US embassy cable - 05ADANA188

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000188 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, ADANA, Press Summaries 
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR OCTOBER 14, 2005 
 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for October 14, 
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 
 
RADIKAL/ZAMAN: AKP (Justice and Development Party) conducted 
polls in Diyarbakir to measure the effect of the Prime Minister 
(PM) Erdogan's speech in July concerning the Kurdish issue. 
%55.5 expressed "no solution in PM's approach" while %30.7 
expressed that a solution would be found. %53.1 said that the 
intention of the government was not to find a solution. The 
report concluded that the Kurdish issue was a democracy and 
human rights question and Turkey's EU accession process was the 
most concrete thing which could be offered. The report expressed 
that the dominant Kurdish politicians rejected PM Erdogan's 
desire to solve the issue because the Kurdish politicians 
themselves had no concrete proposals to offer. The ratio of the 
responses and the questions to which the AKP sought answers are 
as follows: 
 
Q: Is there a Kurdish problem in Turkey? 
A: Yes %89.4 
Q: What is Turkey's primary problem? 
A: Kurdish problem %59.4; democratization %20.9; economy % 13.7. 
Q: What kind of a problem is the Kurdish issue? 
A: Ethnic % 37.9; political % 30.8; democratic % 12.4; cultural 
% 6; separatist % 6; economic % 3.2. 
Q: Is there a solution to the Kurdish problem through PM 
Erdogan's approach? 
A: No %52.5; yes % 30.7; have no ideas %16.4 
Q: Is AKP sincere in the Kurdish issue? 
A: No % 53.1; yes % 29.7. 
Q: Are AKP's policies [concerning the Kurdish issue] different? 
A: Yes % 37.1; no % 28.5. 
Q: What would you say about PM Erdogan's meeting with 
intelligentsia ? 
A: An effort to delude %30.1; an indication that he wants to 
solve this issue % 23.3; a turning point in Turkey's political 
life %11.9. 
Q: What would you say about PM Erdogan's visit to Diyarbakir? 
A: A positive development % 33.1; a normal situation % 21.3; 
hypocrisy %13.1; a delayed visit % 7.7. 
Q: How do you evaluate PM Erdogan's "We solve this issue with 
Kurds whose hands are not dredged in blood" approach? 
A: An expression of his desire to solve the problem %37.6; a 
desire to shift the issue to other areas % 26.1; pretending not 
to see the problem % 12.9 
Q: How can the Kurdish problem be solved? 
A: Kurdish must be let free and the ethnic identity must be 
recognized % 32; tolerance and reconciliation must be 
established in the society and clashes must be prevented % 12.3; 
an amnesty must be declared % 10.2; Ocalan must be freed % 5.5; 
[the government] must sit at a table with DEHAP [for 
negotiations] % 1.9. 
Q: To which party would you cast your vote if elections were to 
be held today? 
A: To DEHAP % 40.6; to AKP % 36.3; to CHP % 2.6. 
Q: Would you give your vote to AKP if it solved the Kurdish 
issue? 
A: No % 50.2; yes % 36.3. 
Q: Which of the parties that have come to power has been most 
successful? 
A: AKP % 33.6; the ANAP in the late Ozal's era % 20.4; none % 38. 
 
RADIKAL: As a result of the fight that broke out in the Solhan 
township of Bingol province, 4 persons were killed the previous 
night and 13 others, including the mayor from DYP, were wounded. 
The fight is attributed to the hostilities that arouse between 
the rival families during the March 2003 local elections. 
 
GUNDEM: The Van HRA (Human Rights Association), Mazlum-Der (The 
oppressed Peoples' Association), Bar Association and Goc-Der 
(Immigrants' Association) submitted reports concerning 
violations of rights in the region to the European Parliament's 
Sub-committee for Human Rights. The reports drew attention to 
ongoing clashes and operations in the region and said that 
villagers refused to return to the villages because they were 
exposed to pressure and forced to become village guards, 
underlining that the village guards were the main obstacle in 
village return. The HRA report focused on the police arrest of 
85 persons, including 20 children, protesting in Van the attacks 
during a September 5, 2005 march in Gemlik; home raids; and 
violations at the Van Centennial University. 
 
ZAMAN: During a skirmish between the GOT forces and PKK 
militants in the Oymakli village of Eruh, Siirt province, two 
militants were killed. Separately, security forces seized three 
pipe-type bombs in Mersin and detained two persons, including 
one female, in connection with the bombs. 
 
HURRIYET(Cukurova): Based on a tip, the GOT forces  launched an 
operation in Kilis arrested 5 persons, including one Syrian 
national, who were trying to smuggle 123,000 Captagon drug-pills 
to Syria. Police seized assorted weapons and ammunition for 
those weapons in the houses they searched. 
SABAH/EVRENSEL: The "Sweep Operation" launched by GOT forces 
against PKK militants who have been determined to be in rural 
Tunceli continue.Special teams are being deployed in the rural 
Cirali village, where five soldiers were killed and four others 
were wounded. 10,000 troops are participating in the operation 
and F-16 fighters occasionally are flying reconnaissance 
missions to determine PKK militants' hideouts. 
 
EVRENSEL: The Bingol Chapter of the Human Rights 
Association(HRA) was attacked on July 2, 2005. The President of 
HRA Chapter in Bingol, Ridvan Kizgin, filed a complaint with the 
public prosecutor. The Bingol Public Prosecutor rejected 
Kizgin's petition and decided that attacking the HRA was not a 
crime because the HRA is defending the separatist organization. 
Mr. Kizgin said that that decision justified any attacks to be 
launched against HRA administrators and members and extended an 
invitation for such attacks. 
 
EVRENSEL: The Sirnak Governor's office announced that it would 
impose some limitations on the number of trucks passing through 
the Habur Border Gate during the period of October 13-16, 2005 
because of Iraq's October 15 referendum on its constitution. No 
limitations will be imposed on the tankers and trucks carrying 
goods for the Coalition Forces. 
 
SAFAK: The Diyarbakir Municipality is going to evacuate and pull 
down approximately 2000 slums surrounding the historic 
Diyarbakir walls. The residents in the slums will be given plots 
of land from Treasury Land on the Diyarbakir-Urfa road. 
 
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS 
 
EKSPRES/BOLGE: Adana Governor Cahit Kirac announced that the 
inspections undertaken by the Adana Provincial Agriculture 
Directorate in the places where immigrant birds dwelled, and 
analysis conducted on 15-20 dead chickens found in a truck 
coming from Balikesir, revealed that no disease would threaten 
public health. 
 
 
REID