US embassy cable - 05ADANA139

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000139 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, ADANA, Press Summaries 
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR JULY 12, 2005 
 
 
1.      This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for July 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.      ZAMAN:  Chris Bradley, an officer from the UK Embassy 
in Ankara and Hakon Arald, an officer from Norwegian Embassy in 
Ankara, were not allowed to observe the court session which is 
trying six children who allegedly attempted to burn the Turkish 
flag during the Newruz celebrations DEHAP organized in Mersin on 
March 20. The court decided that the session be postponed to a 
later date. 
 
3.      HURRIYET/ZAMAN: PKK terrorists allegedly stopped cars on 
the Tunceli-Pulumur road at around 6 p.m. yesterday and robbed 
the passengers of their money and valuable belongings. 
Terrorists allegedly kidnapped a soldier from one of the cars on 
the road as well. 
 
4.      ZAMAN:  The Social Assistance and Solidarity 
Foundation, through the Subgovernor's Office in the Kadirli 
district of Osmaniye, gave 58 Holstein breed cows of to 29 
families with soft financing. 
 
5.      SABAH (GUNEY):  The Social Assistance and Solidarity 
Foundation, through a Subgovernor's Office in Gaziantep 
province, delivered 30 NTL to mothers to "buy milk." A lot of 
women formed long queues and waited for hours in front of the 
bank that delivered the aid. 
 
6.      EKSPRES/BOLGE/ZAMAN:    Cukurova Journalists' Association 
(CJA) requested clarification on one item of the New Penal Code 
from the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Law.  The law, 
item 183, reportedly bars operation of audio/visual recording 
devices during court sessions and transmission of these 
recordings through communication devices, but reportedly allows 
taking photographs if the judge permits to do so.  CGA wants to 
remove any ambiguity and make sure that taking photographs rests 
at the discretion of the judges. 
 
7.      OZGUR GUNDEM:   Following the fire as allegedly set on 
the Gabar Mountain, fires allegedly were set in 8 places at the 
Cudi Mountains in Sirnak.  The daily reports that officials have 
not attempted to extinguish the fires yet.  According to the 
daily, a military operation was launched in the Cudi Mountains 
following the blast incident involving a truck hitting an 
explosive on the road (see press summary 07/11). 
 
8.      OZGUR GUNDEM:   A group calling itself the "South 
Kurdistan Youth Movement" demanded the withdrawal of Turkish 
soldiers from locations in northern Iraq, where Turkish army has 
reportedly been deployed since 1992. 
 
9.      HURRIYET/OZGUR GUNDEM:  Ozgur Gundem reports that two 
terrorists were killed and another two were captured alive in 
the conflict that occurred between the Dargecit district of 
Mardin and the Idil district of Sirnak.  The people in the 
region reportedly fear that the two terrorists were facing 
death. Hurriyet, in contrast, notes that one terrorist was 
killed in Dargecit. Two terrorists, who were caught alive in 
Dargecit and brought before the court, confessed that they would 
conduct a bomb attack on the Idil Jandarma Command, notes 
Hurriyet. 
 
10.     CUMHURIYET/EVRENSEL/OZGUR GUNDEM:       Security officials are 
conducting identity checks at the Erzurum province entry points 
after receiving intelligence about four assailants trying to 
commit a bomb attack on Erzurum public building. 
 
11.     OZGUR GUNDEM: Terrorists reportedly told Mesopotamian News 
Agency that the PKK allegedly killed five soldiers and wounded 
15 others during separate attacks on military convoys in the 
Cukurca and Yuksekova districts in Hakkari.  Reportedly, PKK 
claimed responsibility for the attack on the police post in the 
Hozat district of Tunceli (see press summary 07/11). 
 
12.     CUMHURIYET/EVRENSEL:    Some (unspecified) NGOs that 
gathered in the Tunceli square, making a announcement which 
claimed that JITEM (Jandarma Intelligence Center) members 
kidnapped Bulent Yilmaz in the Ovacik district of Tunceli a day 
ago, tortured him and then released him. 
 
13.     EVRENSEL/OZGUR GUNDEM:  Diyarbakir DEHAP provincial party 
organization commemorated Vedat Aydin, HEP (People's Labor 
Party) Provincial Chairperson, who was killed in 1991.  The 
perpetrator has not been found to date, note the papers. 
 
14.     SABAH (GUNEY):  The findings that were unearthed with 
the joint efforts of Hatay Governor's Office and U.S. State 
Department at the Kinet excavation site are being exhibited in 
Hatay's Archaelogoical Museum. 
 
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS 
1.      HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):    Nejat Kocer, Chairperson of 
Gaziantep Chamber of Commerce, said that Gaziantep ranked the 
first in the southeastern region and ranked eighth in all over 
Turkey in exports.