SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY,

UNCLAS ADANA 0237 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU IZ ADANA SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2003 ¶1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for September 10, 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. Evrensel, Cumhuriyet / According to the Landmine Search Committee report there are about 900,000 landmines in Turkey, constituting signs of possible danger in the future. 615,000 of those mines are on Turkish-Syrian border and about 35,000 of them are in the Southeast area. After the announcement of the report the Diyarbakir Law Bar Association announced its campaign to fight against landmines. ¶3. Bolge, Ekspres / Ismail Cem, Leader of the New Turkey Party (YTP),visited Adana. During his visit he stated that YTP is the only "real" opposition political party in Turkey. ¶4. Turkiye / Gaziantep province police found about 120,000 illegally produced Captagon tablets, which are illegal to sell without a prescription. Police also sealed the building where the tablets were produced. ECONOMIC ¶5. Turkiye, Zaman / Cukobirlik Factory, which was closed about three months ago, was to be leased including its dedicated workforce. Tender for the lease was due on September 9 however no company applied for the tender. As a result, about 1,200 workers at the factory are being furloughed for three months. CULTURE and TOURISM ¶6. Turkiye / Excavation work at the Karasis Castle in Kozan, Adana province, continues under the supervision of Professor Artur Hoffman. Hoffman stated that although Metro Markets financially supports the work, extra financial support is still needed. ¶7. Milli Gazete / The International Mersin Music Festival starts on October 1. Festival programs can be obtained from the Mersin Culture Center. REID