UNCLAS ADANA 000165

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR SEPTEMBER 19, 2005

This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for September 19,

2005. 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

ZAMAN: A group of terrorists in Erzincan carried out an
armed attack on a Jandarma station in Erzincan. Two soldiers
were reportedly wounded. Following the attack, security forces
initiated a military operation in the area.

ZAMAN / HURRIYET / SABAH (GUNEY) / SABAH / RADIKAL: Terrorists
opened fire at the police headquarters in Van on Sunday. During
the 45-minute clash, one police officer died and two officers
were wounded. In Sanliurfa, terrorists opened fire at a police
car, which was patrolling the streets. One police officer died
and another officer was wounded. (This summary is from 9/18
edition.)

ZAMAN: Cemil Bayik, regional leader of the terrorist
organization PKK/Kongra-Gel, reportedly requested issuance of
identity papers and passports for 100 PKK members from the
leader of the Kurdish Democratic Party, Masud Barzani. Using
this method, PKK reportedly aims to send its terrorists via
legal channels to Turkey.

OZGUR GUNDEM: Four unidentified people wearing masks stopped
traffic on the road between Hakkari and Van, and stole valuables
belonging to the people in the cars. Thieves later ran away in
a car.

OZGUR GUNDEM: The daily has been reporting an increasing
number of police arrests, detentions and investigations of DEHAP
members. The Sunday edition reported that police detained four
DEHAP members in Adana, including the provincial chairperson
Tayyip Yildiz. The Monday edition reported that police
initiated an investigation against 20 people including a former
DEHAP provincial chairperson, the current DEHAP provincial
chairperson and DEHAP district chairperson in Bitlis on the
grounds that they participated in a demonstration against the
recent alleged vigilantism directed at Kurds. Reportedly, the
chairpersons in Sanliurfa and Van were detained as well.

OZGUR GUNDEM: During military operations in Bingol's
Yayladere district, security officers reportedly killed two
terrorists.

HURRIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM / RADIKAL: Bulent Ecevit, a former
prime minister of Turkey, said that the Turkish government had
completely opened its territorial air space, its land and its
ports to meet the military demands of the U.S., and did so by
ignoring the Turkish Parliament. Bulent Ecevit further said
that his former government had prevented such U.S. use of the
Iskenderun's port.

OZGUR GUNDEM: The ceasefire the PKK declared a month ago
reportedly ends tomorrow.

HURRIYET / MILLIYET / SABAH: A blast in a passenger bus, which
set off for Antalya from Adana, killed two people and wounded 10
more. The Governor's Office in Antalya announced that gases
trapped in the air conditioner system caused the explosion. The
police are still investigating whether a bomb caused this
incident.




REID