SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 0002 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU IZ EFIN KCRM ADANA SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY JANUARY 1-2, 2004 ¶1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for January 1-2, 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 ¶2. Evrensel / A group of Democratic People's Party (DEHAP) members gathered in front of the Diyarbakir E-Type Prison and protested the transportation of prisoners to D-Type prisons. Police wanted the group to stop the protest, and the group retaliated with stone throwing. Police used tear gas bombs and detained some of the protestors. ¶3. Evrensel / Students at Sivas Cumhuriyet University used a press release to protest pressure on students. Students condemned the arrest of their friend Ismail Ulucan, and announced that Zeynep Ozkul and Fehmiye Baskin were forced by the police to leave their rented housing because they were members of an "unknown" organization. ¶4. Milliyet / PTT General Management announced that it would be delivering Kurdish messages, brochures and booklets for the coming local elections as long as their contents don't support or encourage illegal activity or crimes. ¶5. Ekspres, Bolge / Resul Sarigul, member of an illegal Turkish Communist Party, was detained with his common law wife during an operation in Adana. Sarigul (allegedly) was involved in a Tunceli attack, which killed four soldiers. Sarigul was arrested after his questioning, but his wife was released. ¶6. Sabah Guney, Bolge / The Adana Jandarma Corps Command found 479 counterfeit Euros and 12,000 counterfeit U.S Dollars. Seven people related to the incident were detained. Security forces stated that counterfeit banknotes were printed in Italy and brought into Turkey through Syria. ¶7. Yeni Safak / People in Siirt are facing serious health problems due to the air pollution in the area. ¶8. Ozgur Gundem / Vehbi Avuc, the newly appointed Bingol Governor, started work on December 31. (Editor's Note: Until this new appointment, he was governor in Sirnak.) ¶9. Ozgur Gundem / (Following the Jandarma effort in) Diyarbakir, the Mus Jandarma Corps Command also asked public prosecutors to give it the names of people who applied to the courts to change their Turkish names into Kurdish. The Mus Human Rights Organization condemned the Jandarma filing. (Editor's note: See Press Summary of December 31, 2003.) ECONOMIC ¶10. Turkiye, Sabah Guney, Bolge, Ekspres / A group of Syrian businessmen from Aleppo visited the Adana Chamber of Industry and the Chamber of Commerce. The group visited some factories. During the press conference both sides declared that they want to increase the volume of the trade between the two countries. REID