SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 0002

SIPDIS


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



1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary
for January 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.


POLITICS, SECURITY, HUMAN RIGHTS
--------------



2. CONTINUED ANTI-WAR PROTESTS FROM VARIOUS AREAS
OF SE
Radikal reported continued reactions against the
possible U.S. operation against Iraq.
Representatives of leftist parties gathered at the
port of Mersin, where the paper says construction
projects are underway to prepare it for use in such
an operation, and staged a protest demonstration.
Centennial University (Van) students held a march
on the university campus, shouting slogans critical
of war and the Higher Education Council (YOK). In
Sanliurfa's Ataturk Boulevard, NGO representatives
displayed banners condemning war. Turkiye reported
Nihat Demir of Elazig's Mis Holding Company said it
was meaningless to jump into a war in the Middle
East which is hard to know when it will end, for
the sake of the U.S.



3. ALLEGATIONS OF AGGRAVATED PRISON CONDITIONS
(Bolge) Suleyman Ozkan, President of the Adana
chapter of the Inmates' Families Assistance and
Solidarity Association, claimed prison conditions
had worsened. Ozkan announced that inmates and
prisoners in Adana's Kurkculer and Ceyhan Prisons
had launched hunger strikes in protest of these
conditions. Ozkan complained about maltreatment
and health conditions in prisons, and pressure on
visitors. A group of families criticized prison
conditions and warned they would burn themselves in
front of the prisons unless conditions were
straightened.



4. VILLAGE GUARDS OPEN FIRE ON THEIR ENEMIES
(Evrensel) Five Siverek (Sanliurfa) village guards
reportedly opened fire on two brothers, Esat and
Mehmet Sakin, traveling in their own vehicle from
Sanliurfa's Hebana village to the township of
Viransehir (Sanliurfa),seriously wounding Esat.
With two bullets in his left leg, Esat was taken to
the Sanliurfa State Hospital and then to
Gaziantep's private Sani Konukoglu Hospital. Based
on Mehmet's testimony, the five village guards were
arrested and then released following interrogation
at the local Jandarma command. Mehmet alleged that
the village guards had been searching for an
opportunity to take revenge because of a blood feud
between them.



5. BITLIS SCHOOLS RE-OPEN
(Milli Gazete) Bitlis Provincial National
Education Director Harun Topaloglu said many Bitlis
schools, which had previously closed due to terror
incidents, had resumed operations. According to
Topaloglu, all village schools have also re-opened
following the restoration of an environment of
peace in the region.


ECONOMIC AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS
--------------

6. BATMAN REFINERY MOST PROFITABLE OF TURKISH
REFINERIES
(Cumhuriyet) The Turkish Petroleum Refineries
Corporation (TUPRAS) Batman Refinery processed 1.5
million tons of crude oil over the past year. The
Batman Refinery is reported to be the most
profitable of Turkey's four refineries.
HOLTZ