US embassy cable - 05ADANA166

UNCLAS ADANA 000166 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, Press Summaries, ADANA 
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR SEPTEMBER 20, 2005 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for September 20, 
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 
 
SABAH / ZAMAN / RADIKAL / CUMHURIYET:   Chief of the Turkish 
General Staff Hilmi Ozkok, who issued a message that marked the 
September 19 Veterans' Day, said that, at a time when the 
Turkish national identity and unitary state structure was under 
the attack of "ethnical nationalism," the very presence of the 
veterans and the essence they have always carried, provided 
extraordinary source of power. 
 
RADIKAL / ZAMAN / CUMHURIYET:   Hamit Ergin, mayor of Diyarbakir's 
Hazro district, resigned from his party (DEHAP) because of a 
feud directed against him in the district which has hindered 
Ergin from going to his district area for six months and from 
serving his term. 
 
ZAMAN / CUMHURIYET / SABAH:     The dailies reported that the 
terrorist organization PKK/Kongra-Gel had not abided by the 
rules of the ceasefire it declared between August 20 and 
September 20.  Reportedly, the organization killed 10 and 
wounded 13 security officials in the meantime.  Moreover, 19 
terrorists have been killed and 3 terrorists have been caught 
alive.  Furthermore, the PKK allegedly kidnapped the muhtar of 
Hakkari's Catalca village two days ago. 
 
ZAMAN:  According to the daily, the PKK/Kongra-Gel has not 
been able to fulfill its terrorist goals of committing attacks 
in big cities like Istanbul, Izmir and Ankara thanks to the 
efforts and caution of the Turkish police. 
 
RADIKAL / ZAMAN / CUMHURIYET:   The national chairperson of 
Hak-Par (Rights and Liberties Party), Abdulmelik Firat, who has 
been accused of speaking Kurdish at a party congress and of 
sending invitations to state protocol offices in Kurdish, 
defended himself at the court in Ankara in Kurdish.  Firat 
stated that he saw court's permission to speak in court in 
Kurdish as indicative of the state of democratic development in 
Turkey. 
 
HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):    Gaziantep Governor Lutfullah Bilgin 
warned citizens to be cautious against provocative acts, which 
jeopardize the unity and solidarity of the country. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   The daily claimed that, on September 20, the 
day that marked the end of the (PKK) ceasefire, the state had 
not been able to seize the opportunity which had been created by 
PM Erdogan's visit to Diyarbakir and his meeting with the 
intelligentsia, to resolve (regional) issues. 
 
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS 
 
1.      ZAMAN:  Saban Bas, Chairperson of Adana Chamber of 
Commerce, said that foreign companies would take part for the 
first time in the third of the annual Cukurova Industry and 
Commerce Fair that will be held in September 26 in Adana.  Bas 
said that 11 companies from Nahcevan (part of Azerbaijan) have 
already enrolled their names in the fair.  A total of 330 
companies will be participating the fair, he said. 
 
 
 
REID