Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05ADANA198
2005-10-31 11:46:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Consulate Adana
Cable title:
SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR OCTBOER 28, 2005
how-toThis record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000198
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR OCTBOER 28, 2005
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for October 28,
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: The daily reported that Fikri Canoruc, the rector of
Dicle University in Diyarbakir, and 19 faculty members are
standing trial on charges of irregularities in conducting
tenders of the Dicle University (see press summary 10/24).
2. HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Mehmet Aslan, Chairperson of
Gaziantep Chamber of Commerce, called on everybody and all the
institutions in Gaziantep to hang Turkish flags everywhere on
October 29, which marks the 82nd anniversary of the foundation
of the Turkish Republic.
3. SABAH / HURRIYET / CUMHURIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM / EVRENSEL /
RADIKAL: Abuse of orphans in a state-owned orphanage in Malatya
enraged people in Turkey. A scandal broke out following a TV
channel's broadcasting of footage of orphanage employees beating
orphans in Malatya. The nursemaids, who abused the children,
were removed from their posts, and the prosecutor started an
investigation into the abuse of orphans.
4. OZGUR GUNDEM / EVRENSEL: An empty, 50 square meter
plot of land in Agri has been burning for about a week. The
cause of the fire is not known and the area that is burning has
reportedly been widening each day. Local people demand that
authorities find out about the cause of the fire.
5. OZGUR GUNDEM / EVRENSEL: Two consecutive explosions
took place in separate places in Sanliurfa's Viransehir district
a day ago. The first explosion was a bomb that exploded in the
backyard of the Viransehir Subgovernor's Office. The second one
took place near a high school. Reportedly, the second explosion
occurred during an attempt to defuse a bomb in a suspicious
looking bag. No casualties were reported in both incidents.
6. SABAH (GUNEY) / OZGUR GUNDEM: Reportedly, a flag was
burned by unknown people in front of a primary school in Adana's
Seyhan district. Because of their alleged connection with the
incident, two students, who were brothers, were detained and
brought to Adana Security Directorate. The father of the
children was also taken into custody when he came to the
Security Directorate. One of the children was released later,
and the father and his son were brought to the spot of the
incident to rehearse the offence committed.
7. OZGUR GUNDEM: The military operations are reportedly
going on in a triangle formed by Diyarbakir's Lice and Kulp
districts and Bingol's Genc district. The helicopters are
reportedly flying low to search especially the land where there
are roads. Meanwhile, the military helicopters bombarded an
area called Demenan in Tunceli on October 25. No casualties
were reported. Separately, Turkish Armed Forces started a
military operation in the Gabar Mountain and Dicle.
8. RADIKAL / SABAH / OZGUR GUNDEM / EVRENSEL / CUMHURIYET:
The trial of Egitim-Sen (Teacher's Union) was dropped in a court
hearing held yesterday in Ankara following the Union's decision
to remove the statement defending education in one's mother
tongue from its charter.
9. OZGUR GUNDEM: A women's association in Diyarbakir will
initiate a series of activities that will start on November 25
to extend support to R.G., a woman who has become a symbol for
women's rights activists following an attempt by R.G.'s
relatives to cut her nose off. Weeklong activities will
reportedly include setting up a Justice for Women Court in the
week that follows November 25, among other activities.
10. HURRIYET: A sculpture exhibition held by students of the
Department of Sculpture in Van Centennial University (VSU) is
dedicated to VCU's rector, Yucel Askin, who is in jail in Van.
11. OZGUR GUNDEM: Following an Iftaar dinner organized by
KASTOB (Union of NGO's from the Black Sea Region) for NGOs of
the Southeastern Region of Turkey five days ago, NGOs from
southeastern region reciprocated by organizing an Iftaar dinner
for KASTOB. During his speech, the chairperson of KASTOB said
that they could all put an end to the shedding of blood between
brothers if they worked together.
12. BOLGE / EKSPRES / SABAH (GUNEY): Because of a
controversy over ownership of a 1,161-acre plot of land in
Adana's Yuregir district, 300 villagers living nearby the land
gathered at the site and attacked a team of experts that were
sent there by the court to conduct studies and make assessments.
The villagers claimed that the ownership claims of an attorney,
who allegedly conducted irregularities to assume the ownership
rights, were nonsense since he lacked any connection with the
village. The villagers further claimed that they had 1952-dated
title deeds for the land. Jandarma intervened when the
villagers showed resistance and hurled stones at the car in
which the attorney sat. 30 villagers were detained afterwards.
13. EVRENSEL: A 4-magnitude earthquake shook Adiyaman's
Gerger district yesterday. No casualties were reported.
14. CUMHURIYET: Controversy looms over whether all or part of
the toxic waste was removed from M/V Ulla (see press summary
10/24). Environmental activists are claiming that the ongoing
waste removal operations were a hoax. Iskenderun's Subgovernor
had also claimed that only 1400 tons of waste was removed from
the sunken vessel, and 800 tons of waste still remained under
water.
