SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY

UNCLAS ADANA 0282

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PINS PHUM TU IZ ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY
NOVEMBER 15-17, 2003


1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary
for November 15-17, 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. Ekspres, Bolge / Following the bombings in
Istanbul on November 15, and the Democratic
People's Party (DEHAP) meeting in Adana on
November 16, extra precautions were taken by
the Adana TNP. Around the U.S. Consulate on
Ataturk Caddesi and Bebekli Church in Tepebag
District, extra police teams were put in place
for maintaining security. Church officials
announced that the church would be closed for
Sunday services until further notice.



3. Ekspres, Bolge, Evrensel, Milliyet / DEHAP Head
Tuncay Bakirhan spoke at a meeting organized by
DEHAP on November 16 in Adana. Bakirhan stated
that KADEK dissolved itself in order for its
members to be able to enter politics legally.
Approximately 5000 people (according to Bolge,
the number is 3000) attended the meeting.
According to Milliyet, members of the crowd
beat a policeman who was in civilian clothes,
threw stones at the police and broke the
windows of parked cars after the meeting.
Police kept the group under control by the use
of a helicopter.



4. Evrensel, Ozgur Gundem / In Diyarbakir,
approximately 15,000 people attended a peace
meeting organized by DEHAP. After the meeting,
police detained many people who walked towards
the city center. The group allegedly, threw
stones at the police and destroyed cars.



5. Turkiye / During operations against PKK/KADEK
in Gaziantep, security forces detained four
people: Sukru Cinar, Bahar Narman, Mehmet Emin
Sakar and an unidentified man for sending
equipment to the PKK. When the PKK members met
the tanker truck that was loaded with the
equipment, between Erzin and Dortyol, Hatay
province, security forces intervened. Police
also detained alleged terrorists Idris Gengec
and Halil Sahin.



6. Evrensel / In Tunceli, Sehit Nahit Bulut Police
Station was bombed on November 14. Two people
were wounded during the attack. Police
detained 25 people related with the incident.


ECONOMIC



7. Turkiye, Yeni Safak / David Key, head of the
Baku -Tiflis- Ceyhan petroleum pipeline project
(BTC),stated that 51% of the project has been
completed and that the project provided 1,863
people with jobs.
REID