US embassy cable - 03ADANA35

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 ADANA 0035 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, IZ, TU, ADANA, Press Summaries 
SUBJECT:  SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY 
JANUARY 31, 2003 
 
 
1.  This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary 
for January 31, 2003.  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.  MERVAN GUL IS RESIGNING TO OPEN WAY FOR 
ERDOGAN 
(Milliyet)  AK Party is pressing the button today 
(1/31) to make it possible for its leader Recep 
Tayyip Erdogan to become prime minister.  Mervan 
Gul, AK Party's first-listed candidate in the 
March 9 Siirt elections, is submitting his 
resignation to the Higher Election Council (YSK) 
today, to step aside for Erdogan.  Erdogan's 
name, instead of Gul's, will be reported to YSK 
by February 6.  AK Party has decided that there 
is no need for its two other Siirt candidates to 
resign. 
 
 
3.  WAR PREPARATIONS AT INCIRLIK 
(Radikal)  While the U.S. is counting days prior 
to a possible attack against Iraq, foodstuffs and 
water are being stockpiled at the Incirlik Air 
Base (Adana).  U.S. officials are buying drinking 
water from Pinar Group, an affiliate of the Yasar 
Holding Food Group.  Yasar Holding Food Group 
President Ahmet Arsan pointed to increased demand 
(for his water) from the Southeast and provinces 
along the Iraqi border.  Adana Bar Association 
President Necati Erdem described the developments 
regarding a possible Iraq operation as worrisome. 
Hurriyet reported increased exercises at 
Incirlik, where U.S. and British passenger planes 
landed for military personnel transfer. 
Cumhuriyet reported many planes landed at 
Incirlik, while journalists were trying to film 
developments there. 
 
 
4.  ANTI-WAR SENTIMENTS 
(Bolge/Milliyet)  Ali Batman, President of the 
Adana chapter of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable 
Merchants Chamber, claimed war rumors have had a 
negative impact on the fresh fruit and vegetable 
sector, leading to the suspension of business 
activities of 110 merchants over the past two 
months.  In a meeting at the Mersin chapter of 
the Turkish Agriculturalists' Association, the 
Association's National President, Ibrahim Yetkin, 
said the agricultural sector would be most 
affected in the event of U.S.-led war in Iraq. 
Nearly 20 members of the Adana Bar Association 
gathered in Adana's Ataturk Park to protest the 
possible U.S.-led war in Iraq.  Hurriyet reported 
that fifth graders of Adana's Hurriyet Primary 
School scribbled "No To War" and "Yes To Peace" 
on sheets of paper and displayed them on their 
classroom windows.  Turkiye quoted Adana 
researcher-historian Ejder Dilci as saying that 
history was repeating itself regarding Iraq, 
against which the U.S. is preparing to launch an 
operation.  According to Dilci, Germany asked 
Turkey for permission to enter Iraq through 
Turkey in 1941.  He added that U.S. had requested 
permission from the Turkish government to enter 
Iraq.  Evrensel reported that Mersin merchants 
would wear black ribbons today (1/31) to say "No" 
to war. 
 
 
5.  MERSIN PORT CLOSED TO FISHERMEN 
(Evrensel)  Fishing around the Mersin Port, which 
the U.S. wants to use during a possible attack 
against Iraq, has been banned since January 27. 
A U.S. delegation had previously surveyed the 
port.  Fishermen criticized the ban, saying "we 
cannot freely move about and fish in our seas." 
 
 
6.  INCREASED MILITARY ACTIVITIES IN CIZRE 
(SIRNAK) 
Hurriyet and Milliyet reported increased 
activities at the Cizre (Sirnak) Tank Battalion, 
following the dispatch by the Turkish General 
Staff (TGS) of additional equipment and materials 
to the Diyarbakir-based Second Army, which is 
responsible for the Iraqi border.  Some of the 
Battalion's tanks are now in open fields ready 
for deployment along the border.  Also, military 
vehicles have begun to dispatch foodstuffs from 
Cizre to units along the border.  Evrensel cited 
Sirnak Governor Huseyin Baskaya as saying that an 
exercise would soon be carried out near the 
province's Habur border gate against a possible 
influx of Iraqi refugees in the aftermath of a 
possible U.S.-led operation against Iraq. 
 
