US embassy cable - 03ADANA164

UNCLAS ADANA 0164 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, IZ, Press Summaries, ADANA 
SUBJECT:  SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY, 
          JUNE 24, 2003 
 
 
1.  This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary 
for June 24, 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. Milli Gazete, Bolge  / The workers who had 
been fired from CEAS are organizing to ask 
for their rights. 1400 workers had lost 
their jobs without any particular reason 
when Uzan family took over the factory. 
 
 
3. Turkiye, / 185 Afghans were caught in Van; 
they were thought to have entered Turkey 
from Iran illegally. 
 
 
4. Turkiye, / In Urfa the government asked the 
village guards to protect BOTAS Pipeline. 
The guards said they guard to provide peace 
and security in their area. "Guarding the 
pipeline is not our job", they added. 
 
 
 
 
5. Milliyet, Hurriyet / EU will send 500 
million Euros to the Southeast each year 
until 2006.  EU is also appropriating 9 
million Euros for education in Diyarbakir. 
 
 
 
 
6. Milliyet, /In an interview on CNN Turk, The 
chairman of DEHAP Mr. Bakirhan says they 
are ready to be the mediator between KADEK 
and The Turkish Government.  Bakirhan says 
they will not only concentrate on the 
Kurdish problem, but the problems of Turkey 
as a whole. 
 
 
7. Evrensel, / 140 families in Sirnak want to 
return to their villages.  The government 
wouldn't let them, so the Human Rights 
Organization in Diyarbakir is evaluating 
the problem with the government 
authorities. 
HOLTZ