SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 0153 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU IZ ADANA SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY, JUNE 06, 2003 ¶1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for June 06, 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: Egitim-Sen (Teachers' Union) members in Diyarbakir lived through a difficult period for twelve years because of applications during the State of Emergency Rule. Twenty-seven union members fell victim to mysterious killings while one hundred ninety six others were deported from the region. Egitim-Sen's Diyarbakir Chapter is going to prepare a report on the problems its members and administrators faced during this time. ¶3. Turkiye: It is reported that PKK/KADEK has decreased the number of its militants in camps in Northern Iraq as a precaution against a likely US operation against the PKK/KADEK in the region. The militants have been scattered from their winter camps to a more expanded area in smaller groups. It is claimed that the terrorist organization has instructed one hundred fifty militants in Northern Iraq to infiltrate into Turkey from the borders with Iraq, Syria, and Iran; and the ones in Turkey have been told to move to new bases in rural Bingol and Agri provinces. Because it is afraid that the Repent Law under consideration would encourage the militants to desert from and expedite the dissolution in the organization, PKK/KADEK instructed its militants it would never abandon arms. ¶4. Evrensel: Youth and Women Organizations of DEHAP in Diyarbakir, Sanliurfa, Siirt, Adana, and Batman provinces announced that the Repent Law on the country's agenda would deepen the problems, and emphasized, instead, a general amnesty, which would install peace and order in society, should be declared. The security officials in Batman did not allow the women's organization to make a press announcement in front of DEHAP's provincial office. ¶5. Evrensel: One hundred thirty families evicted from Yesilgoz village in Sirnak a number of years ago have not been allowed to return to the village; they have been kept at the entrance to Beytussebab for twenty days on the grounds that the village road is closed. The governor had earlier given the villagers permission to return to their village. A prominent villager, Abdurrahman Aslan, said Sirnak Governor, Vehbi Avuc, initially told him the reason the villagers have been kept in Beytussebab was because there was no fuel to open the village road. He said the governor later stated Aslan had not obtained his permission to return and he would not give such permission. When the AK Party district chairman suggested his party would buy fuel to open the village road if the governor granted permission, the governor scolded the party leader not to speak nonsense. ECONOMIC AND AGRICULTURAL DVELOPMENTS ¶6. Milliyet: Welding works of the pipes that will carry the Caspian oil via Baku-Tiblisi- Ceyhan route started at the exit terminal at Botas in Ceyhan. One million barrels of oil will be pumped from one thousand seven hundred sixty kilometer-long pipeline daily. Turkey will charge up to USD 250 million annual transition fee for the first 16 years and up to USD 400 million for years 16 to 40. HOLTZ