US embassy cable - 03ADANA59

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 0059 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, IZ, Press Summaries, ADANA 
SUBJECT:  SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY, 
          FEBRUARY 28, 2003 
 
1.  This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary 
for February 28, 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.  PREPARATION FOR POSSIBLE WAR CONTINUES 
(Milli Gazete / Sabah / Dunya / Milliyet) 
Patriots, the air defense systems to be used to 
strengthen Turkish air defense, arrived by sea to 
Iskenderun port from Holland and were dispatched 
to their locations yesterday evening.  During the 
dispatch, 210 Dutch personnel accompanied the 
convoy.  The patriots are to be located in Batman 
and Diyarbakir. 360 Dutch personnel will be 
working together with American Soldiers. 
Unloading of military equipment from the vessel 
"Capello", docked at Iskenderun port since 
February 26, is continuing.  American soldiers 
are constantly patroling within the port, and 
maintaining military equipment and vehicles that 
are going to be sent to Batman, Silopi or Habur 
border within the next few days. 
The mayor of Iskenderun, Mete Aslan, stated that 
America originally was going to modernize the 
Turkish ports, but instead was only using them. 
 
 
3. DUTY CALL FOR DOCTORS 
(Milliyet)  Municipalities in 7 provinces in 
Southeast Turkey have sent letters to doctors, 
notifying them that in case they are called for 
duty under a human aid campaign, they will need 
to be ready to go within 12 hours of notice.  The 
letter also mentioned to bring personal items to 
last for 7 days. 
 
 
4.  SIX ARRESTED IN YUKSEKOVA 
(Evrensel)  Six people have been arrested in 
Yuksekova province of Hakkari for allegedly being 
members of PKK/KADEK.  An operation was carried 
out by the police following an incident on 
February 19, when a Molotov cocktail was thrown 
at a transformer station belonging to TEDAS, 
Turkish Electric Company. 
 
 
5.   TWO JOURNALISTS ARRESTED 
(Evrensel)  Hamza Ozkan working for "Azadiya 
Welat" newspaper in Van, and Derman Iscimen 
working for "Voice of Free Women" were arrested 
on charges of aiding PKK/KADEP. 
In Diyarbakir, Cevat Dusun working for "Free 
People? magazine claimed he was kidnapped by 
people who introduced themselves as police and 
was thrown off a cliff.  In his statement, Dusun 
said that he was forced into a car and that 
during the ride, he said he was constantly being 
accused of throwing a molotov cocktail at a 
police car and acting within the framework of 
supporting Abdullah Ocalan, leader of PKK/KADEP. 
He added that a gun was pointed to his head to 
make him admit to the mentioned offenses.  Dusun 
said he would notify the public prosecutor. 
 
 
 
 
ECONOMIC AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS 
-------------------------------------- 
6.  AMERICA RENTS WAREHOUSE IN NUSAYBIN 
(Dunya)   An American delegation that came to 
Southeast Turkey prior to the outbreak of a 
possible war rented many places in Nusaybin.  The 
delegation came to Nusaybin, which is located 
near the Syrian border of Mardin, to investigate 
the region.  They investigated 
Cukobirlik;(Cukurova Integrated Textile Plant) 
yesterday morning and rented 16 warehouses for 
USD 30.000, and 154 shops in the industrial zone. 
The delegation later went to a village near Bagok 
Mountain to continue investigations; it is 
reported that they wanted to rent the village 
where missile batteries would be deployed. 
HOLTZ