US embassy cable - 03ADANA82

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 0082 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, IZ, Press Summaries, ADANA 
SUBJECT:  SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY, 
          MARCH 19, 2003 
 
1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary 
for March 19, 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. 
 
 
2.  Milliyet/Turkiye/Tercuman/Dunya/Hurriyet: 
Kurds in northern Iraq who are afraid that Saddam 
may launch a chemical attack started fleeing 
toward the Turkish and Iranian borders. The 
number who have left their houses has reached 
20,000 people. Thousands of people leaving 
Kirkuk, Mosul, Dohuk and its townships moved 
toward locations close to the Turkish border, 
such as Selidiza, Sersing, Batufa, Begopva, and 
Bamerni. While some of the Kurds stay with their 
relatives in those places, the others set up 
tents. In the meantime, Kurdish holders of 
passports with dual citizenship entered Turkey 
from Habur border gate. 
 
 
3.  Cumhuriyet: Turkey is considering setting up 
camps in northern Iraq to help thousands of 
refugees in the war. Turkey is not planning to 
seal its borders but will allow "controlled 
passes" into Turkey. Iran announced that it would 
not except refugees into the country but would 
help them on the Iraqi side of the border. While 
civilians in Kirkuk try to go to safer 
mountainous Kurdish region in the North, it is 
reported that the Iraqi soldiers in Kirkuk are 
demoralized and ready to surrender.  It has been 
announced from that municipality's loudspeakers 
that anyone who went out of their houses would be 
shot during the war. 
 
 
4.  Tercuman: The Red Cross and Red Crescent 
Federation announced that it has prepared the 
largest emergency relief operation in its 
history. The Federation has units poised in Iraq 
and neighboring countries to supply refugees' 
needs, including field hospitals, potable water, 
toilet facilities, and other urgent necessities. 
The Federation expects to give services to at 
least one million people a month in those units. 
The Federation has prepared sheltering facilities 
for up to 250,000 refugees who might flee from 
Iraq to Iran, Jordan, Syria, and Turkey. The 
camps on the Turkish side have been rechecked and 
any shortcomings have been rectified. 
 
 
5.  Milliyet/Radikal/Sabah/Tercuman: In a joint 
meeting of representatives from the US, Turkey, 
and Iraqi Kurds and Turkmens in Ankara, it was 
agreed that the Kurds will not enter Mosul and 
Kirkuk.  The US will administer the region. 
Turkmens will be included in Iraq's new 
administration.  An independent Kurdish will not 
be founded.  The US envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, 
warned the Kurds against rioting. Turkey said it 
could unilaterally enter northern Iraq to stop 
refugee flows; the Kurds rejected Turkey's 
possible unilateral incursion. Khalilzad 
announced Turkey should act in harmony with the 
coalition forces, and urged a "commission of five 
parties" under US leadership - and including 
Turkey, IKDP, PUK, and Turkmens -- to be 
established to deal with migration, combating 
terrorism, and other issues. 
 
 
6.  Cumhuriyet/Radikal: It is reported that the 
"Repubblica Drima" Italian-flag vessel was not 
allowed to offload six of its containers, 
including ammunitions for Stinger missiles and 
tanks. Stingers had been offloaded some time ago 
from a different freighter for the protection of 
US bases in Turkey. Based on instructions by the 
Turkish General Staff, the lids of the freighter 
were kept locked. 
 
 
7.  Cumhuriyet/Radikal/Evrensel: Based on 
increased tension and security concerns the 
Department of State announced a public warning 
that US citizens in 23 provinces in Southeast 
Turkey should leave the region and postpone any 
nonessential travel there. While the Department 
of State initiated authorized departure from the 
Consulate in Adana, the Pentagon authorized 
voluntary departure of dependents of military 
personnel at Incirlik AB. 
 
 
8. Cumhuriyet/Radikal/Sabah/Tercuman/Dunya/Hurri yet: 
As tension has mounted prior the war, Incirlik AB 
was put on alert status "Charlie", the status 
before the war.  The announcement of the next 
level, "Delta", will mean war has started. 
 
 
9.  Evrensel: "Regional Crisis Management 
Centers" have been established in the provinces 
in the region.  The purpose of these centers is 
coordinate relief operations together with 
international relief organizations.  In addition, 
it has been announced that press members without 
credentials are prohibited from working in 
Diyarbakir, Mardin, Batman, Sirnak, Hakkari and 
Van provinces.  The credentials cards issued by 
the Diyarbakir Press Center will be valid for a 
period of two months and should be carried with a 
valid ID card or passport. 
 
 
10.  Evrensel: It has been announced by Adana's 
Labor, Peace and Democracy Block, made up of 
DEHAP, EMEP, labor unions, and NGOs, that Newroz 
festivities will be held at the Yuregir 
Secondhand Auto Market Lot in Adana at 10:00 a.m. 
on March 21. Various concerts will play Turkish, 
Kurdish, and Arabic tunes. 
 
 
11.  Evrensel: On the grounds of being 
unproductive, the Vocational School of 
Agriculture along the Van-Ercis highway is being 
turned into F-type prison. No new students have 
been enrolled for the past two years, and the 
school currently has only 16 students. Of the 
school's 12,700 acres, only 750 acres will be 
left to the school while the remainder will be 
turned over to the Justice Ministry for prison. 
 
 
12.  Turkiye: Based on a tip, jandarma arrested 
nine persons in Sati village of Diyarbakir. While 
searching the car of one of the detainees, 
jandarma found 300 grams of heroin in secret 
compartments of the vehicle. In Malatya, the 
police seized 4 kilograms of heroin in a house. 
HOLTZ