US embassy cable - 03ADANA161

UNCLAS ADANA 0161 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, IZ, ADANA, Press Summaries 
SUBJECT:  SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY 
JUNE 17, 2003 
 
 
1.  This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary 
for June 17, 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 
 
 
1. Tercuman/ Ankara and Stockholm face 
problems as Sweden is planning to publish 
some 100,000 Kurdish books. Sweden is 
planning to send these books to the 
Southeastern part of Turkey. The books will 
be free.   Sweden has a budget of 551 
billion TL  for the books should the 
project be approved. 
 
 
2. Milli Gazete/ Two terrorists have been 
killed in Bingol. Turkish Security Forces 
started an operation against PKK/KADEK in 
Bingol. During the operation two terrorists 
have been found dead. 
 
 
3. Turkiye, Evrensel/Cumhuriyet/ Women 
from(NGO) Non-Government Organizations have 
started  Women's Peace Campaign. The women 
wanted to submit a press information but 
their attempt was banned by the police. 
Some 100 women were placed under police 
supervision. Eren Kekin, the assistant head 
of the Human Rights Organization was placed 
under police supervision. 
 
 
4. Evrensel,/Cemil Cicek, The Minister of 
Justice announced that nobody lost their 
life due to physical torture between 1990 
and 2002 in the State of Emergency (OHAL). 
He admitted that 18 people had died while 
they were under police supervision aut it 
wasn't due to physical torture. Sirnak 
Court had sentenced 3 Turkish security 
officer to 16 years imprisonment because 
they had killed Salih Karaaslan while he 
was in police supervision. 
 
 
5. Bolge,/Milliyet,/A group of people from the 
Egitim-Sen teachers union sent faxes to the 
Interior Minister, and to the Energy and 
Natural Resources Minister. They emphasized 
the death of Hasan Balikci who was an 
electrical engineer and wanted the murderer 
to be found as soon as possible. It is 
believed that a factory owner had him 
killed because Balikci had started an 
investigation on the factory owner because 
he was using electricity through an 
unauthorized power line. 
HOLTZ