Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ADANA259
2003-10-06 16:38:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Consulate Adana
Cable title:
SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY,
how-toThis record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 0259
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU IZ ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY,
OCTOBER 4-6, 2003
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 0259
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU IZ ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY,
OCTOBER 4-6, 2003
1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press
summary for October 4-6, 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, Milli Gazete / Four people
attempted to open the storage door of the
Isbank Karsiyaka branch in Adana, but
escaped when they heard the police sirens.
3. Ozgur Gundem / The case of the Ortakoy
villagers in Sirnak who attempted to leave
their villages and walked towards the Iraqi
border is continuing. Villagers accuse the
Jandarma Commander of the village of
torture. Allegedly a Jandarma soldier also
accused his commander of torturing him as he
fell asleep during his duty. Reyhan
Yalcindag, head of the Human Rights
Organization in Turkey, announced that this
incident is a sign of the danger villagers
are facing at the moment.
4. Ozgur Gundem / Kurdish youth groups in
Diyarbakir, Siirt and other parts of Turkey
organized meetings and parades for
"Democratic Solutions for Peace." Four
people were detained due to the booklets
they distributed during the meetings.
5. Ozgur Gundem / A relative of a prisoner
accused Bitlis Prison officials of punishing
prisoners by placing them in solitary
confinement because they haven't accepted
the new "reintegration law". Arafat Ozlu, a
relative of another prisoner from Bitlis
prison, stated that the officials did not
even accept mail for his brother in the
prison.
6. Ozgur Gundem / Human Rights Organization and
Immigrants' Association (GOC-DER) stated in
their joint report that before villagers
return to their villages in Bogazkoy, Dicle,
Van province, all the basic needs of the
villages, like drinking water, schooling,
health services, electricity and telephone,
should be supplied.
7. Milliyet / One hundred and seven Armenians
from different parts of Turkey attended the
worship service in Akdamar Church, Van
province. The group visited the churches in
Gevas, Akdamar Island, and Carpanak Island.
8. Cumhuriyet, Turkiye, Ozgur Gundem / Attorney
Yesim Dogan Kar sued 405 Jandarma personnel
in Mardin for raping a girl known by the
initials "S.E." in 1993. S.E had been
detained in the Caykoy Jandarma Station
during the time of the alleged incident.
9. Ekspres, Bolge / Sergeant John Michael from
Incirlik Base, Adana was fined for driving
while under the influence of alcohol and
disturbing the peace with loud music during
his drive. Michael was also fined for
driving a car with no emission check.
Michael's driving license was detained for 6
months.
10. Evrensel / Diyarbakir Education Union
(Egitim-Sen),during its October 5 World
Teacher's Day press conference, made
announcements in Turkish and Kurdish.
11. Turkiye / Alleged PKK/KADEK members
Hursit Aslan and Kasim Abi were detained by
Hatay Jandarma Forces in Belen, Hatay.
Aslan and Abi had not applied for the
"reintegration law".
12. Turkiye / Fourteen-year-old Mustafa
Barut was injured after playing with the
landmine he found in Genc, Bingol province.
13. Ekspres, Turkiye / Adana Education
Officials called on all businessmen and
foreign embassies in Turkey to help the
schools in Adana. Three people from the USA
and Japan applied to Turkish officials for
help in the construction of new schools and
laboratories.
14. Ozgur Gundem / The Democratic People's
Party (DEHAP) Women's Branches organized
meetings for "Peace" in Diyarbakir. DEHAP
women spoke of the importance of Abdullah
Ocalan's health conditions in prison.
15. Ozgur Gundem / In Malatya prison, 44
KADEK members reportedly were prevented from
seeing their visitors since they were on a
2-day hunger strike to protest to prison
management about an undisclosed grievance.
TOURISM and CULTURE
16. Turkiye / Two American authors, Angie
Breener and Joy Ttocke, came to Mardin to
collect information for their book about
Mardin.
REID
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU IZ ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY,
OCTOBER 4-6, 2003
1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press
summary for October 4-6, 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, Milli Gazete / Four people
attempted to open the storage door of the
Isbank Karsiyaka branch in Adana, but
escaped when they heard the police sirens.
3. Ozgur Gundem / The case of the Ortakoy
villagers in Sirnak who attempted to leave
their villages and walked towards the Iraqi
border is continuing. Villagers accuse the
Jandarma Commander of the village of
torture. Allegedly a Jandarma soldier also
accused his commander of torturing him as he
fell asleep during his duty. Reyhan
Yalcindag, head of the Human Rights
Organization in Turkey, announced that this
incident is a sign of the danger villagers
are facing at the moment.
4. Ozgur Gundem / Kurdish youth groups in
Diyarbakir, Siirt and other parts of Turkey
organized meetings and parades for
"Democratic Solutions for Peace." Four
people were detained due to the booklets
they distributed during the meetings.
5. Ozgur Gundem / A relative of a prisoner
accused Bitlis Prison officials of punishing
prisoners by placing them in solitary
confinement because they haven't accepted
the new "reintegration law". Arafat Ozlu, a
relative of another prisoner from Bitlis
prison, stated that the officials did not
even accept mail for his brother in the
prison.
6. Ozgur Gundem / Human Rights Organization and
Immigrants' Association (GOC-DER) stated in
their joint report that before villagers
return to their villages in Bogazkoy, Dicle,
Van province, all the basic needs of the
villages, like drinking water, schooling,
health services, electricity and telephone,
should be supplied.
7. Milliyet / One hundred and seven Armenians
from different parts of Turkey attended the
worship service in Akdamar Church, Van
province. The group visited the churches in
Gevas, Akdamar Island, and Carpanak Island.
8. Cumhuriyet, Turkiye, Ozgur Gundem / Attorney
Yesim Dogan Kar sued 405 Jandarma personnel
in Mardin for raping a girl known by the
initials "S.E." in 1993. S.E had been
detained in the Caykoy Jandarma Station
during the time of the alleged incident.
9. Ekspres, Bolge / Sergeant John Michael from
Incirlik Base, Adana was fined for driving
while under the influence of alcohol and
disturbing the peace with loud music during
his drive. Michael was also fined for
driving a car with no emission check.
Michael's driving license was detained for 6
months.
10. Evrensel / Diyarbakir Education Union
(Egitim-Sen),during its October 5 World
Teacher's Day press conference, made
announcements in Turkish and Kurdish.
11. Turkiye / Alleged PKK/KADEK members
Hursit Aslan and Kasim Abi were detained by
Hatay Jandarma Forces in Belen, Hatay.
Aslan and Abi had not applied for the
"reintegration law".
12. Turkiye / Fourteen-year-old Mustafa
Barut was injured after playing with the
landmine he found in Genc, Bingol province.
13. Ekspres, Turkiye / Adana Education
Officials called on all businessmen and
foreign embassies in Turkey to help the
schools in Adana. Three people from the USA
and Japan applied to Turkish officials for
help in the construction of new schools and
laboratories.
14. Ozgur Gundem / The Democratic People's
Party (DEHAP) Women's Branches organized
meetings for "Peace" in Diyarbakir. DEHAP
women spoke of the importance of Abdullah
Ocalan's health conditions in prison.
15. Ozgur Gundem / In Malatya prison, 44
KADEK members reportedly were prevented from
seeing their visitors since they were on a
2-day hunger strike to protest to prison
management about an undisclosed grievance.
TOURISM and CULTURE
16. Turkiye / Two American authors, Angie
Breener and Joy Ttocke, came to Mardin to
collect information for their book about
Mardin.
REID