US embassy cable - 05ADANA138

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000138 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, Press Summaries, ADANA 
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR JULY 01, 2005 
 
 
1.      This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for July 01, 
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.      HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):    Adana Mayor Aytac Durak announced 
that the municipality was embarking on efforts to commission a 
production company to shoot a documentary film on Adana. 
 
3.      HURRIYET (CUKUROVA)/EKSPRES/SABAH(GUNEY)/BOLGE: Bulent 
Ozulku, who has been organizing a grassroots movement in Adana's 
CHP, criticized the Provincial Chairperson Serdar Seyhan and his 
brother, Tacidar Seyhan, an Adana CHP deputy, in a 
"widely-attended" meeting of proponents of the "CHP Grassroots 
Initiative" for disregarding the party members and pursuing 
policies irrelevant to the public. 
 
4.      BOLGE/EKSPRES/SABAH(GUNEY):     World Bank Ankara Office 
Coordinator of Human Development, John Innes; Project Leader 
Ibrahim Akcayoglu; Project Supervisor of Turkish Privatization 
Authority Ozge Alpay and Project Advisor Nejat Dogan came to 
Adana to conduct studies at the Adana's ISGEM (Business 
Development Center), which is run by ADSIAD (Adana 
Industrialists and Businessmen Association) and KOSGEB (Turkish 
Support Network for SMEs).  Ozge Alpay, who evaluated the first 
project of Adana ISGEM as successful, said that a second project 
will be launched in Adana.  The delegation paid a visit to Adana 
Governor Cahit Kirac and later visited ISGEMs in Mersin and 
Tarsus. 
 
5.      SABAH(GUNEY)/EKSPRES/BOLGE:     A group of NGOs in Adana 
staged a protest against the demonstrations that were held to 
express support for the outlawed terrorist organization PKK. 
The group waved the Turkish flag of Turkish Republic and 
condemned terrorist activities. 
 
6.      CUMHURIYET:     A 30-person group staged an unauthorized 
protest in Diyarbakir and chanted slogans supporting the jailed 
terrorist leader Abdullah Ocalan.  When the police arrived at 
the scene, the group allegedly threw stones at them. Protestors 
threw Molotov cocktails at the police when the police tried to 
intervene.  The group dispersed later when the police chased 
them in the streets. 
 
7.      CUMHURIYET:     Tunceli Jandarma Regional Command held a 
commemoration for the first time in eight years to remember 
eight soldiers, who died in a suicide bomb incident in June 1996 
during an official ceremony held in a provincial city square. 
 
8.      RADIKAL:        People who earn their livelihood by raising 
and breeding livestock in the highlands of Agri province in the 
eastern Turkey are facing the risk of grave losses because Agri 
Governor issued a ban which barred people from working in the 
highlands during the summer time.  This was due to terror 
related activities in the rural areas.  The ban will reportedly 
adversely affect 30,000 people and 200,000 cattle. 
 
9.      EVRENSEL/OZGUR GUNDEM:  A father and a son were attacked 
and shot dead in front of their business in Mardin's Kiziltepe 
district. The cause of the incident is unknown and the Kiziltepe 
Security Directorate is currently conducting an investigation to 
uncover the criminals. 
 
10.     SABAH/OZGUR GUNDEM:     Land Forces Army Commander Yasar 
Buyukanit said that PKK demands under the guise of human rights 
concerns are threatening the unity of the country. Buyukanit 
further said, in a Defense and Aviation Journal, that some EU 
countries and neighboring countries are providing logistical, 
financial, educational, military and political support for the 
PKK. 
 
11.     OZGUR GUNDEM:   Campaigns to collect signatures and 
express the demand of Kurdish people to "earn their right be 
educated in their native language" has been launched in Mus, 
Adiyaman and Mardin. 
 
12.     OZGUR GUNDEM:   The paper reports that Van's Yuzuncu Yil 
University allegedly engaged in an improper practice of 
initiating an investigation against a student enrolled ats 
another university in Kars. 
 
13.     OZGUR GUNDEM:   Kurd-Der (Kurdish Democracy Solidarity 
and Culture Association) paid visits and extended condolences to 
the families of two terrorists who died in two separate clashes 
in Van and Bingol. Kurd-Der members paid a visit to the family 
of a 19-year-old demonstrator, Fahrettin Yilmaz, who died last 
week during the popular demonstration at the funeral of a 
terrorist, as well. 
 
14.     OZGUR GUNDEM:   Van DEHAP demanded that the perpetrators 
of the killing of 19-year-old Fahrettin Yilmaz at a Bingol 
demonstration be found. 
15.     OZGUR GUNDEM:   The Bingol Branch of the Human Rights 
Association (HRA) demanded that an investigation should be 
launched to probe the allegations that the bodies of the 
terrorists, who were killed in the military operation of Turkish 
Army in Bingol a week ago, were found as disfigured (see press 
summary 06/27).  HRA further stated that three of the four dead 
bodies were given to their families, however, according to HRA, 
a fourth dead person's body was still being kept in the morgue 
of the Bingol State Hospital.  HRA also claims that five persons 
were allegedly reported as dead as a result of the operation, 
but four dead bodies were brought to the hospital instead. 
 
16.     OZGUR GUNDEM:   DTH (Democratic Society Movement) has 
completed its election processes in all of the provinces in 
Turkey, except for Van and Konya.  Three thousand delegates who 
have been elected by 300,000 voters will now elect the Founders' 
Board.  The elections for the Founding Board reportedly will be 
conducted between July 1st and 20th.