Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ADANA93
2003-04-02 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 0093
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU IZ ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY,
APRIL 2, 2003
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 0093
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU IZ ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY,
APRIL 2, 2003
1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary
for April 2, 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. Radikal/Milliyet: The U.S.Department of
State's Human Rights Report for 2002 has been
published. The section covering Turkey emphasized
that the government, in general, was respectful
toward human rights and had realized some
fundamental reforms. However, torture, use of
excessive force and paucity in accountability for
crimes committed by security forces still
remained as serious problems. It is reported that
State Department's annual Human Rights Report
used to have a serious effect in the world, but
because the US also has been violating human
rights in the operations it has undertaken in
various countries questions have been raised
about the credibility of the report. The State
Department draws heavily in its report on
information gathered in Turkey by the Human
Rights Foundation, Human Rights Association, and
Amnesty International. Newspapers go into
considerable detail about the kudos and
criticisms directed at Turkey in the report.
3. Radikal: 48 planes and 1,400 soldiers
deployed at Incirlik AB for Operation Northern
Watch are ready to leave the base within the week
depending on the consequence of developments with
Colin Powel's visit to Turkey. The US had built
up an immense amount of military equipment prior
the war at the base, which has not been allowed
by the Turkish government to be used in air
strikes against Iraq.
4. Milli Gazete: A US Prowler plane made an
emergency landing at Incirlik AB last night.
Tight security measures were taken around the
runway and, after landing, fire brigades
surrounded the plane, at the rear of which flames
could be seen. The plane taxied to the hangar
half an hour later, and it took off from the base
around midnight. Two C-130 cargo planes took off
from the base early morning as well.
5. Milli Gazete: Siirt Governorate has been
giving classes in 59 subjects at its Public
Training Center for free. Regarding the issue,
Siirt Governor Nuri Okutan said the percentage of
children enrolled in preschool education
increased, as did the percentage of girls
enrolled in schools. In addition, the
Governorate has tried to reach out to around
6,000 women and young girls without education by
involving them in weaving cooperatives and
multipurpose social centers.
6. Evrensel/Cumhuriyet/Turkiye: Dagyani
villagers of Sanliurfa who threw stones and eggs
at US experts coming from Incirlik AB to remove
fragments of a missile that erroneously fell
nearby the village were detained by jandarma and
released by the court after a hearing. Sanliurfa
human rights activists reacted angrily to the
interrogations of the villagers and demanded a
similar response be shown to the US military,
which is threatening the physical security of the
people with missiles.
7. Evrensel: Van's former administrator of
HADEP, Bazi Aslan, and a City Councilmember,
Cihat Kara, were each sentenced to 10 months of
imprisonment on the charges of "resisting the
police" during a press conference on the occasion
of World's Women's Day on March 8.
8. Milliyet: During a fashion show at the
opening of a sportswear shop in Adana, models
from Istanbul and Izmir protested the war in
Iraq. The models opened a banner reading "Let
there be no wars. Do not let children die." at
the fashion show, which was attended by prominent
people from Adana.
ECONOMIC AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS
9. Turkiye/Bolge: Mersin Municipality is
planning to open a tender for the town's
Wastewater Treatment Plant on April 4. Mersin
Mayor Macit Ozcan said they would realize the
project with a Euro 60 million loan. Mayor Ozcan
said six qualifying companies would compete for
the project, which will serve a municipal
population of 750,000 people. Meanwhile, Mersin
Municipality signed an MOU with a Canadian
company for constructing a garbage-processing
plant. The plant will produce heat and energy to
be used in Mersin.
HOLTZ
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU IZ ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY,
APRIL 2, 2003
1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary
for April 2, 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. Radikal/Milliyet: The U.S.Department of
State's Human Rights Report for 2002 has been
published. The section covering Turkey emphasized
that the government, in general, was respectful
toward human rights and had realized some
fundamental reforms. However, torture, use of
excessive force and paucity in accountability for
crimes committed by security forces still
remained as serious problems. It is reported that
State Department's annual Human Rights Report
used to have a serious effect in the world, but
because the US also has been violating human
rights in the operations it has undertaken in
various countries questions have been raised
about the credibility of the report. The State
Department draws heavily in its report on
information gathered in Turkey by the Human
Rights Foundation, Human Rights Association, and
Amnesty International. Newspapers go into
considerable detail about the kudos and
criticisms directed at Turkey in the report.
3. Radikal: 48 planes and 1,400 soldiers
deployed at Incirlik AB for Operation Northern
Watch are ready to leave the base within the week
depending on the consequence of developments with
Colin Powel's visit to Turkey. The US had built
up an immense amount of military equipment prior
the war at the base, which has not been allowed
by the Turkish government to be used in air
strikes against Iraq.
4. Milli Gazete: A US Prowler plane made an
emergency landing at Incirlik AB last night.
Tight security measures were taken around the
runway and, after landing, fire brigades
surrounded the plane, at the rear of which flames
could be seen. The plane taxied to the hangar
half an hour later, and it took off from the base
around midnight. Two C-130 cargo planes took off
from the base early morning as well.
5. Milli Gazete: Siirt Governorate has been
giving classes in 59 subjects at its Public
Training Center for free. Regarding the issue,
Siirt Governor Nuri Okutan said the percentage of
children enrolled in preschool education
increased, as did the percentage of girls
enrolled in schools. In addition, the
Governorate has tried to reach out to around
6,000 women and young girls without education by
involving them in weaving cooperatives and
multipurpose social centers.
6. Evrensel/Cumhuriyet/Turkiye: Dagyani
villagers of Sanliurfa who threw stones and eggs
at US experts coming from Incirlik AB to remove
fragments of a missile that erroneously fell
nearby the village were detained by jandarma and
released by the court after a hearing. Sanliurfa
human rights activists reacted angrily to the
interrogations of the villagers and demanded a
similar response be shown to the US military,
which is threatening the physical security of the
people with missiles.
7. Evrensel: Van's former administrator of
HADEP, Bazi Aslan, and a City Councilmember,
Cihat Kara, were each sentenced to 10 months of
imprisonment on the charges of "resisting the
police" during a press conference on the occasion
of World's Women's Day on March 8.
8. Milliyet: During a fashion show at the
opening of a sportswear shop in Adana, models
from Istanbul and Izmir protested the war in
Iraq. The models opened a banner reading "Let
there be no wars. Do not let children die." at
the fashion show, which was attended by prominent
people from Adana.
ECONOMIC AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS
9. Turkiye/Bolge: Mersin Municipality is
planning to open a tender for the town's
Wastewater Treatment Plant on April 4. Mersin
Mayor Macit Ozcan said they would realize the
project with a Euro 60 million loan. Mayor Ozcan
said six qualifying companies would compete for
the project, which will serve a municipal
population of 750,000 people. Meanwhile, Mersin
Municipality signed an MOU with a Canadian
company for constructing a garbage-processing
plant. The plant will produce heat and energy to
be used in Mersin.
HOLTZ