SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY,

UNCLAS ADANA 0180 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU IZ ADANA SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY, JULY 9, 2003 ¶1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for July 9, 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. Radikal, Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Cumhuriyet, Bolge, Evrensel / There was an attempted assassination on A. Cafer Akyuz, the Governor of Tunceli. After about half an hour of fighting the Governor was rescued but two soldiers were killed and one was injured. The officials claim that the attack was done by PKK/KADEK terrorists. The Governor said that there were about ten terrorists and they used special assassination guns and Kalasnikov rifles. "Because we had a Turkish flag on our car, it is an attack on our flag and on our republic", Akyuz added. ¶3. Milliyet, Milli Gazete / A group of people bringing goods to sell in Agri wanted to cross the border through Gurbulak Gate. Turkish soldiers wanted to search the goods for security reasons. After a man from the group used some offensive Kurdish words with the soldiers a fight started. One of the Turkish soldiers got injured. Security officials arrested twenty-eight people from the group. ¶4. Evrensel / Gaziantep TEKEL (State Tobacco Factory) workers announced that they are not leaving their factory building in protest against the privatization policy of the government. (Editor's Note: TEKEL is one of the factories, which the government wants to privatize. Workers believe jobs will be lost and salaries lowered as a result). ECONOMICAL ¶5. Turkiye, Gunaydin, Bolge / Seventy Turkish businessman from Mersin went to Syria for a business trip. The group visited the heads of the Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber of Industry and signed contracts and pre-contracts in ten different business areas. ¶6. Tercuman / After the GAP Project in the EAST, people have no water problems and now people in Sanliurfa can do all kinds of water sports and swimming activities in the lake. HART