SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY

UNCLAS ADANA 0161 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU IZ ADANA SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY JUNE 17, 2003 ¶1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for June 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 ¶1. Tercuman/ Ankara and Stockholm face problems as Sweden is planning to publish some 100,000 Kurdish books. Sweden is planning to send these books to the Southeastern part of Turkey. The books will be free. Sweden has a budget of 551 billion TL for the books should the project be approved. ¶2. Milli Gazete/ Two terrorists have been killed in Bingol. Turkish Security Forces started an operation against PKK/KADEK in Bingol. During the operation two terrorists have been found dead. ¶3. Turkiye, Evrensel/Cumhuriyet/ Women from(NGO) Non-Government Organizations have started Women's Peace Campaign. The women wanted to submit a press information but their attempt was banned by the police. Some 100 women were placed under police supervision. Eren Kekin, the assistant head of the Human Rights Organization was placed under police supervision. ¶4. Evrensel,/Cemil Cicek, The Minister of Justice announced that nobody lost their life due to physical torture between 1990 and 2002 in the State of Emergency (OHAL). He admitted that 18 people had died while they were under police supervision aut it wasn't due to physical torture. Sirnak Court had sentenced 3 Turkish security officer to 16 years imprisonment because they had killed Salih Karaaslan while he was in police supervision. ¶5. Bolge,/Milliyet,/A group of people from the Egitim-Sen teachers union sent faxes to the Interior Minister, and to the Energy and Natural Resources Minister. They emphasized the death of Hasan Balikci who was an electrical engineer and wanted the murderer to be found as soon as possible. It is believed that a factory owner had him killed because Balikci had started an investigation on the factory owner because he was using electricity through an unauthorized power line. HOLTZ