SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR FEBRUARY 2, 2005

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000027

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR FEBRUARY 2, 2005


This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for February 2,

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 / CUMHURIYET: U.S. Under-Secretary of Defense
Douglas Feith, during his visit to Turkey, expressed that the
new U.S. strategy focuses on "quickness" and "flexibility", and
may necessitate improvements to agreements implemented together
with allies. Feith also said the U.S. expects both sides to
agree upon a "reasonable" regulation of U.S. use of Incirlik as
a logistical base.

VAKIT / CUMHURIYET: Difficult conditions continue in Hakkari
and people are suffering the after-effects of the earthquake
that hit the city last week. Many families, scared of going into
homes still at risk of collapsing, have been living in 20 tents
set up in the city football stadium. Yesterday's rainfall melted
the snow on the ground and the tents were flooded with
rainwater.

CUMHURIYET: Ridvan Kizgin, Chairperson of the Bingol Human
Rights Association, blames governmental officials for not taking
effective precautions against abandoned mines and explosives in
the region. Such explosives have killed 33 and wounded 48
people in Bingol in the last 12 years. Children under 15 years
of age are particularly vulnerable to these hazards.

CUMHURIYET: Cities that are most involved with the street
children issue will be studied closely by the Turkish
Parliament's newly established Commission for Conducting Surveys
on Street Children. The Commission, currently visiting
Diyarbakir, has recently completed an information gathering
process using central resources, and has now set out to study
cities fisthand to see about ways to deal with the issue on the
local level.

OZGUR GUNDEM / HURRIYET (CUKUROVA) / BOLGE / ZAMAN / TURKIYE /:
The first Agricultural Workers' Congress was held in Adana
yesterday. In the opening speeches, delegates blamed MPs for
their lack of attention to this congress, which is aiming to
identify and address agricultural workers' problems. Zaman,
however, criticized the Congress for being organized and
attended by only unions affiliated with KESK (Confederation of
Public Employees' Unions),with sparse participation by
temporary agricultural workers. According to Ozgur Gundem, it
was mainly people who were forced to migrate from their
villages, and who were thus exposed to unfair conditions as
field workers, who sought solutions to their problems in this
Congress.

OZGUR GUNDEM / VAKIT: In Haskoy, Mus province, the discovery of
"flammable water" has made people happy. According to the
villagers' estimations, a mixture of what is most probably
natural gas with the water rendered the latter combustible. The
people of Haskoy have been taking advantage of this phenomenon
in their daily work and activities related to heating and
cooking.

BOLGE / TURKIYE: Adana's Association for Nature and Rural
Development, in coordination with the Directorate of
Conservation of Nature and Natural Parks, has developed a
"National Action Plan for the Bustard," which has been submitted
for inclusion in an EU program. (Note: The Great Bustard (Otis
tarda) is reportedly one of Europe's largest, and most
impressive, birds. End note.) The EU program grants financial
support up to 650,000 Euros to protect the species, mainly
through educating farmers about the benefits of these birds
against harmful insects in fields. This species is highly
vulnerable to extinction in Turkey.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS


1. OZGUR GUNDEM / EVRENSEL / SABAH (GUNEY): In Mersin, many
people demonstrated against the decision to privatize that
city's port. Protesting the privatization process, 400 members
of Liman-Is (Union of Ports),Mersin Branch, carried banners
reading, "We will not let the ports be sold," "Ports belong to
the people," and "Government, Resign."


2. OZGUR GUNDEM: The scope of border trade conducted between
Iran and Turkey at the Yuksekova - Esendere border gate in
Hakkari was (allegedly) limited by sanctions in 1994, on the
grounds that the money earned was being spent for the illegal
PKK activities. Therefore, local people's economic conditions
have declined since that time.


REID