SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ADANA 0009 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU IZ ADANA SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY, JANUARY 11-12, 2003 ¶1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for January 11-12, 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. BODIES OF NINE FOREIGNERS CANNOT BE IDENTIFIED (Milli Gazete/Cumhuriyet) The Diyarbakir Governor's Office wrote to several Embassies to help identify nine foreigners who were among the 75 victims of the plane that crashed in Diyarbakir on January 8. A five-person delegation from the Civil Aviation National Directorate arrived in Diyarbakir on January 10 to investigate the crash. In addition, an investigation is also underway to find out the owner of USD 170,000 found on the plane. The paper noted that an American came to Diyarbakir but was not able to identify the (American's) body. His family will come from the U.S. Based on the January 10 broadcast of some private television stations, Milliyet wrote that British national Muhammed Nazmu Haque, one of the crash victims, was said to be a member of the British Secret Service, MI-5, appointed to watch hot developments in the region. Hurriyet reported allegations that two foreigners, Mahmod Dara and Hardi Mohammed Ali, whose nationalities could not be identified, were MI-5 agents. An investigation is underway. ¶3. THY BEGINS TO PAY REPARATIONS (Radikal/Hurriyet/Cumhuriyet) Turkish Airlines (THY) has begun to pay USD 21,000 in reparations for the victims of the RJ 100-type plane that crashed in Diyarbakir. The insurance company will determine the definite amount of indemnity to be paid to the victims' relatives. The Turkish General Staff (TGS) strongly criticized reports that "the TGS had prevented the installment of an Instrument Landing System (ILS)" at the Diyarbakir Airport. The TGS denied having received any applications to install an ILS system in Diyarbakir. ¶4. ADANA AIRPORT TO RESUME OPERATION AS OF JANUARY 15 (Hurriyet) Cengiz Asikli, President of the Adana State Airports Administration (DHMI) Senior Director, announced the Adana Airport would re-open to flights beginning on January 15. The airport was closed to flights on November 4 for repair and maintenance. Asikli said a 110-person team continued to work three shifts to complete the repair project. "If weather conditions permit, we will not postpone the re-opening of the airport," Asikli added. THY officials said they have not yet begun to sell tickets although the DHMI informed them when the airport would re-open. ¶5. ANTI-WAR PROTESTS (Evrensel) A group of 150 Mersin residents gathered in front of the Democratic People's Party (DEHAP) office upon a call by the Mersin Anti-War Platform to protest U.S. imperialism. Officials and members of the Democratic People's Party (DEHAP),the People's Democracy Party (HADEP),the Labor Party (EMEP),the Social Democrat Party (SDP),and the Turkish Communist Party (TKP) participated in the protest, criticizing U.S. preparations to attack Iraq. The DEHAP provincial chairman read a joint declaration on behalf of the platform saying U.S. reasons to hit Iraq were far from convincing, the current administration in Iraq was a also product of U.S. imperialism and that the U.S. was the largest producer and seller of weapons of mass destruction. According to the declaration, the U.S. intended to re-draw the region's map in order to control oil fields in Iraq and the Middle East. In a January 11 press conference, the Diyarbakir Peace Platform said the scope and outcome of a possible Iraq war planned according to the benefit of the U.S. and its allies would be devastating in Turkey. On January 12, The Tunceli Anti-war Platform held an anti-war rally attended by nearly 1,000 people carrying "No to the Imperialist War". Erdogan Colak of the Adana Pharmacists' Chamber said said no one would remain insensitive to U.S. preparations to attack Iraq, noting that every pharmacy would display an anti- war poster. In addition, political parties, mass organizations and business organizations are scheduled to hold an anti-war rally on January 18, with the Egitim-Sen teachers union launching a petition drive and collecting 1,000 signatures in three days. Also, Diyarbakir police arrested six Labor Party (EMEP) members for displaying banners reading, "We do not want a government that is a puppet of the U.S., Let's Stop Invasion of Iraq." The arrestees were later released. ¶6. ANTI-WAR STATEMENTS FROM THE SOUTHEAST (Evrensel) Issues such as war, youth and women's struggle were on the agenda of the People's Democracy Party (HADEP) Youth Commission during its January 6-7 Youth Conference in Diyarbakir. Participants emphasized the need for youths to play a leading role against U.S. aggression, underscoring that joint struggle would stop war. AK Party, which had expressed reservations with respect to a possible U.S. war in Iraq before the (November 3) elections, was criticized for forgetting its promises to the public. A Dicle University (Diyarbakir) student said that all Diyarbakir and Batman hotels had been reserved for U.S. soldiers. Prolonged deployment of U.S. soldiers in Diyarbakir will negatively impact the Kurdish culture and values, he argued. ¶7. TURKISH RED CRESCENT TEAM IN SIRNAK (Milli Gazete) A ten-person delegation representing the Turkish Red Crescent Society arrived in Sirnak's Silopi township to prepare for Iraqi nationals likely to cross into Turkey in the event of an intervention against Iraq. The team will reportedly engage in the establishment of proposed tent cities (along the Iraqi border). The team visited the Sirnak Governor's, the Silopi District Governor's, and the Habur Local Administrator's Offices, as well as the municipality of Silopi and other (public) organizations. ¶8. GAS MASK INTRODUCTION IN ADANA (Turkiye) Residents of Adana, home to the Incirlik Air Base, are