Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ADANA101
2003-04-09 15:10:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Consulate Adana
Cable title:  

SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY,

Tags:  PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU IZ ADANA 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ADANA 0101 

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU IZ ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY,
APRIL 09, 2003


UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ADANA 0101

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU IZ ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY,
APRIL 09, 2003



1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary
for April 09, 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. Cumhuriyet: It is reported that KDP leader
Mesut Barzani has been directing Turkomen
refugees to Turkey, in an effort to influence
northern Iraq's demographics in favor of the
Kurds. It is claimed that Barzani, in order not
to give Turkey a chance to penetrate into
Northern Iraq, has been keeping the Kurds who
would like pass into Turkey in northern Iraq by
force of arms.



3. Bolge: Adana affiliates of the Turkish
Transportation-Union left a black wreath at US
Consulate Adana yesterday. Around 20
demonstrators holding flags and banners gathered
across from the Consulate, where police had taken
stringent security measures. The crowd shouted
slogans such as "Oil is magnificent; Saddam is a
pretext," "No to war," and "Damn America."
Holding a press conference at the scene, the
President of the Adana chapter of the union,
Orhan Yavuz, said that the US was testing out its
weaponry on the people of Iraq. He urged
consumers and shopkeepers not to buy US and
Jewish products, because each penny they
(Americans and Jews) made from such trade
returned to them as bullets, tanks, missiles,
bombs, and chemical weapons.



4. Evrensel: Adana DEHAP will hold its 3rd
Ordinary Convention on April 19, 2003. DEHAP's
Provincial Chairman, Mehmet Cancelik, said
priority should be given to resolving the Kurdish
and Palestinian issues in a fair, democratic, and
peaceful manner in order to bring lasting peace
and order to the Middle East.



5. Cumhuriyet: The "Coordination Center" planned
to be established between Turkey, the US, and
northern Iraqi groups has not become operational
yet. It is reported that the Kurdish groups and
the Turkomen have each reported to Washington and
Ankara two names designated for the unit, and
Turkey has been considering "a retired soldier"
and a diplomat for the slots. Should Washington
give the nod to formation of the "Coordination

Center" this week, then the representatives will
be able to congregate in Silopi next week. Their
activities will be restricted to migration,
humanitarian relief, and resolution of possible
disputes between factions.



6. Milliyet: With completion of the mission of
ONW, which was first set up at Incirlik AFB right
after the 1991 Gulf War, all of the planes
deployed at the base for that purpose have now
left Turkey.



7. Milliyet: The port of Mersin is being
evacuated by the US. A Spanish flag-carrier
freighter docked at Mersin port to take back
military and medical equipment, as well as some
86 containers of humanitarian relief, all of
which had been unloaded at the port some time
ago.



8. Cumhuriyet/Evrensel: The Americans are
continuing to send the equipment at bases in
Mardin to Iskenderun port and Incirlik AFB. The
lease term for Iskenderun port has been extended
until April 18 for an additional USD 2 million.
Facilities rented in Kiziltepe by the US were
turned over to the owners. In Nusaybin, the
President of Merchants and Craftsmen Association
said they were trying to complete the
construction of the Industrial Zone with the
money they earned from the US for rent; the US
left the bases in Nusaybin some time ago. In
Sirnak, 47 reporters from various news agencies -
- including TRT, Star, IHA, Show-TV, Channel 7,
Channel D, Yeni Safak, NTV, CHA, STV, and BBC --
filed petitions through the Press Center set up
in Cizre with the Sirnak Governorate and the
Cizre Sub-Governorate to facilitate working
conditions in the region. In their petitions, the
reporters demanded to be allowed to work without
hindrance along the Sirnak-Hakkari line that
forms the border with northern Iraq, as well as
to be allowed to cross into northern Iraq via the
Habur Border Gate in order to observe the
humanitarian relief and refugee conditions in
northern Iraq. Currently Habur Border gate has
been sealed off and some regions have been
declared a "special military zone."



9. Cumhuriyet: Because of increased military
activity in northern Iraq, Turkey has put out the
alarm for a possible wave of refugees. Following
the accord made with Secretary of State Powell
concerning relief assistance to Iraq, some 500
tons of foodstuffs were brought to Dohuk by 20
Turkish trucks. The UN also purchased 6,244 tons
of flour from Turkey. Foodstuffs for 25,000
people -- along with tents, blankets, and mobile
kitchens for 50,000 people -- were dispatched to
Silopi, which has been designated as the
Humanitarian Assistance Coordination Center in
Turkey. Foodstuffs that would suffice for 100,000
people are being kept in Turkish Red
Crescent(Kizilay) warehouses. Some 30 Turkish
deputy governors who have been trained in
humanitarian relief issues are stationed in
Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, and Silopi.



10. Turkiye: It was announced by the Diyarbakir
Security Directorate that three alleged PKK
members were arrested on charges of transferring
materiel to PKK militants in rural areas and
harboring them. The three members of the
organization were ordered held by the court
following conclusion of their interrogation at
the security directorate.



11. Turkiye: Based on a tip, jandarma arrested
three persons in possession of historical items
from the Urartian period (9th century BCE) in
Malazgirt (Mus). It is reported that the market
value of the items was somewhere between USD 150-
180,000. The interrogation of the detainees is
ongoing.

12. Evrensel: Distribution of magazines
published by student organizations at Cukurova
University (Adana) is being blocked on minor
pretexts by the university rector, who claims
that there should be only one publication at the
university. Magazines freely sold in town are
prohibited at the university. Two seniors at the
Faculty of Philosophy who are members of the
"Gara Writing Club" -- Nurhan Ozgun and Mustafa
Esme -- said they probably would face
interrogation for publishing the 2nd issue of the
magazine titled "Gara."


ECONOMIC AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS



13. Bolge/Turkiye/Hurriyet: A trade delegation
from Adana set off for a four-day trip to Greece.
The President of the Adana Chamber of Industry,
Umit Ozgumus, said they would make every effort
to promote cooperation between businessmen in
both countries, and added that they benefited
greatly from a similar visit to Syria last year.
18 representatives from the metal-machinery
sector, 13 from food processing, 10 from
textiles, 10 from forest products and furniture,
9 from cotton-ginning, 7 from construction, and 5
from various other sectors are taking the trip,
which is headed by the Governor of Adana, Kemal
Onal.
HOLTZ