US embassy cable - 05ADANA165

UNCLAS ADANA 000165 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, ADANA, Press Summaries 
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR SEPTEMBER 19, 2005 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for September 19, 
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 
 
ZAMAN:  A group of terrorists in Erzincan carried out an 
armed attack on a Jandarma station in Erzincan. Two soldiers 
were reportedly wounded.  Following the attack, security forces 
initiated a military operation in the area. 
 
ZAMAN / HURRIYET / SABAH (GUNEY) / SABAH / RADIKAL:     Terrorists 
opened fire at the police headquarters in Van on Sunday.  During 
the 45-minute clash, one police officer died and two officers 
were wounded.  In Sanliurfa, terrorists opened fire at a police 
car, which was patrolling the streets.  One police officer died 
and another officer was wounded. (This summary is from 9/18 
edition.) 
 
ZAMAN:   Cemil Bayik, regional leader of the terrorist 
organization PKK/Kongra-Gel, reportedly requested issuance of 
identity papers and passports for 100 PKK members from the 
leader of the Kurdish Democratic Party, Masud Barzani. Using 
this method, PKK reportedly aims to send its terrorists via 
legal channels to Turkey. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Four unidentified people wearing masks stopped 
traffic on the road between Hakkari and Van, and stole valuables 
belonging to the people in the cars.  Thieves later ran away in 
a car. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   The daily has been reporting an increasing 
number of police arrests, detentions and investigations of DEHAP 
members. The Sunday edition reported that police detained four 
DEHAP members in Adana, including the provincial chairperson 
Tayyip Yildiz.  The Monday edition reported that police 
initiated an investigation against 20 people including a former 
DEHAP provincial chairperson, the current DEHAP provincial 
chairperson and DEHAP district chairperson in Bitlis on the 
grounds that they participated in a demonstration against the 
recent alleged vigilantism directed at Kurds.  Reportedly, the 
chairpersons in Sanliurfa and Van were detained as well. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   During military operations in Bingol's 
Yayladere district, security officers reportedly killed two 
terrorists. 
 
HURRIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM / RADIKAL:      Bulent Ecevit, a former 
prime minister of Turkey, said that the Turkish government had 
completely opened its territorial air space, its land and its 
ports to meet the military demands of the U.S., and did so by 
ignoring the Turkish Parliament.  Bulent Ecevit further said 
that his former government had prevented such U.S. use of the 
Iskenderun's port. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   The ceasefire the PKK declared a month ago 
reportedly ends tomorrow. 
 
HURRIYET / MILLIYET / SABAH:    A blast in a passenger bus, which 
set off for Antalya from Adana, killed two people and wounded 10 
more.  The Governor's Office in Antalya announced that gases 
trapped in the air conditioner system caused the explosion.  The 
police are still investigating whether a bomb caused this 
incident. 
 
 
 
 
REID