SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY

UNCLAS ADANA 0033 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM IZ TU ADANA SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FEBRUARY 20, 2004 ¶1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for February 20, 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. Bolge / Cukurova University Rector Yalcin Kekec stated at a conference, organized by U.S Embassy Ankara and the university's Foreign Language Center, that learning a foreign language is a must to benefit from the riches of other cultures. Embassy's English language Officer Thomas Miller and Adana U.S Consulate staff also attended the opening ceremony of the conference. ¶3. Turkiye, Cumhuriyet, Milliyet / Sikorsky type military helicopter transferring two sick soldiers from Yedisu Jandarma Station in Bingol to Bingol province, had an accident around Adakli, close to Bingol. Five soldiers died during the accident. Investigation about the accident continues. ¶4. Ozgur Gundem / Bilal Memeli applied to the Human Rights Organization in Adiyaman to file a complaint because he wasn't allowed to change his name to a Kurdish name and was threatened by the soldiers for that reason. ¶5. Ozgur Gundem / In Sirnak, women protested the prison conditions of Abdullah Ocalan by parading and making bonfires. REID