SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR FEBRUARY 14, 2005

UNCLAS ADANA 000028

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR FEBRUARY 14, 2005


This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for February 14,

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

OZGUR GUNDEM: Huseyin Aygun, attorney and former Chairperson
of the Tunceli Bar Association, claimed that Tunceli's Jandarma
Commander Namik Dursun threatened to kill him. Commander Dursun
was previously reported to have threatened and insulted the
headmen in Tunceli in late December 2004. Aygun, who applied to
the Elazig Human Rights Association, held a press conference
along with Tunceli's CHP MPs, stated that Dursun accused him of
"being a traitor" and "an enemy of the (Turkish) State." Aygun
further claimed that Dursun threatened to kill him by
(allegedly) stating, "We will get rid of his (Aygun's) physical
existence; we will defame him."

CUMHURIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM / EVRENSEL: Demonstrations were
held in many cities -- including Adana, Bursa, Antep, and Batman
-- to protest Turkey's capture of Abdullah Ocalan six years ago.
Turkish National Police intervened with pepper gas spray and
water cannons in Mersin when a 300-person group, chanting
slogans, attempted to walk to the city's Akdeniz District.

TERCUMAN / BOLGE / VAKIT / ZAMAN / TURKIYE / CUMHURIYET: Iraq
announced that it plans to close the (Ibrahim Khalil) Border
Gate for five days on February 17. Trucks transporting fuel
have therefore lined up in 45 kilometer-long lines on the
Turkish side, causing a bottleneck in the flow of traffic at the
Habur Border Gate in Silopi, Sirnak province. Drivers estimate
that the line will exceed 50 kilometers today.

CUMHURIYET: Following the visit of Gen. John Abizaid last month,
U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR) Commander Burwell Bell will come to
Ankara this week to discuss defense cooperation issues,
especially the more effective use of Incirlik Airbase as a
logistics center, which is an issue that has been on the defense
agenda of the two countries since Abizaid's last visit.


HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): The Ministry of Defense announced a tender
invitation pursuant to a Council of Ministers decision to clean
up areas affected by mines. Aslan Kutukcu, Governor of Kilis,
stated that the Kilis Governor's Office could offer a much lower
bid than those offered by private companies to de-mine the areas
within Kilis province. Moreover, Kutukcu claims the Office of
the Governor would have another competitive advantage: the
people recruited for this endeavor would be the natives of the
province who are familiar with the land.

OZGUR GUNDEM: Attempts to remove the toxic waste of the M/V
Ulla, which sank in Iskenderun Gulf on September 6, 2004, are
underway. (Note: Ankara 5168 covers the sinking incident and
related environmental concerns. End note.) AKP Antakya MP
Mehmet Soydan announced to fishermen and environmentalists that
bids will be taken today and tomorrow for the task of bringing
the ship to the surface. According to Soydan, this task will be
completed by March 2005.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS


1. EKSPRES / BOLGE / TURKIYE: Ayhan Barut, Branch
Chairperon of th Chambr of Aricultural Engineers, state
that drastical
low temperatures and the frost experienced in
the Cukurova region seriously damaged vegetables and fruit
(especially citrus fruit) that has not been harvested yet.
(Note: Cukurova is a wide fertile agricultural plain. End Note.)






REID