SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 0258

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU IZ ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY,
OCTOBER 3, 2003



1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary
for October 3, 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. Turkiye, Vakit / About 25 people who have
accounts at Imarbank Adana Branch gathered in
front of the bank and demanded the immediate
payment of their money.



3. Turkiye, Sabah Guney / Cukurova Journalists'
Association announced that they disapprove of
the reported comment "I'm very pleased with the
attack towards newspaper reporter Kemal Kucuk,
because he deserved it," attributed to Umit
Ozgumus, Adana Chamber of Industry Head.



4. Yeni Safak / In Guroymak, Bitlis province, 11
cattle reportedly were killed by anthrax in a
week. Villagers are asking for help and
guidance on how to treat the dead animals.



5. Yeni Safak / In Ogunduk, Idil, Sirnak province,
Pastor Melke Tok praised AK Party MP Abdullah
Veli Seyda for his visit to their village. Tok
wanted financial aid for the restoration of the
village church and for a football field in the
village area.



6. Ozgur Gundem / In Caldiran, Van province 14-
year-old illegal trader Zahir Yilmaz was shot
dead by soldiers following the soldiers' call
for surrender. When found by the soldiers,
Yilmaz was illegally trading fuel with
Seyfettin Kaya. Allegedly Kaya reported that
Yilmaz had already surrendered when soldiers
shot him.



7. Ozgur Gundem / Van Governor Hikmet Tan, during
his visit to Geziyurt and Parmakkapi villages,
addressed the villagers and asked them to call
all their families back to their villages.
(Editor's Note: These villages had been
evacuated due to the PKK/KADEK problem in 1996.
Villagers started to return to their villages
in 2003).



8. Ozgur Gundem / In Siirt, 200 people protested
against the prison conditions of Abdullah
Ocalan. Police warned the people to end the
meeting. After the warning group threw stones
at the police, and during the ensuing clash, a
police officer was injured.



9. Radikal, Sabah / ARMENIAn Patriarch Mesrop II
accused Turkish airlines (THY) personnel of not
letting him sit next to his assistant in the
Turkish Airlines Van flight. Patriarch refused
to sit separate from his assistant and didn't
get on the plane. Patriarch stated that
somebody might be trying to prevent his visit
to Akdamar Church in Van. According to THY,
Patriarch was 10 minutes late for the check-in
and they gave his seat to a passenger on the
waiting list, but they offered him another seat
due to the respect for his position, which had
to be separate from his assistant. THY reported
that they also offered him seats on 8:50 flight
to Van, but the Patriarch refused both offers.
REID