US embassy cable - 02ADANA428

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 0428 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, IZ, ADANA, Press Summaries 
SUBJECT:  SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY, 
DECEMBER 24, 2002 
 
 
1.  This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for 
December 24, 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.  BOMB ATTACK ON TAA IN ADANA 
(Hurriyet/Milliyet)  Last night (12/23), two 
assailants on a motorcycle threw what the paper called 
a `sound' bomb on the Turkish American Association 
(TAA) building and then disappeared.  The bomb 
exploded, making a loud noise and shattering windows 
at the TAA office and nearby buildings.  No casualties 
were reported.  Police arrived at the scene following 
the explosion and took comprehensive security 
measures.  An operation was launched to capture the 
assailants.  Oya Ilkim of TAA said the association had 
nothing to do with the U.S., other than its name and 
that only language courses were offered there. 
 
 
3.  PRO-OCALAN DEMONSTRATIONS CONTINUE 
(Evrensel)  Demonstrations were held in Izmir, Mersin, 
Batman, Siirt and Diyarbakir to protest isolation of 
KADEK (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan.  Protestors burned 
roads by pouring gasoline, shouting pro-Ocalan 
slogans, dancing to tunes of Turkish folk music, 
marching with torches in their hands, and turning on 
and off their lights for ten minutes.  Following 
demonstrations in Diyarbakir, police arrested 20 
youths wearing kerchiefs. 
 
 
4.  GOVERNMENT WILL PAY INDEMNITY 
(Evrensel)  The Van Court of General Criminal 
Jurisdiction ruled against the State in connection 
with the 45-day detention of 70 hunger strikers who 
were among 500 people arrested in the People's 
Democracy Party (HADEP) office.  Forty-five arrestees 
were later ordered held in custody on charges of 
"assisting and abetting the PKK."  Acquitted after 70 
days in prison, the hunger strikers sued the State by 
claiming "they had been detained for no reason."  They 
will receive TL 1.5 billion (approx. USD 900) each in 
material and moral reparations. 
 
 
ECONOMIC AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS 
-------------------------------------- 
 
 
5.  DROP IN ENERGY PRODUCTION 
(Milli Gazete)  Energy production at Sanliurfa's 
Ataturk Dam Hydro-electric Power Plant, which produces 
1/5 of Turkey's electricity needs, fell from 8 billion 
kilowatt/hours in 2001 to 6 billion kilowatt/hours in 
2002.  The drop was attributed to drought in Turkey 
over the past two years.  The level of water in the 
reservoir behind the dam has reportedly fallen to 528 
(cm), with only four of the eight turbines working. 
Electricity production fell from 7 billion 
kilowatt/hours to 5 billion kilowatt/hours in the 
Karakaya (Diyarbakir) Dam and from 6 to 4,865 billion 
kilowatt/hours in the Keban (Elazig) Dam.  Only three 
of Karakaya's six turbines and two of Keban's seven 
turbines are currently operational. 
 
 
6.  AGRICULTURAL EXPORTS TO EAST EUROPE UP OVER 38% 
(Evrensel)  According to the Southeastern Anatolia 
Exporters' Union, agricultural exports from the 
Southeast to East Europe increased 38.2% in the first 
eleven months of the year, rising to USD 58.7 million 
from USD 42.5 million for the same period in 2001.  In 
the same period, USD 53.7 million of textile, USD 4.1 
million of dried fruits and USD 983,000 of grain, 
beans and seed products were exported from the region. 
 
 
7.  UNDESERVED COTTON SUBSIDIES 
(Milli Gazete)  Through satellite photographing, 
Agricultural and Village Affairs Ministry inspectors 
determined 1,800 Kiziltepe (Mardin) farmers had 
unjustly received a total of USD 600,000 in Cotton 
Support Premium payments.  Farmers who had made 
fraudulent declarations were ordered to repay the 
undeserved premium payments. 
HOLTZ