US embassy cable - 02ADANA399

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 0399 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, IZ, Press Summaries, ADANA 
SUBJECT:  SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY 
NOVEMBER 22, 2002 
 
 
1.  This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary 
for November 22, 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.  ANTI-HIZBULLAH OPERATIONS IN THE SOUTHEAST 
(Cumhuriyet)  Six hundred nineteen Hizbullah 
suspects were arrested during 333 anti-Hizbullah 
operations carried out in the Southeast over the 
first ten months of the year.  Of these, 228 were 
ordered to remain in custody.  Officials have 
reported a decrease in the number of anti- 
Hizbullah operations and the number of Hizbullah 
suspects arrested in these operations. 
 
 
3.  HIZBULLAH SUSPECT CONVICTED 
(Bolge)  Adana State Security Court convicted 
Halil 
Bezek, arrested during a June 2000 anti-Hizbullah 
operation in Mersin, for "terror organization 
membership" and sentenced him to a prison term of 
12 years and six months. 
 
 
4.  AGAR RE-JOINS DYP 
(Turkiye)  MP Mehmet Agar, who was elected as an 
Independent from Elazig, re-joined the True Path 
Party (DYP), changing the make-up of the 
Parliament.  With Agar as a DYP member again, DYP 
is also in the Parliament now being represented 
by Agar only.  Recent MP distribution is as 
follows:  Justice and Development Party - AKP 
(363), the Republican People's Party - CHP (178), 
DYP (1) and Independent (8). 
 
 
5.  MAYOR ARRESTED FOR THEFT 
(Evrensel)  Siirt's Aydinlar district Mayor 
Behcet Kavun, together with the Motherland Party 
(ANAP) Aydinlar president and six municipal 
employees, was arrested for having stolen the 
Turkish Electricity Distribution Corporation's 
(TEDAS) electricity poles.  The arrestees will 
reportedly be taken to the Aydinlar Prosecutor's 
Office later today (11/22). 
 
 
6.  HADEP PUNISHES UNFAITHFUL MEMBERS 
(Evrensel)  The People's Democracy Party (HADEP) 
Van Disciplinary Council suspended four of its 
municipal council members of the Bostanici (Van) 
municipality.  The suspension followed the 
council members' de facto assaults against the 
municipality, physical assault against the mayor, 
impeding of municipal activities, discussion of 
municipal activities outside the municipality, 
and filing complaints to the Governor's Office, 
which in turn initiated an investigation against 
the municipality. 
 
 
ECONOMIC AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS 
-------------------------------------- 
 
 
7.  GAP PROJECT FOREIGNERS' FAVORITE 
(Turkiye)  According to the Southeastern Anatolia 
Project (GAP) - Entrepreneur Support and Guidance 
Center (GIDEM), seven of the seventeen firms 
which had made investments in the GAP region were 
U.S. firms.   Other foreign firms with 
investments in the region are from Germany (2), 
Italy (2), Switzerland (2), Israel (1), Iraq (1), 
Syria (1), Saudi Arabia (1), Iran (1), Spain (1) 
and Bulgaria (1).  (Note:  When the number of 
firms reported are added up, the number exceeds 
17.)  GIDEM officials said many firms were also 
preparing to make investments in the region, 
while eight (foreign) firms have begun 
production.  These entrepreneurs serve in the 
field of irrigation pipes, yarn spinning, and 
petroleum.  An American firm is reportedly 
carrying out feasibility studies to establish a 
solar energy plant that will generate electricity 
from solar energy, while some other U.S. 
businessmen are working on a multi-faceted 
agricultural project in the region. 
HOLTZ