SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR JANUARY 31, 2005

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000024

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR JANUARY 31, 2005


This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for January 31,

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

YENI SAFAK / TERCUMAN / BOLGE: Cetin Nuhoglu, Chairperson
of the International Transportation Association (UND),reported
that Iraqi officials have proposed constructing five secure
parking stations at various locations between the Turkish border
and the city of Baghdad for the convenience of truckers
traveling between those two points. Nuhoglu added that the Iraqi
government promised to provide security for the parking
stations, if both sides agree upon the conditions for
constructing them.

CUMHURIYET: Prospects are good that the Turkish government,
facing recent pressure from Washington, will agree to the U.S.
request to use Incirlik as a "logistical base" for its tasks
related to Afghanistan and Iraq. In this first phase, the U.S.
is seeking the quick implementation of regulations that would
allow U.S. civilian cargo flights access to and from the
Incirlik airbase.

OZGUR GUNDEM: During raids conducted at several houses after
last week's public unrest in Siirt, three more people were
detained and imprisoned in Siirt. To date, the total number of
people in detention is twelve.

OZGUR GUNDEM: Though police do not have the right to attend
ordinary meetings of political parties (other than sending
official police representatives to party congresses),police
(allegedly) attempted to film an ordinary meeting of DEHAP
(Democratic People's Party) in Diyarbakir. Police (reportedly)
had obtained a warrant from the Diyarbakir Governorate to film
the meeting. However, according to Ozgur Gundem, new regulations
adopted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs do not allow the
filming of political party declarations - even those delivered
outside the meeting - unless they pose a threat to public order.
Due to the (alleged) anti-democratic attitude of the police,
the party meeting of DEHAP was cancelled.

VAKIT: Nine families who lost their homes during last
week's earthquake have been provided accommodation in the city
center of Hakkari, said Hakkari Governor Erdogan Gurbuz.
Meanwhile, Mustafa Zeydan, an MP from AKP (Justice and
Development Party),advised that people should ignore rumors
claiming another big earthquake will hit the city in the near
future.

YENI SAFAK: Recai Kutan, Acting Chairperson of the Saadet Party
(Happiness Party),met with the party's provincial chairpersons
in Ankara. During his speech, Kutan stated that the U.S. wants
to use airbases in order to carry out its future plans of
attacking Iran. This should be regarded as a step on the road to
realizing the U.S.'s Greater Middle East Project, according to
Kutan.

CUMHURIYET: A Turkish Agriculturalists' Association report lays
out the grave threat of drought that will seriously affect most
parts of Turkey, especially central Anatolia, Thrace and
southeast Anatolia, in twenty years time. Precipitation levels
during April and December, 2004, were much lower than during the
same months in the previous year. The resulting reduction of
water levels in dams strongly portends the scarcity of water in
the near future for big cities like Istanbul, where the
increasing population has multiplied its water use by a factor
of three.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS


1. YENI SAFAK: Cantemur Aslan, General Manager of SEKA
(Turkish State Pulp and Paper Plant) and Atilla Osmancelebioglu,
Governor of Mersin, delivered the good news that SEKA's port in
the Tasucu district of Silifke in Mersin will be reopened. It
had been idle for ten years. (Note: The SEKA plant itself will
reportedldy start operating once again after remaining idle for
two years.) Osmancelebioglu asserted that the reopening of the
SEKA port would relieve some of the pressure from which the
bigger ports, such as Mersin, Silifke and Antalya, have been
suffering.


2. ZAMAN: This year the free trade zone of Yumurtalik in
Adana has maintained last year's high pace of activities. Twelve
companies are currently operating in the region and four
petrochemical companies' investment projects, which cost $50
million in total, will be completed in the second half of 2005.




REID