US embassy cable - 02ADANA421

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 0421 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, IZ, TU, ADANA, Press Summaries 
SUBJECT:  SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY 
DECEMBER 19, 2002 
 
1.  This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary 
for December 19, 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.  TGS: NO WAR PREPARATIONS IN THE SOUTHEAST 
(All papers)  Regarding the reports of deployment 
of Turkish soldiers along the Iraqi border, the 
Chief of General Staff denied having made 
comprehensive build-up and taken extraordinary 
measures, other than "routine preparations toward 
possible developments in the region." 
 
 
3.  CALL FOR ACTION AGAINST WAR 
(Evrensel)  A group of intelligentsia and authors 
who met for an activity organized by the 
Diyarbakir chapter of Human Rights Association 
(HRA) called on the public, mass organizations 
and political parties to oppose the possible U.S. 
attack on Iraq.  They pointed to "hard-to-repair 
wounds" in case of such a war and underscored the 
need to disrupt the war plans. 
 
 
4.  ADANA HRA:  U.S. CENTER OF RIGHTS VIOLATIONS 
(Evrensel)  In a (December 18) press conference, 
Adana Human Rights Association (HRA) members 
pointed to continued rights violations, saying 
those who filled the earth with blood, tears, 
fire and gunpowder are now warmongering.  They 
described the U.S. as the center of human rights 
violations, torture and dirty war methods.  Anti- 
war slogans were shouted during the conference. 
 
 
5.  KURDISH SONGS NOT SEPARATIST 
(Radikal)  The trial of nine people, including 
seven teachers, indicted for "assisting and 
abetting the PKK" by forming a band and singing 
"separatist" (Kurdish-language) songs at the 
ordinary Congress of the Diyarbakir chapter of 
the Teachers Union Egitim-Sen is scheduled to 
continue on December 19.  The court reportedly 
received an expert witness report from the state- 
run Turkish Radio and Television (TRT), which 
made an analysis of the recordings of the songs, 
saying that all the songs were about love, nature 
and longing.  TRT also provided the court with a 
translation of the songs as well.  The National 
Education Ministry had dismissed five of the 
seven teachers.  The teachers for whom prison 
terms of three years and nine months are 
requested may now be reinstated.  The other two 
suspects, Hayrettin Altun and Medeni Alpkaya, are 
charged with "delivering speeches in support of 
the PKK's Kurdish-language education campaign and 
displaying pro-mother tongue education banners." 
 
 
ECONOMIC AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS 
-------------------------------------- 
 
 
6.  RUSSIAN INVESTMENT IN KILIS 
(Turkiye)  Russian firm Kornet and the Kilis 
Governor's Office signed a protocol agreement to 
establish a factory that will produce champagne 
and wine.  Kilis Governor Aslan Kutuk said the 
factory, which is expected to go on line within 
two years, would cost USD 20 million to build and 
create 400 new jobs.  Kornet's Turkish partner 
Alaattin Sucu indicated the factory would process 
100,000 tons of fresh grapes annually. 
 
 
7.  REPAIR OF ADANA AIRPORT IMPACTS PROVINCIAL 
ECONOMY 
(Bolge)  Adana Tourism Director Zeki Yilmaz 
predicted the closure of the Adana Airport to 
flights due to repair and maintenance would cause 
the provincial economy to suffer a loss of TL 1 
trillion (approx. USD 625,000).  The airport, 
which went under renovation on November 4, is 
expected to go back in service in mid-January. 
 
 
8.  SALES DAYS BEGIN IN ADANA 
(All papers)  The Second Sales Days launched by 
the Adana Chamber of Commerce (ACOC) began with a 
December 18 march from the ACOC office to the 
Ataturk Park, where a ceremony was organized. 
ACOC President Saban Bas, Governor Oguz Kagan 
Koksal, the Seyhan and Yuregir district mayors, 
the Security director, ACOC board members, 
political party officials and others attended the 
ceremony.  The sales, in which 350 firms are 
participating, runs until December 22. 
HOLTZ