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