SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 0112

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU IZ ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY,
APRIL 17, 2003



1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary
for April 17, 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


Radikal: In response to what the fate of the US
military presence in Saudi Arabia and Turkey
would be as there was no more need for no flight
zones in southern and northern Iraq, US Defense
Secretary Rumsfeld, declared that together with

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Ankara, the mission of ONW, and the military
presence previously in Turkey for that objective
had been deployed elsewhere.


Cumhuriyet/Milli Gazete: The US is continuing to
remove military vehicles and equipment deployed
at Iskenderun port. It is reported that the
movement of the soldiers and equipment from
Turkey would be completed by April 23. After
departure of freighter "Cape Taylor" the previous
day, a big quantity of military equipment,
including six UH-60A type ambulance helicopters,
were loaded on freighter "Cape Vincent" which
will also carry the Patriot missile systems at
Incirlik AFB. The lease term at Iskenderun port,
where the US had been amassing military equipment
since February 18, will expire tomorrow. But it
is speculated that the US has extended the lease
contract until April 23, and it is expected that
the shipment of troops and military equipment
would be completed by then. In the meantime, 40
more US soldiers left Batman base.


Sabah: The indictment wherein villagers threw
stones and eggs at the US soldiers who went to a
village near Sanliurfa where a US missile had
erroneously fallen some time ago is kept
confidential. It is reported that the Chief

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Public Prosecutor of Sanliurfa proposed to the
Court of First Instance to keep the file
confidential after the news about the case

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appeared in Sabah paper. Thus the villagers and
their lawyers have been denied access to the
files. In response to lawyers' demand for lifting
the decision, the court said confidentiality of
the file was essential for the successful result
of the case.


Turkiye/Bolge: As a result of operations launched
by Adana police, 6 alleged PKK militants were
captured. The PKK suspects whose names have not
been disclosed by the security officials are
still under interrogation.


Evrensel: A hearing continued about Hasim
Beyazgul, a deaf and mute shepherd, was killed on
September 19, 2001 by soldiers affiliated with a
Jandarma Unit while grazing his sheep. The father
of the victim sued the soldiers at a court in Van
on charges of "deliberate killing and
unauthorized burying." Only the victim's father
and his attorney, Murat Timur, attended the
hearing yesterday which involved seven soldiers
being tried in absentia. The hearing was
adjourned to June 6, 2003 on the grounds that the
documents had not been completed yet.


Sabah: Because of the amendments made in the
Retirement Law, which now mandates retirement for
public employees aged 61, 11 governors recently
appointed by the AKP face compulsory retirement
if the cabinet does not prolong their tenure with
a special decree. The TNP General Director and
Former Regional Governor, Gokhan Aydiner and
governors of Hakkari and Van in the Adana
Consular district will also be retired per the
law.


Cumhuriyet: Turkey has been considering opening a
2nd Border Gate with Iraq and rescheduling Turkish
Airlines, THY, flights to Baghdad. The Ministry
of Foreign Affairs' Coordination Meeting attended
by public and private sector representatives
decided the following issues:
THY would start working on direct flights to
Baghdad; work on opening the second border gate
would be expedited, in addition to Habur gate;
efforts would be made to ensure that foodstuffs
and humanitarian relief items would be purchased
and transported from Turkey; efforts would be
made to build a direct railway to Iraq; the
contracting sector would be enlivened; special
projects credits would be given by Turkish
Eximbank to promote exports and contracting
services in Iraq; attempts would be made for
Turkish companies to do oil prospecting in Iraq;
and a competent representative would be sent to
the office set up by the US for rebuilding of
Iraq.


Bolge: The Turkish Air Lines' scheduled flights
to Gaziantep, which were cancelled due to
deployment of US troops at the airport for the
war on Iraq, will restart on April 18.
HOLTZ