US embassy cable - 05ADANA158

UNCLAS ADANA 000158 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, Press Summaries, ADANA 
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR SEPEMBER 02, 2005 
 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for September 02, 
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 
 
HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):    Mehmet Aslan, Chairperson of Gaziantep 
Chamber of Commerce, said that inconveniences related to 
infrastructure at the Habur Border Gate were causing 
difficulties for trade with Iraq. 
 
CUMHURIYET / SABAH (GUNEY) / BOLGE:     The dailies reported a 
Jandarma official tearing the terrorist organization's 
"so-called" flag from a terrorist's coffin in the Kahramanmaras 
province, and telling the relatives of the dead that he would 
file a complaint against them for placing the flag on the 
coffin.  Related to this incident, Sabah Guney's front page 
carried the headline, "The Military is Firm and Decisive." 
(Note: The terrorist was killed in a military operation in 
Batman's Besiri district. See press summary 08/29. End Note.)  A 
group of people in Diyarbakir waited for the car, which carried 
the terrorist's coffin on its way to Kahramanmaras.  When 
tension escalated as the group chanted slogans in support for 
Abdullah Ocalan, the police intervened, used pepper gas, and 
dispersed the people. Intermittent incidents continued until 
late at night. 
 
ZAMAN / OZGUR GUNDEM:   An amoebic dysentery epidemic affected 
60 people, mostly children, in Mazgirt district of Tunceli. 
Reportedly, the cause of the epidemic was water from the city 
water system. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   A truck driver, who was attempting to steal 
oil from the [Kirkuk-Yumurtalik] oil pipeline, was caught and 
arrested in Osmaniye. 
 
ZAMAN / CUMHURIYET / HURRIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM:   A person died in 
a bomb blast in Bursa's Osmangazi district.  Security 
Directorate suspects a suicide bomber. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   The daily announced the name of a terrorist, 
who was killed in a clash that occurred in Van's Baskale 
district on August 28.  Separately, the paper announced that the 
Turkish Armed Forces launched military operations in Diyarbakir, 
Siirt and Sirnak provinces. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Hak-Par (Rights and Liberties Party) is 
reportedly planning to hold an anti-PKK meeting in Ankara on 
September 4. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   The mayor of Hakkari's Yuksekova district was 
not allowed into a reception celebrating August 30 Victory Day, 
even though his name appeared on the guest list. 
 
CUMHURIYET:     People suspect that bird flu is the cause of an 
epidemic causing the large-scale deaths of wild birds around Van 
Lake. 
 
CUMHURIYET:     In a press announcement, Hatay AKP (Justice and 
Development Party) deputy Mehmet Soydan responded to criticisms 
made by other AKP deputies about the "1st Meeting of 
Civilizations", an event that will be held in Hatay province 
between September 25-30.  Soydan said that 45 ambassadors would 
attend the event.  According to Soydan, the event will show the 
world that people belonging to diverse religious and ethnic 
origins are able to live harmoniously in Hatay. 
 
 
 
 
REID