US embassy cable - 03ADANA183

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 0183 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, IZ, ADANA, Press Summaries 
SUBJECT:  SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY 
JULY 11, 2003 
 
1.  This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary 
for July 11, 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. Milliyet / Gendarme General Command 
Secretariat announced that the two private 
 
SIPDIS 
bus companies blocked the Tunceli-Pertek 
road on July 9, not PKK. It is claimed that 
they did it to be able to ask for more 
security measures from the Gendarme. 
(Editor's Note: More security measures mean 
more travelers). 
 
 
3. Milliyet / All Cukobirlik Textile Factory 
Workers (1200) will get their severance pay 
in 10 days and they will be hired by a 
private company in four weeks time. 
Workers are believed to receive less 
payment by the new company but they'll have 
their jobs. 
 
 
4. Bolge / Democratic People's Party (DEHAP) 
Women's branch in Mersin gathered in a park 
and asked for peace and general amnesty. 
 
 
5. Bolge / Three historical churches in 
Hakkari are believed to be used as 
woodsheds by the local people. The 
conditions of the churches are 
deteriorating and it seems difficult to get 
information from the government officials. 
 
 
6. Cumhuriyet / Diyarbakir Human Rights 
Organization (HRO) announced the reasons of 
the Sirnak villagers walking towards Iraq 
in a press conference.  The incident 
happened on July 5 when the two villagers 
were asked to sign a paper that included 
some false allegations about their 
relatives.  When they refused to sign it 
they claim that they were tied on an 
electric post in the garden of the gendarme 
office. About 600 villagers came to watch 
and protest against the action. Then they 
all walked towards Iraq and wanted to cross 
the border. They were stopped by the 
security officials at the border and 
convinced to return to their village. HRO 
claims that these people's lives are under 
threat. 
 
 
7. Evrensel / In a meeting in Van, to protest 
against the arrest of twenty-five young 
people in Diyarbakir, it is claimed that 
police arrested Faysal Yacan, tied him at 
the back of an APC (Armored Personnel 
Carrier) and pulled him for about 100 
meters. (Editor's Note: There is no date 
given for when the incident happened) 
 
 
8. Evrensel / Villagers who returned to their 
villages in Sirnak have hope for the 
future.  One of the women said although 
they don't have their animals, which they 
need for milk, they could safely collect 
herbs on the mountains as before and keep 
their spirits high. 
HART