US embassy cable - 05ADANA179

UNCLAS ADANA 000179 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, ADANA, Press Summaries 
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR OCTOBER 11, 2005 
 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for October 11, 
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 / RADIKAL:     Resit Yardimci, DEHAP Sanliurfa 
Provincial Chairperson, has been sentenced to 6 months in prison 
and a fine of 1,640 New Turkish Liras for attempting to speak in 
Kurdish at a party congress in June 2003. 
 
RADIKAL / SABAH / CUMHURIYET / ZAMAN / OZGUR GUNDEM:    Alleged 
PKK/Kongra-Gel terrorists, who disguised themselves in soldiers' 
uniforms, stopped the flow of traffic in Sirnak.  When one of 
the passengers on the road said that he was a police officer, 
the terrorists kidnapped him.  Meanwhile, security forces 
launched a large-scale operation against 350 terrorists who 
reportedly slipped from Iraq into the   Tunceli province. 
Sporadic clashes have occurred in separate places in Tunceli. 
Three alleged PKK terrorists were killed in a clash in Tunceli, 
reported the Tunceli Governor's Office.  Separately, three 
soldiers were wounded when their car hit a mine in Bingol's 
Yayladere district. 
 
CUMHURIYET / ZAMAN / OZGUR GUNDEM:      Hamit Ergin, a mayor, who 
had been serving his term outside his district in Diyarbakir 
because of a security threat against him, has returned to his 
place of office.  The Diyarbakir Governor's Office assigned a 
police escort of 15 cars and guards for Ergin. 
 
ZAMAN:  Orhan Dogan, a former DEP (Democracy Party) deputy, 
applied to the court on August 18 to solicit clarification of 
his legal status.  Ankara's Heavy Penalty Court responded that 
he was still banned from political life.  This decision will 
reportedly set an example for the cases of Leyla Zana and Hatip 
Dicle, blocking any chance of them becoming national leaders in 
the DTH (Democratic Society Movement). 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Pro-Ocalan demonstrators staged demonstrations 
in Adana, Mersin and Van yesterday.  When the protestors set 
fires and blocked traffic on a road in Adana, the police 
intervened with armored vehicles.  The demonstrators retaliated 
with Molotov cocktails.  The police blockaded the area. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   The European Council's Committee of Delegates 
will discuss the issue of Abdullah Ocalan tomorrow. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Turkey is reportedly embarking on efforts to 
legislate a draft law that aims to set up counter information 
measures to fight against terrorism in the international arena. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   The paper quoted remarks from Newsweek 
alleging that the U.S. was conducting studies in areas in 
Northern Iraq, which are under the control of the Kurds, in 
preparations for building U.S. military bases there. 
 
 
REID