SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY AUGUST 21-23, 2004

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000110

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM IZ TU ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY AUGUST 21-23, 2004


This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for August 21-23,

2004. 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

EVRENSEL, ULKEDE OZGUR GUNDEM: A sound bomb placed in Yagmur
Restaurant in Tunceli on August 20 exploded, causing material
damages in the building and wounding one client. Tunceli
Governor Mustafa Erkal visited the explosion site. In Tunceli,
it is claimed that more than fifteen restaurants where alcoholic
beverages are served have been employing foreign women and
engaging in prostitution. Separately, Musa Ayhan and Dervis
Ismail, a Syrian national, were identified as the two PKK-Kongra
Gel militants who attempted to place a bomb at a police check
point near Van airport. When the bomb they attempted to place
exploded, Ayhan was killed and Ismail was wounded.

EVRENSEL, ULKEDE OZGUR GUNDEM: In Silopi, Sirnak province, a
group of 800 DEHAP supporters marching from DEHAP's office to
the Sub-governor's office to deliver petitions advocating a
solution to the Kurdish issue were confronted by police. The
demonstrators staged a sit-in to protest the attitude of the
police.

ULKEDE OZGUR GUNDEM: Approximately 300 people gathered in
DEHAP's Provincial Office in Hakkari to deliver petitions
advocating "freedom for Ocalan." GOT forces took stringent
security measures when the crowd marched to the Governor's
Office. The demonstrators shouted pro-Ocalan slogans. Police
did not intervene in the incident.

ULKEDE OZGUR GUNDEM: In Mardin province, Huseyin Seyhan, Sukru
Dilek, and Ali Akyuz were detained by Dargecit police on August
17 after visiting the hot springs near Dargecit township and
giving a ride to a person unknown to them on their way home.
The men's detention was based on a denouncement made by that
person, whom they had dropped in Dargecit. The three men are
still being questioned. Police also raided Dilek's house and
impounded his car.

TURKIYE: In Yuksekova, Hakkari province, citizens found a
decapitated body in an empty field near a school. Police at the
scene identified the dead body as Sihat Aykut (16),the son of a
village guard. The Jandarma is also conducting an investigation.

HURRIYET: The inspectors from the Interior Ministry
investigating the "Drug Case in Van," in which former lawmaker
Mustafa Bayram's son was kidnapped from a Police Station by
armed gang members, concluded their investigation. The
inspectors found Van Security Director Tacettin Kurt and
Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crimes Director Tayfun Albayrak
guilty for not fulfilling their "judiciary responsibilities."

ZAMAN, MILLIYET: The Diyarbakir Kurdish Language School will be
officially opened today. Kurdish- speaking, retired Turkish
literature teachers will be allowed to teach Kurdish to
students. The National Education Directorate granted permission
for opening the school on July 15. Enrollments started on August
15, but the academic year will start on September 1. President
Sezer, Prime Minister Erdogan and some other high-ranking
officials were invited to the opening ceremonies of the Kurdish
Language School. The school, which currently has 750 students
and 3 teachers, will employ 9 more teachers

SABAH GUNEY, YENI SAFAK, EKSPRES, TURKIYE,BOLGE, CUMHURIYET: In
Adana, police from the Anti-smuggling and Organized Crimes
Department of the Adana Security Directorate arrested 17 members
of the Aybeyler Gang, who were making plans for attacking the
Cakarlar Gang. Police seized 6 unlicensed pistols, 3 cutting
tools and 3 false identification cards. The gang members, who
are accused of attempted murder and robbery in neighboring
towns, were sent to the Adana State Security Court.

TURKIYE: Working on a tip, the Jandarma seized 149 roots of hemp
in the garden of a house in Zeytinbelli village of Yumurtalik,
Adana province. The Jandarma detained the owner of the house,
Mustafa Killi.

TERCUMAN, EVRENSEL, ULKEDE OZGUR GUNDEM: GOT forces launched a
massive operation in Siirt and Sirnak provinces against the
PKK-Kongra Gel militants who have increased their attacks in
southeastern Turkey. 5000 soldiers and village guards deployed
in Cizre, Idil, and Guclukonak townships of Sirnak participated
in yesterday's operation. The GOT forces have been undertaking a
cleansing operation in the Gabbar and Cudi Mountains. Two
PKK-Kongra Gel militants were killed during yesterday's
operation in Findik village of Sirnak. Separately, Murat
Kaygisiz, a PKK-Kongra Gel militant who was arrested while he
was planning to attack touristic sites in Izmir, claimed that
PKK-Kongra Gel had 12 tons of explosives in the Kandil Mountains
in Northern Iraq. One kilo of C-4 explosive was found in
Kaygisiz' house. Tags showing that the explosives were US-made
were found on the C-4 which Kaygisiz had divided into eight
equal pieces.

HURRIYET, MILLIYET, CUMHURIYET, MILLI GAZETE, TURKIYE, EVRENSEL,
ZAMAN: As a result of the explosion of a mine on the road near
Balveren, Sirnak province, one guard was killed. One PKK-Kongra
Gel militant planning to undertake attacks in larger towns was
arrested in Dargecit, Mardin province.

EVRENSEL, TERCUMAN: In Semdinli, Hakkari province, Heza
Parastina Gel (HPG-People Protection Force) militants opened
fire at a police station near Semdinli High School, seriously
wounding two policemen. The policemen, Recep Isci and Fikret
Eric, were taken to the Hakkari Military Hospital by helicopter.

EVRENSEL: HPG guerillas launched two rockets at the Jandarma
Command in Derik, Mardin province. No casualties have been
reported. GOT forces launched an operation in rural Derik.

EVRENSEL: The Batman police detained five persons in a car at a
check-point at the entrance of the town. Police also raided the
houses of the detainees while they were being taken to the
Anti-Terror Department for questioning.

BOLGE, TERCUMAN: Based on information provided by the Adana
State Security Court prosecutor Nuri Yigit, the Tarsus Chief
Public Prosecutor pressed charges against Semih Ureten, another
Adana State Security Court prosecutor, for abusing his
authority. Ureten is accused of having taken bribes and living a
luxurious life that did not match his salary. The indictment
asked up to 18 years of imprisonment for Ureten.

SABAH: In Yukari Tulgali village of Ozalp, Van province, one
non-commissioned officer and two sergeants colluding to smuggle
oil on horseback and giving instructions to smugglers by
cellular telephone were arrested. Four smugglers involved in the
incident were imprisoned by court.


REID