Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05ADANA188
2005-10-18 10:27:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Consulate Adana
Cable title:  

SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR OCTOBER 14, 2005

Tags:  PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000188

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR OCTOBER 14, 2005


This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for October 14,

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

RADIKAL/ZAMAN: AKP (Justice and Development Party) conducted
polls in Diyarbakir to measure the effect of the Prime Minister
(PM) Erdogan's speech in July concerning the Kurdish issue.
%55.5 expressed "no solution in PM's approach" while %30.7
expressed that a solution would be found. %53.1 said that the
intention of the government was not to find a solution. The
report concluded that the Kurdish issue was a democracy and
human rights question and Turkey's EU accession process was the
most concrete thing which could be offered. The report expressed
that the dominant Kurdish politicians rejected PM Erdogan's
desire to solve the issue because the Kurdish politicians
themselves had no concrete proposals to offer. The ratio of the
responses and the questions to which the AKP sought answers are
as follows:

Q: Is there a Kurdish problem in Turkey?
A: Yes %89.4
Q: What is Turkey's primary problem?
A: Kurdish problem %59.4; democratization %20.9; economy % 13.7.
Q: What kind of a problem is the Kurdish issue?
A: Ethnic % 37.9; political % 30.8; democratic % 12.4; cultural
% 6; separatist % 6; economic % 3.2.
Q: Is there a solution to the Kurdish problem through PM
Erdogan's approach?
A: No %52.5; yes % 30.7; have no ideas %16.4
Q: Is AKP sincere in the Kurdish issue?
A: No % 53.1; yes % 29.7.
Q: Are AKP's policies [concerning the Kurdish issue] different?
A: Yes % 37.1; no % 28.5.
Q: What would you say about PM Erdogan's meeting with
intelligentsia ?
A: An effort to delude %30.1; an indication that he wants to
solve this issue % 23.3; a turning point in Turkey's political
life %11.9.
Q: What would you say about PM Erdogan's visit to Diyarbakir?
A: A positive development % 33.1; a normal situation % 21.3;
hypocrisy %13.1; a delayed visit % 7.7.
Q: How do you evaluate PM Erdogan's "We solve this issue with
Kurds whose hands are not dredged in blood" approach?
A: An expression of his desire to solve the problem %37.6; a
desire to shift the issue to other areas % 26.1; pretending not

to see the problem % 12.9
Q: How can the Kurdish problem be solved?
A: Kurdish must be let free and the ethnic identity must be
recognized % 32; tolerance and reconciliation must be
established in the society and clashes must be prevented % 12.3;
an amnesty must be declared % 10.2; Ocalan must be freed % 5.5;
[the government] must sit at a table with DEHAP [for
negotiations] % 1.9.
Q: To which party would you cast your vote if elections were to
be held today?
A: To DEHAP % 40.6; to AKP % 36.3; to CHP % 2.6.
Q: Would you give your vote to AKP if it solved the Kurdish
issue?
A: No % 50.2; yes % 36.3.
Q: Which of the parties that have come to power has been most
successful?
A: AKP % 33.6; the ANAP in the late Ozal's era % 20.4; none % 38.

RADIKAL: As a result of the fight that broke out in the Solhan
township of Bingol province, 4 persons were killed the previous
night and 13 others, including the mayor from DYP, were wounded.
The fight is attributed to the hostilities that arouse between
the rival families during the March 2003 local elections.

GUNDEM: The Van HRA (Human Rights Association),Mazlum-Der (The
oppressed Peoples' Association),Bar Association and Goc-Der
(Immigrants' Association) submitted reports concerning
violations of rights in the region to the European Parliament's
Sub-committee for Human Rights. The reports drew attention to
ongoing clashes and operations in the region and said that
villagers refused to return to the villages because they were
exposed to pressure and forced to become village guards,
underlining that the village guards were the main obstacle in
village return. The HRA report focused on the police arrest of
85 persons, including 20 children, protesting in Van the attacks
during a September 5, 2005 march in Gemlik; home raids; and
violations at the Van Centennial University.

ZAMAN: During a skirmish between the GOT forces and PKK
militants in the Oymakli village of Eruh, Siirt province, two
militants were killed. Separately, security forces seized three
pipe-type bombs in Mersin and detained two persons, including
one female, in connection with the bombs.

HURRIYET(Cukurova): Based on a tip, the GOT forces launched an
operation in Kilis arrested 5 persons, including one Syrian
national, who were trying to smuggle 123,000 Captagon drug-pills
to Syria. Police seized assorted weapons and ammunition for
those weapons in the houses they searched.
SABAH/EVRENSEL: The "Sweep Operation" launched by GOT forces
against PKK militants who have been determined to be in rural
Tunceli continue.Special teams are being deployed in the rural
Cirali village, where five soldiers were killed and four others
were wounded. 10,000 troops are participating in the operation
and F-16 fighters occasionally are flying reconnaissance
missions to determine PKK militants' hideouts.

EVRENSEL: The Bingol Chapter of the Human Rights
Association(HRA) was attacked on July 2, 2005. The President of
HRA Chapter in Bingol, Ridvan Kizgin, filed a complaint with the
public prosecutor. The Bingol Public Prosecutor rejected
Kizgin's petition and decided that attacking the HRA was not a
crime because the HRA is defending the separatist organization.
Mr. Kizgin said that that decision justified any attacks to be
launched against HRA administrators and members and extended an
invitation for such attacks.

EVRENSEL: The Sirnak Governor's office announced that it would
impose some limitations on the number of trucks passing through
the Habur Border Gate during the period of October 13-16, 2005
because of Iraq's October 15 referendum on its constitution. No
limitations will be imposed on the tankers and trucks carrying
goods for the Coalition Forces.

SAFAK: The Diyarbakir Municipality is going to evacuate and pull
down approximately 2000 slums surrounding the historic
Diyarbakir walls. The residents in the slums will be given plots
of land from Treasury Land on the Diyarbakir-Urfa road.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS

EKSPRES/BOLGE: Adana Governor Cahit Kirac announced that the
inspections undertaken by the Adana Provincial Agriculture
Directorate in the places where immigrant birds dwelled, and
analysis conducted on 15-20 dead chickens found in a truck
coming from Balikesir, revealed that no disease would threaten
public health.


REID