SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 0224 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU IZ ADANA SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY, AUGUST 26, 2003 ¶1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for August 26, 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. Zaman, Bolge, Milliyet, Expres, Cumhuriyet / A group of people from the Adana Nationalist Association protested attacks by Americans and Kurds on the Turkmen in Kirkuk. The group shouted slogans like "Kirkuk belongs to Turks," "Peshmerges will be buried in Kirkuk." ¶3. Zaman, Sabah Guney, Cumhuriyet / The new head of the Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi (CHP) in Tarsus is Abdulkadir Filiz. ¶4. Evrensel / The Adana Human Rights Organization announced that it is going to organize the celebrations for the September 1 Peace Day. Celebrations will start with a meeting in Mersin on September 1 and end on September 7. ¶5. Sabah, Turkiye / The court case of Abdullah Aktas, the imam who killed restaurant owner Murat Arslan last month, commenced in Adana. ¶6. Turkiye / In Batman province, security officials found 22 kg of marijuana and detained two people related with the incident. ¶7. Turkiye / Government electric utility investigators in Mersin province discovered the consumption of unauthorized electricity in the office of Salim Tumen, a bar attorney. As a result, the electric utility is suing him. ¶8. Cumhuriyet / Cumhuriyet reported the release of eleven people after their first court hearing, who shouted slogans praising PKK/KADEK during the banned 8th March celebrations in Mersin. ¶9. Hurriyet / A bomb specialist checked a suspect bag as left unattended at an Adana bridge. Police warned the people about not touching suspicious items in the city. (Editor's Note: This is the second warning from Adana police to the public concerning suspicious unattended packages). ¶10. Hurriyet / Police warned people at an Adana wedding ceremony who shouted slogans praising PKK/KADEK. When people started to throw stones at the police, the police officers opened fire injuring five people. ECONOMIC ¶11. Bolge, Sabah Guney, Expres / Ahmet Sari, head of the Adana Electrical Engineers' Association, announced that Sugozu thermoelectric power plant pollutes the water in Yumurtalik. Sari stated that polluted water kills the tortoises in the area. ¶12. Sabah Guney / Saban Bas, Head of the Adana Chamber of Commerce, announced that the Chamber has sold all the stands for the October International Industrial Fair. ¶13. Turkiye / Due to the recent incidents in Iraq, the Southeastern Businessmen Association cancelled their business trip to Iraq, scheduled for this week. Bedrettin Karaboga, head of the association, stated that, for their personal safety, the delegation members rescheduled the trip to September 14. REID