 
7.  DEPLOYMENT ALONG IRAQI BORDER 
(Cumhuriyet)  Military units, following the 
abolition of the State of Emergency (OHAL) in the 
Southeast, are being re-deployed to the Iraqi 
border.  Military units affiliated with the Van 
Public Order Command, the Kayseri Airborne 
Command, the 18th Border Command, and the Third 
Army have been dispatched to Sirnak through Van. 
Milliyet reported that "critical" personnel who 
had been transferred from the (Malatya-based) 
Second Army to Western provinces might sent back 
to Malatya on TDY or re-appointed to their 
previous positions. 
 
 
8.  BODY OF BRITISH VICTIM OF PLANE CRASH 
MISTAKENLY BURIED IN ISTANBUL 
(Sabah)  The body of U.K. citizen Christopher 
Ringland, who lost his life during a plane crash 
in Diyarbakir earlier this month, was reportedly 
mistaken for that of businessman Nurullah Eren, 
who was owner of the Eren Holding Company and the 
Turkish Lacoste firm.  The body had been buried 
at the Karacaahmet Cemetery in Istanbul.  When 
officials found out about the error, Ringland's 
body was taken out of the grave and sent to the 
U.K. 
 
 
9.  TGS PREPARES ANTI-KADEK ALBUM:  UNFORGOTTEN 
PHOTOGRAPHS 
(Dunya)  Turkish General Staff (TGS) has prepared 
an anti-KADEK album entitled "Separatist Terror 
Organization:  Unforgotten Photographs" and 
distributed it to press organizations.  The 
albums includes photos about KADEK's murders and 
destructions in Turkey, as well as its 
international support. 
 
 
10.  ARRESTEES IN IDIL SUBJECTED TO TORTURE 
(Evrensel)  A delegation of human rights 
advocates carried out inspections in Idil 
(Sirnak), where thirty people had been arrested 
following the killing of a soldier of the 
district Second Infantry Border Battalion.  Three 
soldiers had also been wounded.  After meeting 
with the arrestees, the delegation said the 
arrestees told them they had been subjected to 
torture and maltreatment.  Operations continue in 
the district, while locals are concerned arrests 
will increase. 
 
 
11.  SANLIURFA KADEK SUSPECTS RELEASED 
(Evrensel)  A Siverek (Sirnak) court released two 
people, including a woman, who had been arrested 
on charges of being KADEK members but ordered 
them to appear for their upcoming trials. 
 
 
12.  DEHAP OFFICIALS INDICTED FOR KURDISH SONGS 
(Evrensel)  DEHAP, Labor Party (EMEP), and Human 
Rights Association (HRA) Elazig officials have 
been indicted for having remained indifferent to 
Kurdish-language songs and pro-DEHAP slogans 
during their November 3 election campaigns.  The 
officials called the indictments political, not 
legal. 
 
 
13.  KURDISH-LANGUAGE STORE FRONT SIGNAGE 
Evrensel reported that the use of Kurdish- 
language store front signage by shops and places 
of business in Diyarbakir was becoming 
widespread. 
 
 
14.  PRO-OCALAN PROTESTS CONTINUE 
Evrensel reported continued pro-PKK/KADEK leader 
Abdullah Ocalan demonstrations protesting refusal 
of permission for Ocalan to meet with his 
attorneys and family members.  Police intervened 
to disperse a pro-Ocalan protest, which resulted 
in the injury of five people, including three 
police officers.  In Diyarbakir, 21 people 
participated in a hunger strike launched by a 
group of three women, all members of the 
Prisoners and Inmates Families Initiative.  Also, 
a group of Initiative members held a press 
conference at the Seyhan (Adana) chapter of DEHAP 
during which they declared that they had started 
a hunger. 
 
 
15.  EIGHTEEN PEOPLE ORDERED HELD FOR RAPING A 
GIRL 
(Evrensel)  Eighteen Mardin people, including 
several public employees such as the Operations 
Manager of the district Governor's Office and a 
military captain, were ordered to remain in 
custody for having raped a 12-year-old girl. 
Police are searching for another ten suspects. 
Human Rights Association (HRA) Mardin President 
Enver Ete characterized the incident as "one of 
the social problems being experienced following 
clashes." 
 
 
16.  BOMB MAKERS RE-ARRESTED 
(Turkiye)  A Gaziantep court ordered the arrest 
of two of the three people who had been released 
after being arrested for possession of TNT and 
other materials used in making bombs.   The 
arrestees were accused of providing support and 
shelter for a convict incarcerated in the Sincan 
(Ankara) Prison for bomb attacks against 
Gaziantep government offices. 
 
