from May 14 
edition.) 
 
CUMHURIYET:     In Batman, Murat Karayalcin, national leader of the 
SHP (Social Democratic People's Party), complained about 
official discourse concerned with such as issues such as 
"religion," "flag," "sect," and "secularism," that customarily 
dominate Turkish politics.  He added that people should start 
debating and discussing the Kurdish issue everywhere in Turkey. 
 
HURRIYET:       State officials have criticized the labor union, 
KESK (Confederation of Public Sector Workers' Unions), for 
holding its Ordinary General Convention in the absence of a 
Turkish flag and for failing to play the national anthem at the 
commencement of the event. Moreover, Tuncer Bakirhan's (DEHAP 
leader) speech there aroused anger and more criticism when 
Bakirhan used a courtesy title before the name of Ocalan. 
(Note:  This article is from May 14 edition). 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   In February 2005, 159 DEHAP members, who were 
traveling to Mardin to attend the court hearings of the Ugur 
Kaymaz case in Kiziltepe, were allegedly stopped, searched and 
barred from attending the hearings by the Duzova Jandarma 
Station in Cizre,  Sirnak province.  This was done, according to 
a Jandarma report submitted to the Cizre Prosecutor (CP), "to 
safeguard the members' security." DEHAP members filed a suit 
with the CP claiming their political rights were violated and 
that they were allegedly branded as "pro-terrorists" at the 
Station. The CP, finding no breach of their rights or by 
Jandarma officials, dismissed the charges. [Note:  Meanwhile, 
Ministry of Inernal Affairs reportedly announced that 
proceedings of the case regarding Ugur Kaymaz would be moved 
from Mardin to Eskisehir due to security concerns.] 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Speculation that the Southeastern Anatolian 
Project (GAP) Administration will be closed has reportedly 
arisen, and Ozgur Gundem reports that 3 billion dollars will 
need to be spent every year in order to be able to finish the 
project by 2010.  Considering budgetary uncertainty, it is not 
clear if the GOT will be able to afford that amount. Although 
the massive Project took shape in 1980s as a multi-sector and 
socioeconomic regional development program, the State possibly 
used the project to counter terror related issues as well, the 
paper speculates, by flooding many settlements and spaces in the 
region, adding to the displacement of people. 
 
EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM:        Three people were wounded in a gun 
attack that broke out due to a dispute over the use of a pasture 
in Bismil district of Diyarbakir. 
HURRIYET:       Eleven members of BAK (Global Peace and Justice 
Commission) organized a bicycle tour between two districts of 
Istanbul calling on the GOT to close down Incirlik Airbase. 
 
ZAMAN / HURRIYET / CUMHURIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM:   PM Erdogan 
visited Sanliurfa on Saturday to attend the "First GAP Business 
and Investment Forum," held at Harran University.  On the way to 
the University, groups (including many children) stopped 
Erdogan's convoy two times, shouting, "We want schools, we want 
jobs, and we do not want to turn into inhalers or thieves." 
During his address at the forum, Erdogan said in this region 
where languages and religions has forged a common ground, the 
GAP had became the "brand" of the region. Erdogan replied to 
criticism that had been voiced by the SP and MHP before his 
arrival to the city, saying, "People accusing us of treason are 
the ones who are actually engaging in treason." (Note:  This 
article is from May 15 editions.) 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Three police officers were wounded on Saturday 
at 10 p.m. during a bomb and gun attack on a police car that was 
on patrol in Dogubeyazit district of Agri. (Note:  This article 
is from May 15 edition). 
 
 
 
 
REID