SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ADANA 0431 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU IZ ADANA SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY, DECEMBER 25-26, 2002 ¶1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for December 25-26, 2002. Please note that Turkish press reports often contain errors or exaggerations; AmConsulate Adana does not vouch for the accuracy of the reports summarized here. POLITICS, SECURITY, HUMAN RIGHTS -------------- ¶2. WAR PREPARATIONS AT MERSIN PORT (Hurriyet/Milliyet/Dunya) Increased activities began at the Mersin Port, which the papers indicate the U.S. wants to make use of during its proposed military operation against Iraq. Six of the port's 21 wharves have been closed to commercial traffic, with giant cranes dismantled. Mersin Port Operation Director Kenan Sen described the increased activities as normal. Sen confirmed the deepening works at three wharves allocated to NATO by the National Defense Ministry. ¶3. OPERATION CENTER WILL BE IN DIYARBAKIR (Cumhuriyet) The U.S. is planning to ship military equipment and ammunition it wants carried into northern Iraq to the port at Mersin and then transport it by railway to its operation centers. Diyarbakir is considered to be the center of an operation to be launched from the North. Hurriyet reported Iskenderun (Hatay) District Governor Unal Erdogan, Coast Guard Commander Captain Murat Ozer and Security Director Salih Gokalp visited the Iskenderun Port, meeting with Operation Director Cumhur Ozturk. The U.S. reportedly wants to use the port during its proposed intervention in Iraq. The delegation then went to the Iskenderun (Hatay) Steel Plant Isdemir Port and met with Isdemir officials. They then surveyed local hotels that might be used as possible accommodations in case American soldiers came to Iskenderun. A U.S. delegation had previously inspected the Iskenderun Port as well. ¶4. EXERCISE AT INCIRLIK AIR BASE (Hurriyet) Tenth Tanker Base Command held a routine exercise on December 25 at Adana's Incirlik Air Base. People in residential areas around the base got excited when sirens were heard at Incirlik, which is likely to be the operation center of the proposed war in Iraq. During the exercise, two F- 16's flew over the base, followed by a simulated fire in hangars near AWACS early-warning planes. The planes landed in mid-day. Then, as part of the exercise, a person with a false ID card was captured at the main gate, with announcements stating that the password had been broken. ¶5. ADANA U.S. CONSULATE WILL MOVE (Hurriyet/Milliyet/Bolge/Evrensel) U.S. Consulate in Adana, which is in a Sabanci Holding Company's Bossa building, has been looking for a new office space, as its leasing contract will expire next month. Facing reactions from nearby merchants following closure of the roads around the Consulate due to security reasons, Consulate officials looked at another Sabanci building but reached no agreement. Sabanci Holding officals confirmed the Consulate's effort to find a new office. Sabanci officials said roads around the Consulate, which is on Ataturk Street, had been closed as a security precaution. "The Consulate's leasing contract is expiring in the New Year. The fact that the roads are closed disturbs the nearby merchants and all citizens. We face pressure from the public and merchants. They (Consulate officials) do not want to move out, but we asked them to move. Then, Consulate officials began to seek a new place," they added. Sabanci officials indicated temporarily moving the consulate initially to Hilton-Sa and then to another building entered the agenda. They gave the following information: "Their move to Hilton-Sa was not accepted. We showed them the closed Gunes Newspaper facility, a property that belongs to the Sabanci Holding's Ex-Sa company, on the Adana-Ceyhan highway. Consulate officials examined the ... building .... They wanted to lease it but we informed them we want to sell it. They will inform us of their decision after evaluating the building's status." ¶6. CRITICISM OF PROPOSED U.S. WAR IN IRAQ (Bolge/Turkiye) Adana Chamber of Industry president Umit Ozgumus and Mustafa Caliskan, President of the Adana chapter of the Islamist-oriented Independent Industrialists and Businessmen's Association (MUSIAD),voiced opposition to the proposed U.S. operation against Iraq. Turkiye quoted Malatya Active Businessmen's Association and MUSIAD presidents as saying an intervention in Iraq would deeply impact the Turkish economy. ¶7. KADEK (PKK) SUSPECTS HELD (Evrensel) A Sanliurfa court ordered two suspected KADEK (PKK) members arrested in Hilvan (Sanliurfa) to remain in custody. ¶8. KURDISH NAME REJECTED (Evrensel) The Dicle (Diyarbakir) Birth Registry Directorate denied parent Mehmet Sert permission to give the Kurdish name "Rozerin" ("Sun-light Blonde") to his two-month-old daughter. Sert then applied to the District Governor's Office, but failed to receive permission because "Rozerin was the name of KADEK (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan's bodyguard." ¶9. BULLET CASINGS IN DIYARBAKIR FOR ANALYSIS (Cumhuriyet) Bullet casings found following the assassination in Ankara of Associate Professor Necip Hablemitoglu earlier this month were sent to Diyarbakir for analysis. Diyarbakir Governor Cemil Serhadli said the casings would be compared against 300,000 other casings registered in Diyarbakir to determine if the pistol had been used in any previous incident. Turkiye (12/26) reported Diyarbakir Security Directorate officials had failed to find any match for the two 9mm bullet casings sent to Diyarbakir. ¶10. MAYOR UNDER INVESTIGATION (Evrensel) The Interior Ministry has launched an investigation against Adana's Kucuk Dikili district Mayor Mehmet Yasik (from the People's Democracy Party - HADEP) for "not attending the October 29 Turkish Independence Day celebrations." The investigation followed Buyuk Dikili Jandarma Commander Bahtiyar Dogan's letter (of complaint) to the ministry. ¶11. GAZIANTEP JOURNALIST CHARGES POLICE WITH TORTURE (Evrensel) Murat Sen, distributor of the Gaziantep newspaper Yeniden Ozgur Gundem, claimed police arrested him on Saturday night (12/21). They reportedly blindfolded and took him to an unknown place, accusing him of hanging banners on walls. After two days of detention, Sen was released on Monday (12/23). ¶12. DICLE U. STUDENTS ASSOCIATION RE-OPENS (Evrensel) The Dicle University (Diyarbakir) Students Association, which was closed for three years, recently resumed operation. ECONOMIC AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS -------------- ¶13. MT. NEMRUT BELONGS TO ADIYAMAN (Hurriyet/Radikal) In an effort to end disputes between the Southeastern provinces of Adiyaman and Malatya over the ownership of Mt. Nemrut, the Council of State decided Nemrut is within the provincial borders of Adiyaman. Nemrut is located 87 kilometers away from Adiyaman and 291 kilometers from Malatya. HOLTZ