US embassy cable - 03ADANA180

UNCLAS ADANA 0180 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, IZ, ADANA, Press Summaries 
SUBJECT:  SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY, 
          JULY 9, 2003 
 
 
1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press 
summary for July 9, 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, Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, 
Cumhuriyet, Bolge, Evrensel / There was an 
attempted assassination on A. Cafer Akyuz, 
the Governor of Tunceli.  After about half 
an hour of fighting the Governor was 
rescued but two soldiers were killed and 
one was injured.  The officials claim that 
the attack was done by PKK/KADEK 
terrorists.  The Governor said that there 
were about ten terrorists and they used 
special assassination guns and Kalasnikov 
rifles. "Because we had a Turkish flag on 
our car, it is an attack on our flag and 
on our republic", Akyuz added. 
 
 
3. Milliyet, Milli Gazete / A group of people 
bringing goods to sell in Agri wanted to 
cross the border through Gurbulak Gate. 
Turkish soldiers wanted to search the 
goods for security reasons. After a man 
from the group used some offensive Kurdish 
words with the soldiers a fight started. 
One of the Turkish soldiers got injured. 
Security officials arrested twenty-eight 
people from the group. 
 
 
4. Evrensel / Gaziantep TEKEL (State Tobacco 
Factory) workers announced that they are 
not leaving their factory building in 
protest against the privatization policy 
of the government.  (Editor's Note: TEKEL 
is one of the factories, which the 
government wants to privatize.  Workers 
believe jobs will be lost and salaries 
lowered as a result). 
 
 
ECONOMICAL 
 
 
5. Turkiye, Gunaydin, Bolge / Seventy Turkish 
businessman from Mersin went to Syria for 
a business trip.  The group visited the 
heads of the Chamber of Commerce and the 
Chamber of Industry and signed contracts 
and pre-contracts in ten different 
business areas. 
 
 
6. Tercuman / After the GAP Project in the 
EAST, people have no water problems and 
now people in Sanliurfa can do all kinds 
of water sports and swimming activities in 
the lake. 
HART