US embassy cable - 05ADANA217

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000217 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, ADANA, Press Summaries 
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR NOVEMBER 22, 2005 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for November 22 
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 / OZGUR GUNDEM: PM Erdogan, who visited Hakkari, 
Semdinli and Yuksekova yesterday, conducted studies at these 
districts under high security measures.  PM Erdogan, after 
visiting the ruins of the houses and businesses, which was 
bombed on November 1 in Semdinli, went to the place of the 
bookstore where the November 9 bombing took place. 
 
RADIKAL / OZGUR GUNDEM: Semdinli people reportedly welcomed PM 
Erdogan, who suddenly decided to visit Hakkari, with banners 
reading, 'Keep the promises avowed in Diyarbakir', 'if the state 
kills people, who are we to confide in?', 'No one can black out 
Roj TV", "Prosecute the murderers", "People should not be shot, 
and people's voice must be heard."  Erdogan, angered by the 
banners, reportedly reacted, "How come you prepared these 
banners so fast." Police took away a group of person's banners. 
PM Erdogan, who addressed a 1000-person group in Semdinli, 
wanted the youth to remove the banners, because the reason they 
(GoT) were here was "to address the problems in a firm and 
unwavering manner."  Erdogan later addressed 2000 people in 
Yuksekova amidst slogans chanted by the audience.  Erdogan said 
that his government will make sure that democratic rights 
prevail and told the people that his government would solve the 
Semdinli incident, but people should not give credence to or 
accept the methods of terrorism anymore. 
 
ZAMAN:  According to the daily, the people of the region 
have trust in the PM Erdogan.  PM Erdogan reportedly was able to 
win people over, and warn them at the same time.  The daily 
reported that PM Erdogan promised tradesmen that the GoT will 
help them to cover their costs of the damage done to heir 
businesses and shops incurred by the November 1 blast. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Van Chapter of Egitim-Sen (Teacher's Union) 
attempted to hold a press event when a news article on Zaman 
daily, whose content was reportedly against the faculty members 
and the students of the Van Centennial University, was 
published.  Jandarma took strict security measures in the place 
where people gathered and did not allow people to make the press 
announcement. 
 
RADIKAL / ZAMAN:        Eight faculty members, including two 
professors, resigned from their posts at Van Centennial 
University's Medical School.  Rector Yucel Askin is currently 
staying in the hospital of the medical school.  Zaman daily 
cited claims that the doctors working in the hospital were being 
subjected to pressure (from unspecified sources).  Because of 
the resignations, one of the surgical departments of the 
University is closed. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   The delegation of the Human Rights Association 
(HRA), which conducted studies in Semdinli, Yukseokova and 
Hakkari for four days, generated a report and held a press 
announcement.  According to the report, the people in Hakkari 
are anxious and uneasy about the situation.  The report further 
said that no official records were found on the alleged five 
wounded police officers of the November 9 incident in state 
hospitals or elsewhere.  The judicial and the civil 
administrative authorities reportedly did not start an effective 
and fast investigative process regarding the security forces' 
involvement in the incident.  The report further complained that 
there was disproportionate use of force during the police's 
intervention in incidents of public unrest that followed the 
November 9 bomb incident. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM / RADIKAL: The daily claimed that the person killed 
during an incident of public unrest yesterday in Mersin was 
17-year-old.  Radikal daily gives the age of the dead as 18. 
Murat Demir was allegedly shot at close range from a civil 
police office car yesterday (see press summary 11/21). 
Allegedly the police took away the empty bullet shells from the 
street during the night.  The papers reported two people, aged 
15 and 19, wounded as a result of the incidents. 
 
ZAMAN:  The daily reported that two police officers were 
wounded during the funeral of the person who was killed by 
unspecified people during protests in Mersin a day before. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   People gathered at the graves of Ahmet and 
Ugur Kaymaz to commemorate the first anniversary of the father 
and son's death.  The attorney of the Kaymaz family claimed that 
the court might drag the case out and the prosecution might take 
many years.  Moreover, prosecutors in Turkey reportedly 
generally tend to take sides with the Jandarma, police and 
village guards in cases where these security officers are being 
tried.  Citing some other issues, the daily reported the Kaymaz 
family considering whether there is sufficient cause for them to 
bring the matter to the attention of the European Court of Human 
Rights. 
ZAMAN:  The police reportedly seized 50 units of A-4 
explosives during operations conducted in Mersin, according to 
the announcement of the Mersin Governor Atilla Osmancelebioglu. 
Two people were detained as a result of the operations. 
REID