US embassy cable - 02ADANA415

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 0415 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, IZ, Press Summaries, ADANA 
SUBJECT:  SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY 
DECEMBER 14-15, 2002 
 
 
1.  This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary 
for December 14-15, 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-WAR RALLY ON DECEMBER 22 
(Evrensel)  The Adana War Opponents Platform will 
hold a December 22 anti-war rally in Adana, home 
to Incirlik Air Base, to protest U.S. 
preparations to attack Iraq.  A number of 
political parties, labor unions and associations 
will reportedly support the rally. 
 
 
3.  VILLAGE GUARD SYSTEM WILL REMAIN 
(Turkiye)  Speaking during the inauguration of a 
30-student kindergarten in Mardin, State of 
Emergency (OHAL) Regional Governor's Office said 
the village guard system would not be eliminated 
in the OHAL region in case of liquidation. 
 
 
4.  HANDBILLS DISTRIBUTED IN HAKKARI AFTER 22 
YEARS 
(Evrensel)  For the first time since 1980, the 
Hakkari Human Rights Association (HRA) has 
distributed handbills and displayed posters in 
the province, where the State of Emergency (OHAL) 
was lifted in July. 
 
 
5.  KIRM MEMBERS INDICTED 
(Evrensel)  The Diyarbakir Prosecutor's Office 
concluded its indictment of thirty people who had 
been arrested in Diyarbakir on charges of being 
members of the Kurdistan Islamic Revolutionary 
Movement (KIDH).  According to article 7 of the 
Anti-terror law, the prosecutor requested prison 
terms of five years for the suspects for 
"establishing and leading a terror organization." 
 
 
6.  HIZBULLAH SUSPECTS ARRESTED 
(Turkiye)  During a December 12 operation, 
Diyarbakir Jandarma arrested three Hizbullah 
suspects whose names were mentioned in Hizbullah 
documents seized during an anti-Hizbullah 
operation in Beykoz (Istanbul).  According to the 
seized Hizbullah documents, the arrestees had 
been carrying out Hizbullah activities in mosques 
and associations. 
 
 
7.  HRA:  NO SERIOUS DEMOCRATIZATION STEPS HAVE 
BEEN TAKEN 
(Evrensel)  Human Rights Association (HRA) 
National President Husnu Ondul attended the 
December 15 "Human Rights in Turkey" panel 
discussion in Diyarbakir to mark International 
Human Rights Week.  In his opening remarks, Ondul 
criticized state officials for throwing the ball 
to the EU by saying, "We have met the Copenhagen 
criteria."  Claiming no serious steps had been 
taken in the name democratization, Ondul stressed 
legal amendments made (recently) were not clear 
in terms of practice of law.  "For example, the 
word terror can lead to problems in practice. 
According to Ondul, big human rights abuses were 
being experienced in the field of torture and 
freedom of expression despite recent legal 
reforms. 
 
 
8.  ALLEGATIONS OF CONTINUED HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES 
(Bolge/Evrensel)  People's Democracy Party 
(HADEP) who gathered in Adana's Station Square on 
December 15 to celebrate International Human 
Rights Week staged a sit-down demonstration to 
protest continued human rights violations.  The 
demonstrators also faxed messages to the 
President's Office to eliminate these violations. 
 
 
9.  CONTINUED PRO-OCALAN DEMONSTRATIONS 
(Evrensel)  Isolation of PKK/KADEK leader 
Abdullah Ocalan was protested in Sanliurfa, Konak 
(Izmir) and Siirt.  Protestors called for the 
elimination of the isolation by burning tires, 
turning on and off their lights and shouting pro- 
Ocalan slogans.  In Siirt, two protestors were 
arrested and taken to the Security Directorate 
for interrogation. 
 
 
10.  MERSIN NGO OFFICIALS INDICTED FOR 
CRITICIZING OHAL 
(Evrensel)  The Adana State Security Court 
Prosecutor's Office indicted Mersin Migration and 
Humanitarian Assistance Foundation (GIYAV) 
officials and members for "assisting and abetting 
the PKK" for having criticized the State of 
Emergency (OHAL) by saying "OHAL conditions are 
not consistent with democracy and freedom." 
Foundations members face possible prison terms of 
four to seven years. 
 
 
ECONOMIC AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS 
-------------------------------------- 
 
 
11.  STUDENT DORMITORY INAUGURATED 
(Turkiye)  Adiyaman Governor Halil Isik, 
Gaziantep Mayor Celal Dogan, Gaziantep University 
Rector Huseyin Filiz and Higher Education Credits 
and Dormitories Director General Halim Kucuk 
inaugurated a dormitory constructed in Besni 
(Adiyaman) by local businessman Mehmet Erdemoglu. 
The 500-student dormitory cost TL 1 trillion 
(approx. USD 650,000) to construct. 
HOLTZ