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