US embassy cable - 03ADANA56

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ADANA 0056 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, IZ, ADANA, Press Summaries 
SUBJECT:  SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY 
FEBRUARY 26, 2003 
 
 
1.  This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary 
for February 26, 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. Tercuman: In its session on February 28, the 
Turkish National Security Council is going to 
evaluate the idea of declaring state of emergency 
rule or martial law in Diyarbakir, Batman, 
Mardin, Sirnak, Siirt, and Hakkari provinces in 
order to prevent any kind of disorder that might 
take place in the event of war in Iraq. 
 
 
3. Evrensel: Although officially not declared, 
the OHAL administration is in effect reinstated 
in Diyarbakir. All the checkpoints that existed 
during the OHAL period have been re-activated, 
while special-team units and armored personnel- 
carriers have been deployed in town. ID checks 
are being conducted more frequently. Diyarbakir 
inhabitants are unhappy about the reappearance of 
these OHAL practices. 
 
 
4.  Milliyet/Turkiye/Tercuman/Milli 
Gazete/Cumhuriyet: It is reported that Kurdish 
leaders Mesut Barzani and Celal Talabani in 
northern Iraq wrote a joint letter to President 
Bush demanding that Turkish soldiers should not 
be allowed to enter northern Iraq, and asked for 
"urgent protection" from the US. The two Kurdish 
leaders expressed in their letter that Turkey 
aimed at diminishing the "democratic government" 
formed in northern Iraq, and that there would be 
clashes with Turkish soldiers if Turkish soldiers 
came. 
In Erbil, the Kurdish National Assembly decided 
to oppose the presence of Turkish forces in 
northern Iraq.  The Vice President of the IKDP 
Group, Ahmet Salar, stated that "It is not 
Turkey, but rather the Iraqi people and Iraqi 
Kurds, who are responsible for the territorial 
integrity of Iraq. We can provide our own 
security." 
 
 
5.  A commission to improve relations between 
Turkey and Barzani's IKDP was formed by Iraqi 
opposition groups. Cuneyt Mengun from the 
Turcoman Front was also included in this 
committee. After the commission's meeting with 
Barzani, an anti-Turkish demonstration planned in 
Erbil was ordered stopped by Mesut Barzani. Sami 
Abdurrahman, an IKDP official, said they were not 
as afraid of threat by Saddam as afraid of 
Turkey. He said Saddam killed many Kurds, but 
Turkey would kill Kurdish people's ambitions and 
hopes. 
 
 
6.  Hurriyet: Per the agreement between Turkey 
and the United States, some 62,000 American 
soldiers will be deployed in tent cities to be 
set up in Gaziantep, Diyarbakir, Mardin, Malatya, 
Batman, and Silopi. The American soldiers -- who 
will come via Iskenderun port -- will be 
concentrated in Gaziantep and then dispersed to 
their stations via Sanliurfa highway, and 
eventually enter northern Iraq through the Habur 
border gate. It is reported that the US has 
promised financing for the resurfacing of the 
Gaziantep-Urfa highway after the conclusion of 
the war. 
The designated tent-city centers are: 1) 
Gaziantep airport and its adjacent area, 2) 
Malatya's Erhac airport and its adjacent area, 3) 
Diyarbakir airport and its adjacent area, 4) 
Mardin airport and its adjacent area, 5) Batman 
airport and its adjacent area, 6) Silopi township 
of Sirnak -- mainly to be used for soldiers who 
arriving by sea via Iskenderun. 
 
 
7.  Milliyet/Hurriyet/Turkiye/Milli 
Gazete/Sabah/Radikal: 
A 48,143 gross ton US Navy affiliate vessel named 
"Capella" docked at Iskenderun port yesterday but 
did not unload. After the Navy vessel, other 
ships named "Gute" and "Rozana" also approached 
the docks.  The American Delegation rented a 52- 
bed capacity, fully equipped private hospital in 
Batman. Fifteen doctors in various specialties 
work at the hospital. The US delegation visited 
some of the doctors in their private offices, 
too. 
 
 
8. Turkiye: An Antonov-124 Russian cargo plane 
brought Patriot missile ramps that will be 
installed at Diyarbakir and Batman airports. The 
teams who had come to Turkey for installing the 
Patriot missile systems will start work in the 
coming days. A military convoy of 40-50 vehicles 
carrying five heavy cannons (mortars), three 
ambulances, two cranes, and several trucks 
traveled from Adana to the southeast yesterday. 
 
 
9. Cumhuriyet: Teachers Union's Diyarbakir 
chapter president, Abdullah Demirtas, said 
although the ratio of the schools constructed in 
the region increased progressively the number of 
students per classroom was still very high. He 
said there was an average of 60-70 students in a 
class, and their main problem was the shortage of 
teachers.  Demirtas said 1200 teachers had been 
appointed to the region, but because of 
retirements and transfers there was still a big 
shortage of teachers, and in some schools, they 
had heating problems, and in addition there was a 
need for another 1200 school janitors. 
 
 
10.  Hurriyet: 26 persons charged of raping a 12 
year old poor girl were arraigned in a secret 
session at the 1st Felony Court of Mardin. Two 
women who allegedly were involved in trafficking 
the girl were also charged. It is claimed that 
the girl recognized all the persons who allegedly 
raped her. The inmates apparently stated in their 
interrogations that they were wealthy, reputable, 
and mature persons living in Mardin and 
Kiziltepe, and it was impossible for them to 
attempt to do such a thing. They claimed that 
they saw the girl at the court for the very first 
time, and that in Mardin there was a mafia that 
tried to extort money from them by blackmail. The 
sub-governor's secretary -- who is one of those 
accused of having raped the girl -- defended 
himself saying that many people apply to his 
office for assistance, and some people whom he 
couldn't help may have tried to take their 
revenge from him by such an accusation. The 
hearing was adjourned to an unspecified date. 
 
 
11.  Milliyet/Turkiye/Sabah: Because of heavy 
rainfall in Reyhanli township of Hatay, the level 
of water in the Asi River has swelled 
dramatically and villages are flooded. Tayfur 
Sokmen, Terzihoyuk, Kurtulmus, Cumhuriyet and 
Karcancik villages are on stand-by for evacuation 
should the water level rise even further. 
 
 
12.  Radikal: The Bush Administration has chosen 
Eric Edelman, Vice President Cheney's "prince," 
to become the new U.S. Ambassador to Ankara. 
Edelman, 51, who served as U.S. Ambassador to 
Finland previously, is an expert on Russia.  He 
will take up his posting this summer, pending the 
Senate's confirmation of his nomination. 
HOLTZ