US embassy cable - 03ADANA151

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 0151 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, IZ, Press Summaries, ADANA 
SUBJECT:  SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY, 
          JUNE 04, 2003 
 
 
1.  This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary 
for June 04, 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 
 
 
2.  Radikal/Evrensel: Elbeyli Sub-governorate in 
Kilis organized a conference on May 30 so as to 
turn public opinion against "Armenians' 
Fictitious Claim of Genocide." It was mandated 
all public employees in town attend the 
conference. Assistant Associate Prof. Dr. Mehmet 
Kabacik from Kilis' Educational Faculty was the 
speaker of the conference. Kabacik got furious 
when Hulya Akpinar, a member of Teachers' Union 
Executive Board, asked Kabacik if Turkey had an 
integrated policy in the event the Armenians 
managed to make their case accepted because of 
the strong Armenian lobby in the United States 
and Europe. Kabacik asked the teacher who she 
was, with what title, and on whose behalf she 
dared to ask such a question. Kabacik's reaction 
disturbed the audiences. In order not to prolong 
the argument with Kabacik, Akpinar left the 
conference room with her five colleagues and 
returned later. Acting Elbeyli Sub-governor 
Ramazan Yildirim prepared a report expressing 
that the six teachers provoked the conference. 
The court accused Akpinar of "making statements 
and behaving in a manner that would cause 
indignation in public." The judge decided on 
releasing Akpinar on bail of approximately one 
thousand USD. The rest of the teachers were 
released on the condition of reporting to the 
court when needed. Because Akpinar could not 
locate an official to deposit the bail, she 
remained under detention the previous day. After 
depositing the bail last evening, Akpinar was let 
free. 
 
 
3.  Milliyet: According to a piece of news wired 
on the internet by "Kerkuk-Kurdistan," the 
Kurdish Institute in Istanbul, KII, claimed 
Kurdish and Kurdish culture was under pressure in 
Turkey. The KII and the Kurdish Cultural 
Foundation in Sweden, KCFIS, asked for financial 
support from the Swedish Consul in Istanbul for 
printing one hundred thousand books in Kurdish 
and distributing them in Eastern and Southeastern 
Turkey for free. It is claimed that the Swedish 
government has appropriated approximately 377 
thousand USD for publishing 20 books in Kurdish 
and distributing them until the end of 2004. 
 
 
4.  Cumhuriyet: A union is being established in 
Sirnak for the first time after the lifting of 
the State of Emergency from the Southeast. The 
groups affiliated to KESK (Public Employees' 
Unions' Confederation) applied to the governor's 
office for opening their branches. The State of 
Emergency, declared in the region in 1987, 
thwarted opening union branches and prohibited 
many activities. It is going to be hard for the 
unions to find public employees who would qualify 
to become members to their unions because the 
employees generally serve in Sirnak for a period 
of two years. 
 
 
5.  Bolge/Turkiye: Three people kidnapped Nusret 
Gulec, director of Is-Bank in Pozanti, Adana, and 
held her for ransom. A person coming to the bank 
yesterday morning asked the bank director to ride 
with him on the pretext of visiting a client. As 
the director got into the car two other fellows 
got into the car, too. When Gulec realized that 
he was being kidnapped, he struggled with the 
drivers and the fellows in the car. The car ran 
into a bus cruising on E-5 highway. Gulec and the 
kidnappers were wounded in the accident. The 
police arrested the kidnappers. 
HOLTZ