US embassy cable - 02ADANA413

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ADANA 0413 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, IZ, ADANA, Press Summaries 
SUBJECT:  SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY 
DECEMBER 12, 2002 
 
1.  This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary 
for December 12, 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.  HIZBULLAH DEFENDANTS CONVICTED 
(Bolge)  The State Security Court convicted six 
Hizbullah defendants for membership in and 
support to the illegal organization.  Five of the 
defendants were sentenced to prison terms of 12 
years and nine months (for membership) and the 
remaining one to three years and nine months (for 
support).  The defendants were arrested during 
November 2001 anti-Hizbullah operations in Adana. 
 
 
3.  PKK SUSPECTS ACQUITTED 
(Bolge)  The Adana State Security Court acquitted 
Ismail and Hikmet Ocas, father and son, 
respectively, who had been arrested during an 
early-October anti-PKK operation in Ceyhan 
(Adana), in their first trial.  The defendants 
had been charged with provision of support and 
shelter to the PKK. 
 
 
4.  ANOTHER EIGHT DEFENDANTS RELEASED IN MERSIN 
NEWROZ CASE 
(Bolge)  The trial of another 16 of the 148 
defendants charged with "illegal demonstration," 
"pro-PKK slogans" and "assault against security 
forces" during the unauthorized Newroz 
celebrations in Mersin continued in the Adana 
State Security Court on December 11.  Eight 
defendants who were being tried in custody 
appeared for the trial, denied the charges 
against them and requested their release.  Their 
attorneys also claimed their clients were not at 
the scene to participate in the celebrations. 
The court then ordered the release of these 
defendants and adjourned the trial until a later 
date. 
 
 
5.  PKK COURIER 
(Bolge)  Izmir Security Directorate Anti-terror 
Squad police arrested PKK courier Rojda Erdogan, 
for whom police had been searching because she 
was sending PKK sympathizers in Istanbul and 
Izmir to rural areas.  Police determined Rojda 
had recently sent two people from Istanbul to 
rural Kiziltepe (Mardin).  Rojda was arraigned in 
a local court where she was ordered to remain in 
custody. 
 
 
6.  RETURNEES 
(Milli Gazete/Evrensel)  Nearly three months ago, 
200 evacuees returned to Mazidagi's (Mardin) 
Yalinagac village under the Village Return 
Project.  The village was evacuated in 1993 due 
to terror incidents.  The Mardin Governor's 
Office provided the returnees with construction 
materials to repair their homes.  Due to the 
shortage of construction materials, two families 
were unable to repair their homes and settled in 
the village school, which had been closed due to 
a lack of teachers. 
7.  PRO-OCALAN DEMONSTRATION 
(Evrensel)  In Batman, Democratic People's 
Initiative organized a December 10 demonstration 
to protest the isolation of PKK (KADEK) leader 
Abdullah Ocalan in which lights were turned off 
in homes for ten minutes.  Youths later gathered 
in several districts of the province, lighting 
fires and shouting pro-Ocalan slogans.  In 
Diyarbakir, hundreds of people burned tires and 
shouted slogans in support of Ocalan.  They also 
marched, carrying Ocalan posters and KADEK flags. 
 
 
8.  RADIO DUNYA OFFICIAL ACQUITTED 
(Evrensel)  The Adana State Security Court 
acquitted (Adana's) Radio Dunya General 
Broadcasting Director Sabri Ejder, charged with 
"inciting the public to hatred through appeals to 
racial discrimination" during an April (radio) 
program entitled "How can the Palestinian clash 
be solved?"  The acquittal came when it was found 
out the person who spoke on the cassette turned 
out to be someone other than Ejder. 
 
 
9.  LANDMINE VICTIM'S GRIEVANCE 
(Evrensel)  Pervari (Siirt) shepherd Sabri Tunc, 
who lost his hands in 1996 when a landmine he had 
found while grazing his animals exploded in his 
hands, claimed he had been prevented from 
receiving food assistance provided by the Pervari 
Social Assistance and Solidarity Foundation 
(SYDV), an affiliate of the District Governor's 
Office, because of his membership in the 
Democratic People's Party (DEHAP).  Security 
officers reportedly prevented Tunc from meeting 
with the District Governor during the month of 
Ramadan, when SYDV distributed food products to 
poor people.  Tunc, who is unemployed, alleged 
the District Governor's Office had sent him a 
letter stating he was not in need. 
 
 
10.  GAP REGION PUBLIC HEALTH PROJECT 
(Turkiye)  A survey carried out by Diyarbakir's 
Dicle University in 1,186 homes in nine provinces 
in the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) region 
showed 68% of homes in rural areas did not have 
toilets, 47% did not have bathrooms and 70% of 
residents were parasite carriers. 
 
 
11.  VAN SCHOOLS CLOSED 
(Evrensel)  According to the Van Health 
Directorate, schools in that province were closed 
for another three days due to a respiratory 
system epidemic.  The schools were previously 
closed for two days for the same reason. 
 
 
ECONOMIC AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS 
-------------------------------------- 
 
 
12.  KILIS GOVERNOR SEEKS SUPPORT FOR OPEN-AIR 
MARKET 
(Turkiye)  Kilis Governor Kutuk Aslan has left 
for Ankara to meet with several ministers to ask 
for support to the proposed open-air market at 
the Oncupinar border gate with Syria.  Kilis 
expects a substantial contribution to the Kilis 
and the Turkish economies as a result of this 
market and transit passages through the border 
gate. 
13.  TPAO FINDS NATURAL GAS IN DIYARBAKIR 
(Turkiye)  During oil explorations in Silvan's 
(Diyarbakir) Ozluce village, the Turkish 
Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) found natural gas 25 
meters away from a well from which 300 barrels of 
oil are extracted daily.  As there is no natural 
gas facility in the area, the gas is burning 24 
hours, posing a threat. 
HOLTZ