concerned over a possible U.S. operation against Iraq, while gas mask importers are now engaged in increased activities. A gas mask supplier, together with a former Civil Defense Director, introduced gas masks that are guaranteed by the Turkish Standard Institute and can be used against chemical gases, urging citizens not to use cheap, illegally-imported gas masks. The supplier said he was selling gas masks at TL 200 million (approx. USD 120) each and filters at TL 50 million (approx. USD 30) each. He noted the bigger demand was from factories, companies and media organizations sending personnel to an environment of war. ¶9. RADIKAL: TORTURE, PKK/KADEK ACTIVITIES (Radikal) on January 10, the Parliamentary Human Rights Commission listened to National Police and Jandarma officials who in their report said the Democratic People's Party (DEHAP),which they associate with PKK-KADEK, had failed to attain the results it had anticipated in the November 3 Parliamentary elections. The report said illegal organizations' field of activity had expanded after the lifting of the State of Emergency (OHAL),with illegal organizations' activities increasing in the offices of political parties, associations and culture centers. "The organization (i.e., PKK- KADEK) is preparing to stage demonstrations to abolish the village guard system," the report claimed. In response to the commission's questions, national security directorate officials denied allegations of "torturer police officers," describing such allegations as "efforts by illegal organizations to increase the number of applications to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR)". Speaking of a proposal to make torturers pay indemnity ordered by the ECHR, the officials said such a regulation would reduce the number of torture allegations. ¶10. OHAL GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN Evrensel reported that OHAL in the minds of police is not lifted. Regarding the "Evaluation of the State of Emergency (OHAL) and Adjacent Provinces" report submitted by the National Security Directorate to the Parliamentary Human Rights Commission, the paper reported police viewed activities carried out by labor unions, students and workers asserting their rights in the Southeast as "extension of illegal organizations and support to an illegal organization (i.e., PKK/KADEK)." The report characterized college students' pro-native language (i.e., Kurdish) education petitions as "a terror organization's (i.e., PKK/KADEK) legal work / operation." The report also described human rights violations cries from the Southeast and applications to the European Court of Human Rights as "an effort to produce decisions against our country". Milli Gazete reported the formation of six sub-commissions by the Parliament to travel to inspect some provinces that remain within the jurisdiction of the OHAL Governor's Office, between January 10-13. These provinces are Diyarbakir, Bingol, Mus, Batman, Mardin, and Tunceli. ¶11. PRO-OCALAN PROTESTS CONTINUE (Evrensel) In Manisa, Batman, Van and Diyarbakir provinces, groups of people, including children, staged demonstrations and marches to protest isolation of KADEK (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan. Ocalan was prevented from meeting with his attorneys and family members for the past six weeks. The protestors shouted pro-Ocalan slogans, as police took intense security measures during these protest demonstrations. In addition, Republican People's Party (CHP) Tunceli Deputy Sinan Yerlikaya, Justice and Development Party (AKP) Agri Deputy Halil Ozyolcu, AKP Bingol Deputy Feyzi Berdibek, and AKP Mardin Deputy Nihat Eri emphasized the need for the government to refrain from unlawful attitudes that might lead to tension, at a time when there was need for social peace. They said laws and rules must be applied to all, without discrimination. ECONOMIC AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS -------------- ¶12. DIONYSUS STATUE DISCOVERED IN ANCIENT CITY OF ZEUGMA (Radikal/Bolge) A statue of Dionysus (God of Wine) symbolizing pleasure and amusement was unearthed in the ancient city of Zeugma when the level of water in the reservoir behind Sanliurfa's Birecik Dam decreased three meters, helping the statue surface. ¶13. KONUKOGLU: WE CHANGED OUR ANCESTORS' SHOPS INTO HOLDING COMPANIES (Turkiye) Abdulkadir Konukoglu, President of the Gaziantep-based Sanko Holding Company, said the fact that the State did not make investments played a big role in the success of the Anatolian (Eastern and Southeastern Turkey) industrial base. Konukoglu attributed Gaziantep's industrial development to no (State) investments other than the railway, the State tobacco and liquor monopoly TEKEL, and the cement sector, which was later privatized. According to Konukoglu, in Gaziantep, Muslims, Jews, Christians, and Armenians lived together for centuries, starting their own businesses by learning about handcrafts from one another. "Our ancestors (grandfathers) turned these shops into small plants, our fathers into factories, and we into holding companies," he added. "If the State had made investments, my grandfather would leave his handcrafts business and become or wait to become a public employee, and then we would not have these plants." ¶14. MERSIN PLANT TEARS DOWN CHIMNEYS POLLUTING ENVIRONMENT (Bolge/Turkiye) Mersin-based Kromsan Factory, an affiliate of the Sisecam Holding Company, held a ceremony to bring down its two 19-year-old chimneys due to allegations that they had polluted the environment. Mersin Governor Akif Tig attended the ceremony, during which he said the 100- and 110- meter chimneys were being torn down due to transition to new technology and for economic reasons. Tig praised the factory for storing its (industrial) waste with the help of new technology, instead and added it had contributed to the national economy by exporting 70% of its production. HOLTZ