SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 0175

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU IZ ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY,
JULY 07, 2003


1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary
for July 07, 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 / Diyarbakir Human Rights
Committee is starting the investigations of
the two boys whose faces were covered by
feces by the police and the girl who was
raped continuously by people including some
government officials during a seven month
period.



3. Evrensel / Sirnak villagers protested the
government by walking towards Iraqi border
for the beating of Kerevan Berk, a Sirnak
villager, by the soldiers and for the
detainment of three villagers by the
government officials. The villagers
crossed the border and were stopped by the
Turkish soldiers. The governor of Sirnak
went to the village to calm down the
protesters and the military officials
released the three villagers.



4. Evrensel / "Meeting with the people"
festival in Bitlis was cancelled due to
some missing documents for the application.



5. Evrensel / DEHAP (Democratic People's
Party) Siirt Branch held a meeting on July

5. In the meeting people asked for a
general amnesty, which would cover Abdullah
Ocalan too.



6. Evrensel / In Yukari Turgali village in
Van, four villagers were killed by the
Iranian soldiers for smuggling in one and a
half year time period. Villagers say they
have no jobs and will continue smuggling
for survival.



7. Bolge, Turkiye / With the project of
temporary village guarding positions to be
cancelled, about 67,000 village guards in
the East are worried about their future.
They say they would be jobless and under
threat without their guns.



8. Turkiye, Radikal / 50 KADEK terrorists, who
wanted to enter Turkey through Caldiran
border and Turkish Security Forces clashed
in Caldiran, Van. A chief sergeant got
injured during the clash.



9. Turkiye / Ferat Yuksel, the head of the
Adana Nationalist Society (Ulku Ocaklari
Dernegi) announced that they don't approve
the detainment of eleven Turkish soldiers
by American troops in Suleymaniye. "It
wasn't only the detainment of those
soldiers but the detainment of the Turks
all over the world" he said.



10. Hurriyet / Kursat Tuzmen, The State
Secretary, announced that the detainment of

SIPDIS
Turkish soldiers affected the trade in
Habur border gate negatively. Due to the
security reasons the gate is sometimes
closed. When it is open there are high
security measures.



11. Milli Gazete / According to Italian La
Repubblica, Turkey could change its
decisions on Incirlik and close the Iraq
border due to the detainment of the eleven
Turkish soldiers. La Repubblica considered
the action as the distrust of US towards
Turkey.
HART