SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR DECEMBER 12, 2005

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000232

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR DECEMBER 12, 2005

This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for December 12,

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

BOLGE: As a result of long-lasting intelligence efforts,
the Narcotics Bureau of the Adana Security Directorate conducted
an operation and uncovered a drug producing laboratory in the
Yesiloba quarter of Adana's Seyhan district. 5.5 tons of raw
materials needed for drug production and machines to produce
captagon drugs were seized by the police. Police detained six
people in Adana and one person in Gaziantep in connection with
the drug production business. Adana Governor extended thanks to
the Narcotics Bureau members for this successful operation, and
he and the Security Director Mehmet Cebe conducted studies at
the spot. Reportedly, two of the people detained were chemists
specialized in producing drugs (This summary is from 12/11
edition).

BOLGE: Mehmet Ali Talat, President of Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus (TRNC),delivered a presentation called "Land of
Opportunities: TRNC" at a conference held by the CUGIAD
(Cukurova Young Businessmen Association) in Seyhan Hotel in
Adana.

SABAH / RADIKAL / CUMHURIYET: Young people of Sirnak's Cizre
district are expressing their protest through graffiti against
the fathers who are observing the traditional code of demanding
an amount of money from the groom before giving consent for a
marriage to take place. Reportedly, the amount of money
demanded ranges between 3,000 and 20,000 new Turkish liras
(approx. between 2,000 USD and 15,000 USD).

SABAH / RADIKAL: CIA chief Porter Goss came to Ankara
reportedly to hold talks with PM Erdogan, MIT Intelligence
Center Secretary and with officials from General Staff on
countering terrorism.

OZGUR GUNDEM: Sanliurfa Bar Association held a panel titled
"Gender Equality and Women's Rights" on the day that marks the
World Human Rights Day. Chairperson of the Bar Association said
in his speech that women's rights should be prioritized to be
able to solve the problems of the whole society.

OZGUR GUNDEM: As a result of the efforts of the
non-governmental organizations and deputy chairperson of the
Turkish Parliament's Human Rights Commission, the unannounced
detention of Selamettin Yilmaz in front of Yilmaz's business in
the Mus province on December 7 by five civilian police officers
was revealed. To date, none of the authorities have reportedly
acknowledged that Yilmaz was being held by the police.

OZGUR GUNDEM: Diyarbakir Human Rights Association Executive
Board member Abdulkadir Aydin, who claims that he was badly
treated by the police on December 17, 2004 in Diyarbakir, after
bringing his case to the courts of Turkey and trying to use all
the remedies to redress the situation he filed a complaint
about, decided to bring his case to the European Court of Human
Rights when the Turkish Courts finally delivered a verdict that
only a petty rumpus took place, whereas Aydin claims that the
police officer grabbed his throat and threw him to the ground.


OZGUR GUNDEM: Ali Kaya's notebook, which was found by the
local people in the car of Ali Kaya and Ozcan Ildeniz during the
Semdinli bombing, included notes about people perpetrating a
prostitution business in Hakkari city center. The notebook
reportedly revealed that, while Jandarma Command was watching
the activities of this business closely, no operations were
launched to eliminate this illegal business.

ZAMAN: Three masked attackers opened fire at a house with
automatic guns in a village of the Mardin province at around 8
p.m. yesterday night. 19-year-old, 17-year-old and 20-year-old
persons were killed and two people were wounded as a result of
the incident.

ZAMAN: Iran reportedly surrendered four PKK terrorists it
caught at its border to the terrorist organization instead of
surrendering them to Turkey, as these reported terrorists were
transporting food, clothing and other necessary materials for
building greenhouses. Iran's security officers reportedly
seized the truck of the terrorists. The four terrorists, who
later reportedly escaped from the terrorist organization and
surrendered themselves to the KDP (Kurdistan Democratic Party),
were returned by KDP to Turkey. Ministry of Foreign Affairs
allegedly sent a diplomatic note to Iran as a result of this
development.

HURRIYET / ZAMAN: CHP (Republican People's Party) national
leader Deniz Baykal urged the government to make more
investments and to correct infrastructural problems of the
cities in the eastern and southeastern regions of Turkey. In a
written announcement, Baykal said, "The high school students in
Hakkari are not seeking ways to go to northern Iraq to receive
education scholarships from the schools of Massoud Barzani, they
rather long for going to universities in Ankara, Izmir and
Istanbul. But, the government is not helping them."

CUMHURIYET / ZAMAN / SABAH: DYP (True Path Party) leader
Mehmet Agar addressed an audience of nearly 20,000 people in
Hatay and severely criticized the policies of the government.

CUMHURIYET: Faculty Members' Association for the Universities in
Izmir will hold a meeting today in Izmir to extend support to
Yucel Askin, the rector of Van's Centennial University, who is
under arrest in an hospital because of a cardiac disorder
problem and whose trial date for alleged irregularities during
the university's medical equipment purchases, has neared.
SABAH: A reported surprising private visit was paid by Zeki
Ergezen, the Bitlis deputy from AKP and former Public Works
Minister, to Yucel Askin in his hospital room where Askin is
also held under arrest. Ergezen said that he did not bring any
messages of his government to the rector and the purpose of his
visit was personal.
REID