REID
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR OCTBOER 28, 2005
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for October 28,
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: The daily reported that Fikri Canoruc, the rector of
Dicle University in Diyarbakir, and 19 faculty members are
standing trial on charges of irregularities in conducting
tenders of the Dicle University (see press summary 10/24).
2. HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Mehmet Aslan, Chairperson of
Gaziantep Chamber of Commerce, called on everybody and all the
institutions in Gaziantep to hang Turkish flags everywhere on
October 29, which marks the 82nd anniversary of the foundation
of the Turkish Republic.
3. SABAH / HURRIYET / CUMHURIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM / EVRENSEL /
RADIKAL: Abuse of orphans in a state-owned orphanage in Malatya
enraged people in Turkey. A scandal broke out following a TV
channel's broadcasting of footage of orphanage employees beating
orphans in Malatya. The nursemaids, who abused the children,
were removed from their posts, and the prosecutor started an
investigation into the abuse of orphans.
4. OZGUR GUNDEM / EVRENSEL: An empty, 50 square meter
plot of land in Agri has been burning for about a week. The
cause of the fire is not known and the area that is burning has
reportedly been widening each day. Local people demand that
authorities find out about the cause of the fire.
5. OZGUR GUNDEM / EVRENSEL: Two consecutive explosions
took place in separate places in Sanliurfa's Viransehir district
a day ago. The first explosion was a bomb that exploded in the
backyard of the Viransehir Subgovernor's Office. The second one
took place near a high school. Reportedly, the second explosion
occurred during an attempt to defuse a bomb in a suspicious
looking bag. No casualties were reported in both incidents.
6. SABAH (GUNEY) / OZGUR GUNDEM: Reportedly, a flag was
burned by unknown people in front of a primary school in Adana's
Seyhan district. Because of their alleged connection with the
incident, two students, who were brothers, were detained and
brought to Adana Security Directorate. The father of the
children was also taken into custody when he came to the
Security Directorate. One of the children was released later,
and the father and his son were brought to the spot of the
incident to rehearse the offence committed.
7. OZGUR GUNDEM: The military operations are reportedly
going on in a triangle formed by Diyarbakir's Lice and Kulp
districts and Bingol's Genc district. The helicopters are
reportedly flying low to search especially the land where there
are roads. Meanwhile, the military helicopters bombarded an
area called Demenan in Tunceli on October 25. No casualties
were reported. Separately, Turkish Armed Forces started a
military operation in the Gabar Mountain and Dicle.
8. RADIKAL / SABAH / OZGUR GUNDEM / EVRENSEL / CUMHURIYET:
The trial of Egitim-Sen (Teacher's Union) was dropped in a court
hearing held yesterday in Ankara following the Union's decision
to remove the statement defending education in one's mother
tongue from its charter.
9. OZGUR GUNDEM: A women's association in Diyarbakir will
initiate a series of activities that will start on November 25
to extend support to R.G., a woman who has become a symbol for
women's rights activists following an attempt by R.G.'s
relatives to cut her nose off. Weeklong activities will
reportedly include setting up a Justice for Women Court in the
week that follows November 25, among other activities.
10. HURRIYET: A sculpture exhibition held by students of the
Department of Sculpture in Van Centennial University (VSU) is
dedicated to VCU's rector, Yucel Askin, who is in jail in Van.
11. OZGUR GUNDEM: Following an Iftaar dinner organized by
KASTOB (Union of NGO's from the Black Sea Region) for NGOs of
the Southeastern Region of Turkey five days ago, NGOs from
southeastern region reciprocated by organizing an Iftaar dinner
for KASTOB. During his speech, the chairperson of KASTOB said
that they could all put an end to the shedding of blood between
brothers if they worked together.
12. BOLGE / EKSPRES / SABAH (GUNEY): Because of a
controversy over ownership of a 1,161-acre plot of land in
Adana's Yuregir district, 300 villagers living nearby the land
gathered at the site and attacked a team of experts that were
sent there by the court to conduct studies and make assessments.
The villagers claimed that the ownership claims of an attorney,
who allegedly conducted irregularities to assume the ownership
rights, were nonsense since he lacked any connection with the
village. The villagers further claimed that they had 1952-dated
title deeds for the land. Jandarma intervened when the
villagers showed resistance and hurled stones at the car in
which the attorney sat. 30 villagers were detained afterwards.
13. EVRENSEL: A 4-magnitude earthquake shook Adiyaman's
Gerger district yesterday. No casualties were reported.
14. CUMHURIYET: Controversy looms over whether all or part of
the toxic waste was removed from M/V Ulla (see press summary
10/24). Environmental activists are claiming that the ongoing
waste removal operations were a hoax. Iskenderun's Subgovernor
had also claimed that only 1400 tons of waste was removed from
the sunken vessel, and 800 tons of waste still remained under
water.
REID