US embassy cable - 05ADANA174

UNCLAS ADANA 000174 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, ADANA, Press Summaries 
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR OCTOBER 5, 2005 
 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for October 5, 
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 / CUMHURIYET / EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM:   Orhan Dogan, DTH 
(Democratic Society Movement) spokesperson and former DEP 
(Democracy Party) deputy, said during the DTH convention in 
Ankara (see press summary 10/03) that DTH's aim was to replace 
the impasse created by conventional politics, to reach broader 
sections of society, and adopt a new political mentality.  For 
Dogan, DTH is the new century's project for solutions. 
According to Dogan, despite AKP undertaking significant reforms 
before the EU negotiation talks, it now remains reluctant about 
the Kurdish issue.  Zaman daily separately reported that the DEP 
grassroots of the DTH vetoed any form of unification with Celal 
Dogan. 
 
EVRENSEL:       UYD (Accessible Life Association) introduced a new 
project to assist in finding solutions to migration and internal 
displacement issues in Tunceli. Tunceli Governor Mustafa Erkal 
said, to date, return of people to their villages has been 
achieved in four villages in Tunceli. 
 
EVRENSEL/OZGUR GUNDEM:  Villagers in Hakkari's Semdinli district 
claimed that soldiers wearing snow masks were being deployed in 
the environs of the village and were frequently doing identity 
checks in the village. 
 
EVRENSEL:       Thirty organizations, including unions, some NGOs 
and political parties set up an "Anti-Privatization Platform" in 
Mersin. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   A 12-year-old child was killed in Bitlis's 
Tatvan district on August 14. The child's head was found severed 
from his body.  Following the incident, soldiers reportedly 
blockaded the roads to the village where the murder was 
committed.  Two children, who witnessed the murder, are 
reportedly forbidden by their families to speak because of fear. 
One DIHA news agency journalist was reportedly detained as he 
was trying to look into the issue. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   A mine exploded on the side of the 
Hani-Diyarbakir road yesterday as Jandarma Command was 
conducting a road check.  No casualties were reported. 
 
CUMHURIYET / ZAMAN / OZGUR GUNDEM:      Diyarbakir Governor's Office 
announced that C-4 explosives and mines were found in five 
different locations, and 8 underground shelters were found in 
the rural sections of Diyarbakir's Lice and Genc districts 
during military operations conducted between September 25 and 
28.  Reportedly, five people were detained on charges that they 
aided and abetted a terrorist organization. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Unidentified people opened fire at a house in 
a village of Tunceli's Mazgirt district on September 30. 
 
HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):    A hand grenade was found in a cemetery 
in Kilis.  The police detonated the grenade safely. 
 
HURRIYET / CUMHURIYE:   A woman in Sanliurfa's Siverek district 
applied to the Social Assistance and Solidarity Foundation and 
claimed that her husband cut off her nose from her face in 2002. 
 The woman reportedly sought financial assistance from the 
foundation in order to have her nose treated. 
 
ZAMAN / EKSPRES:        Antakya Orthodox Church administration hung a 
banner over a street to celebrate the coming of Ramadan. 
 
CUMHURIYET:     TCDD (Turkish State Railways Authority) filed an 
investigation with the Iskenderun Prosecutor in Hatay against 
allegations that vessels in Iskenderun were transporting 
explosives to Iraq.  Some officials in Ankara allegedly gave 
instructions to cover these vessels by registering them as empty 
in the port registry records. 
 
BOLGE:  Umit Ozgumus, chairperson of Adana Chamber of 
Industry, said that Turkey should stand firm and its sole 
purpose should not be to enter the EU.  On the other hand, Saban 
Bas, chairperson of Adana Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the 
recent developments in Turkey's EU bid.  According to Bas, the 
doors of the EU will now be open to Turkish businessmen. 
 
 
REID