US embassy cable - 02ADANA394

UNCLAS ADANA 0394 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, IZ, ADANA, Press Summaries 
SUBJECT:  SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY 
NOVEMBER 16-17, 2002 
 
 
1.  This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary 
for November 16-17, 2002.  Please note that 
Turkish press reports often contain errors or 
exaggerations; AmConsulate Adana does not vouch 
for the accuracy of the reports summarized here. 
 
 
POLITICS, SECURITY, HUMAN RIGHTS 
-------------------------------- 
 
 
2.  VIOLATIONS CONTINUE IN THE SOUTHEAST 
(Evrensel)  The Turkish Human Rights Foundation 
(THRF) issued its human rights violations report 
for October.  The report said extra-judicial 
killings, village guard assaults, and arrest of 
people listening to Kurdish-language music 
continued in the Southeast.  In October, soldiers 
and police officers opened fire, killing one 
person and wounding four others in the region. 
Village guards killed three people, including a 
child, injured six people, beat four people and 
threatened three others.  The reports indicated 
that several people had been ordered to remain in 
custody for listening to Kurdish music and that 
village returns had been prevented. 
 
 
3.  DEHAP ISKENDERUN (HATAY) OFFICE ATTACKED 
(Cumhuriyet/Evrensel)  An attack was launched on 
the Democratic People's Party's (DEHAP) office in 
Iskenderun (Hatay) on November 15 during which 
the office's window glasses were broken.  During 
an earlier attack on November 11, unidentified 
assailants broke in, rummaging the office and 
stealing computers and documents. 
 
 
4.  CONTINUED PRO-OCALAN PROTESTS 
(Van)  A group of Van youths who call themselves 
"Apo's  (PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan) Volunteers" 
staged demonstrations in four different locations 
on November 16 to protest Ocalan's isolation. 
The demonstrators marched, shouting pro-Ocalan 
slogans and then dispersed without incident. 
 
 
5.  VILLAGERS FILE SUIT AGAINST JANDARMA 
COMMANDANT 
(Evrensel)  Several Lice (Diyarbakir) villagers 
who had been arrested in connection with a fight 
over a land dispute filed suit against the local 
Jandarma commander, whom they accused of 
torturing them for having voted for the 
Democratic People's Party (DEHAP). 
 
 
6.  CLAIM OF SEXUAL ASSAULT IN VAN JANDARMA 
CENTER 
(Evrensel)  Saray (Van) resident Okan Yurdabak, 
who had been arrested following a fight over a 
land dispute, claimed that soldiers at the local 
Jandarma station raped him with a truncheon. 
Yurdabak was issued a medical report excusing him 
from work for 15 days. 
 
 
ECONOMIC AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS 
-------------------------------------- 
 
 
7.  NUSAYBIN BORDER GATE WILL BE OPENED TO SYRIA 
(Evrensel)  Mardin's Nusaybin border gate with 
Syria will be opened to transit crossings in the 
upcoming days.  Nusaybin District Governor Omer 
Ulu predicted the opening would enliven 
commercial life in the region. 
HOLTZ