 
17.  WEAPONS DEALER ARRESTED IN GAZIANTEP 
(Turkiye)  During a sting operation, Gaziantep 
Jandarma Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime teams 
arrested 34-year-old Mahmut Yener, who wanted to 
sell Jandarma eleven Afghan-made pistols at EUR 
450 (approx. USD 480) each.  Yener admitted 
having brought the pistols in through northern 
Iraq.  Following interrogation, Yener was 
arraigned in a local court. 
 
 
18.  ADANA HISTORIAN SAYS ARMENIANS CARRIED OUT 
THE MASSACRE 
(Turkiye)  During the "Armenians and Armenian 
Massacre in History" conference jointly organized 
by the Adana Governor's Office, the Ceyhan 
(Adana) district Governor's Office, and the Adana 
National Education Directorate, researcher- 
historian Cezmi Yurtsever claimed that Armenians 
were trying to misrepresent the massacres they 
carried out in Cukurova (Adana) and Anatolia 
between 1892-1922 as if they themselves had been 
subjected to those massacres.  In those years, 
Armenians attacked Camili village, Adana's 
largest village, and tortured hundreds of people 
to death. 
 
 
19.  "PULUMUR RESIDENTS FREEZING TO DEATH" 
(Radikal/Milliyet/Evrensel)  Four days have 
passed since the January 27 earthquake in 
Tunceli's Pulumur district, but earthquake 
victims have not been provided with tents 
suitable for winter conditions there.  There is a 
shortage of drinking water in the region. 
Tunceli Governor Huseyin Baskaya said damage 
assessment works have been completed in 28 of 
Pulumur's 38 villages.  According to a 
preliminary report, 12 private and six public 
buildings were strongly damaged; 46 private and 
83 public buildings were moderately damaged, 
while 75 private and 48 public buildings were 
slightly damaged.  Turkiye reported that summer 
tents had been replaced with winter tents. 
Officials are trying to convince earthquake 
victims to settle in these tents, but earthquake 
victims are reluctant to move into the tents for 
fear of insufficient heating.  They instead 
prefer to stay with relatives and neighbors. 
 
 
20.  "SHOWER" OF FAX MESSAGES BY KESK TO ANKARA 
(Bolge)  Public employees, all members of labor 
unions affiliated with the State Employees' Union 
Confederation (KESK), faxed messages calling for 
the payment of compulsory payroll deductions plus 
interest.  The faxes were sent to PM Abdullah 
Gul, DPM Abdullatif Sener, and State Minister Ali 
Babacan.  KESK Adana Term President Ahmet Kilic 
said "the payroll deductions were employees' 
money, not a loan given to the State." 
 
 
21.  TEDAS SUBSCRIBER CONVICTED FOR ILLEGAL USE 
OF ELECTRICITY 
(Radikal/Evrensel)  As a result of legal action 
begun by the Turkish Electricity Distribution 
Corporation (TEDAS) to prevent illegal use of 
electricity in Diyarbakir, a TEDAS subscriber has 
been convicted and sentenced to two months' 
imprisonment.  For the first time in the region, 
a person has been convicted of illegal use of 
electricity.  Based on TEDAS investigations, 
7,000 TEDAS subscribers across Diyarbakir over 
the past two years misappropriated electricity. 
 
 
22.  ASSAULT AGAINST AGRICULTURAL DIRECTOR 
CONDEMNED 
(Bolge)  Adana Agricultural Chamber President 
Ayhan Barut condemned the January 26 shooting of 
Adana Agricultural Director Fikret Coskun in his 
office as "intimidation and oppression of public 
employees."   A police officer, together with his 
brother, shot Coskun twice in the leg for 
allegedly having sexually harassed his wife. 
 
 
23.  LEPROSY IN ADANA 
(Bolge)  A statement released by the Adana Health 
Directorate said that there are a total of 62 
leprosy patients in Adana.  Their treatment has 
been completed.  No new cases have been reported 
for a long time. 
 
 
ECONOMIC AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS 
-------------------------------------- 
 
 
24.  UNEMPLOYMENT PAYMENTS 
(Bolge/Evrensel)  Hasim Meydan, Director of the 
Employment Office in Adana, announced the payment 
of a total of TL 2.2 trillion (approx. USD 1.4 
million) in unemployment salaries to 3,446 of the 
3,561 people applying to his office in 2002. 
HOLTZ