SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 0208 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU IZ ADANA SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY, AUGUST 01, 2003 ¶1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for August 01, 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 / For the first time in 15 years an anesthetist was appointed to Mardin State Hospital. ¶3. Dunya / "%75 of the malaria cases occur in the Southeast of Turkey", stated The GAP Health Report. According to the report the region is desperately in need of medical doctors and health personnel and most contagious diseases are reported in this part of Turkey. ¶4. Turkiye / Hikmet Tan, Governor of Van announced that PKK members who would benefit from the Amnesty Law will be housed in Vanspor Social Center during their questioning. After their investigation the ones who did not commit any crime will be released. It is reported that a great number of PKK members are at the border to benefit from the Amnesty Law. ECONOMICAL ¶5. Bolge / Kerkuk-Yumurtalik oil pipeline will not open until October 2003 due to some construction problems. (Editor's Note: There has been sabotage to the pipeline on June 12) ¶6. Milliyet, Express, Radikal, / A team of about fifty Turkish cooks were sent to Iraq to cook for the American soldiers. The cooks were chosen among the retired cooks and their assistants from Incirlik Base. ¶7. Dunya / Selim Arpaci, Head of Pistachio Nut Research Center in Antep announced that they will get a better crops if they use the modern and scientific techniques in farming. ¶8. Cumhuriyet / Munzur Nature and Culture Festival in Tunceli has started under very strict security measures. Festival will last four days. Some music groups, authors and artists will be visiting Tunceli during the festival. ¶9. Gunaydin, Hurriyet, Milliyet, Bolge, Turkiye / Hasan Aslan from Karatas grew the first cotton crops in Adana. Cukobirlik purchased his first crops for 12,600,000 TL per kilogram. EDITORIAL According to Gila Benmayor from Hurriyet Koc Holding, Ramstores, and AvrAsya Building Construction Company are interested in doing business in Syria. Benmayor stated that Syria has problems in its financial sector. There is only one official Bank in Syria, which is The Central Bank of Syria. Just recently three more banks were given permission to start business, which were from Lebanon, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Benmayor stated that Kocbank is planning to open a branch in Syria. Ramstore also had similar plans but due to the Iraqi war they decided to wait. HART