SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 0261 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU IZ ADANA SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY, OCTOBER 7, 2003 ¶1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for October 7, 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, Bolge, Ekspres, Milliyet/ Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended the opening ceremony of the Adana International Industrial Fair on Monday, October 6. Three hundred and fifty-nine companies attended the fair. Fifty thousand people visited the fair on the first day. Erdogan also opened two new schools and the AKP Adana office on the same day. ¶3. Bolge / Tuncay Bakirhan, head of the Democratic People's Party (DEHAP),stated that Turkish and Kurdish children are going to Iraq to die for $8,5 million. ¶4. Sabah Guney / During the Prime Minister's opening ceremony for the new Adana AK Party building, a group of the Democratic People's Party (DEHAP) members shouted slogans praising Abdullah Ocalan. Police detained 10 people for questioning. ¶5. Tercuman / In Baskale, Van province, police found about 19 kg of pure heroin and a gun. The Police are looking for an individual known by the initials "F.F." for questioning about the incident. ¶6. Ozgur Gundem / In Siirt province, 13 students were expelled from university dormitories because they had attended the DEHAP Mayor's son's wedding ceremony as well as ceremonies organized by the People's Democracy Party (HADEP). The students applied to the Siirt Human Rights Organization to fight for their dormitory rights. ¶7. Ozgur Gundem / In Adana about 2000 people attended a meeting organized by the Adana Anti- War Association. The group announced that they don't want Turkish troops in Iraq and they wanted better conditions for Abdullah Ocalan in prison. ¶8. Ozgur Gundem / In Patnos, Tutak and Elesgirt, Agri province, Turkish Armed Forces started an operation with about 90 armoured vehicles. Village guards are supporting the operation. ¶9. Ozgur Gundem / Diyarbakir Government officials started an investigation about Hasan Atsiz, head of the Diyarbakir Agriculture Union, because he had attended a dinner party organized by DEHAP head Tuncer Bakirhan, the funeral of KADEK member Engin Sincer and the annual meeting of the Diyarbakir Free Society Party (OTP). Officials stated that Atsiz is a civil servant and, according to the law, civil servants are not allowed to join in political activities. ¶10. Ozgur Gundem / Halime Akyol, reporter of Dicle Press Agency, was detained by the police for attending Newroz celebrations in Ceyhan as a reporter. Akyol sued the police after her release because she didn't attend the ceremonies. "On the same day I was on duty in Adana," Akyol stated. REID