US embassy cable - 03ADANA116

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 0116 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, IZ, ADANA, Press Summaries 
SUBJECT:  SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY, 
          APRIL 22, 2003 
 
 
1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary 
for April 22, 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. 
 
 
POLITICAL, SECURITY, HUMAN RIGHTS 
 
 
Radikal: It is reported that the person code 
named "Mahmut" who committed suicide during the 
security forces' PKK/KADEK operation in Silopi, 
was the PKK's person in charge for Cudi Mountain. 
It is claimed that "Mahmut" whose ID has not been 
disclosed yet, was a Syrian national. The police 
in Silopi started surveillance last Friday of a 
PKK/KADEK suspect, Abdullah Kayhan, who met with 
two persons known as "Mahmut" and "Harun."  When 
the security forces arrested Harun, Mahmut, 
recognizing that he also would be arrested, 
committed suicide. 
 
 
Cumhuriyet/Evrensel/Sabah/Radikal/Hurriyet:  In 
its most recent issue, Time Magazine selected the 
chairwoman of Diyarbakir-based Ka-Mer (Women's 
Center), Nebahat Akkoc, as one of the 38 persons 
identified as "the heroes of the modern age." 
The contestants were selected from people living 
in Europe and the Middle East.  The magazine 
emphasized that Akkoc struggled for defending the 
rights of Anatolian women exposed to domestic 
violence, and added that according to the UN 
figures, 58 percent of women in Anatolia were 
exposed to violent acts by their spouses.  The 
mother of two children, Mrs. Akkoc, who lost her 
husband to a mysterious killing in 1993, founded 
Ka-Mer in Diyarbakir in 1997, and has been 
providing legal and psychological support at its 
seven branches in the southeast to women 
subjected to violence.  Currently, Mrs. Akkoc is 
focused on fighting against honor killings in the 
rural regions, a common practice, and has managed 
to rescue a young girl for whom a death decision 
was made. 
 
 
Turkiye/Bolge/Milli Gazete: The new courthouse of 
Adana, the construction of which started five 
years ago and cost approximately USD 9.375 
million, was opened for service. Regarding the 
new courthouse, the Chief Public Prosecutor, 
Cemal Sahir Gurcay, said he attached great 
importance to security, and had assigned 58 
policemen in addition to the jandarma for that 
purpose.  Gurcay added that he was particularly 
interested in the internal security of the 
building in order to eradicate the negative 
reputation of the former courthouse famed for 
fights among the families attending the hearings. 
 
 
Turkiye/Bolge:  In Adana, the police arrested 10 
persons, including three women, for being members 
of "Cakarlar," a gang which extorted money from 
citizens in various quarters of the town by 
threat or blackmail. The suspects were arrested 
when the police launched an operation to arrest 
the perpetrators of armed assaults at two tea- 
shops and a house in Seyhan district.  While 
searching the suspects' homes, the police seized 
one automatic Kalashnikov, one hunting gun, and 
ammunition for those weapons.  The suspects were 
taken to the State Security Court following the 
completion of their interrogation at the Security 
Directorate.  The suspects threatened a 
journalist with death as they left for court. The 
police are still looking for the alleged leader 
of the gang, Tarik Cakar. 
 
 
Turkiye:  Based on a tip, the police in Adiyaman 
arrested Dogan Tanriverdi red-handed while he was 
trying to sell 4 kilos of heroin in town.  An 
investigation is underway, the officials said. 
HOLTZ