Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05ADANA40
2005-02-25 09:17:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Consulate Adana
Cable title:  

SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR FEBRUARY 23, 2005

Tags:  PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000040 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR FEBRUARY 23, 2005


This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for February 23,

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

CUMHURIYET: CHP (Republican People's Party) started an aid
campaign right after CHP's leader Deniz Baykal's visit to the
earthquake-hit Hakkari. Aid comprising of heaters, blankets,
food, beverages, clothing, etc., which is worth one million new
Turkish liras ($770,000),has been raised to date by the CHP and
was distributed to students and local people in Hakkari.


RADIKAL / CUMHURIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM / EVRENSEL: Veysel Guler,
the defendants' attorney in the trial regarding the killing of
the father and son in Kiziltepe in Mardin, is also the AKP
(Justice and Development Party) Adana Deputy Provincial
Chairperson. Guler cited a recent report of United Nations,
which gives the number of child terrorists decreasing from
360,000 to 300,000 as an example in response to "a 12-year-old
boy cannot be regarded as a terrorist" claims. Guler, casting
doubts about the age of Ugur Kaymaz, drew attention to his
underarm hair and noticeable moustache hairs as indicators of
his being older than the prosecution contends. On the other
hand, the AKP MPs of the Parliamentary Human Rights Commission
criticized the absence of the accused special operations team
members in the first hearing of the case.

OZGUR GUNDEM: Five hundred infant goats and lambs died in
Mus province due to a microbe called septicemia, which caused a
contagious disease called salmallezois an which is characterized
in animals by symptoms of high fewer and diarrhea. The microbe
takes advantage of the poor conditions that the cattle are
raised in, such as the low quality feed, airless and crowded
sheepfolds, poor feeding methods, hunger, and very low
temperatures.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000040

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR FEBRUARY 23, 2005


This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for February 23,

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

CUMHURIYET: CHP (Republican People's Party) started an aid
campaign right after CHP's leader Deniz Baykal's visit to the
earthquake-hit Hakkari. Aid comprising of heaters, blankets,
food, beverages, clothing, etc., which is worth one million new
Turkish liras ($770,000),has been raised to date by the CHP and
was distributed to students and local people in Hakkari.


RADIKAL / CUMHURIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM / EVRENSEL: Veysel Guler,
the defendants' attorney in the trial regarding the killing of
the father and son in Kiziltepe in Mardin, is also the AKP
(Justice and Development Party) Adana Deputy Provincial
Chairperson. Guler cited a recent report of United Nations,
which gives the number of child terrorists decreasing from
360,000 to 300,000 as an example in response to "a 12-year-old
boy cannot be regarded as a terrorist" claims. Guler, casting
doubts about the age of Ugur Kaymaz, drew attention to his
underarm hair and noticeable moustache hairs as indicators of
his being older than the prosecution contends. On the other
hand, the AKP MPs of the Parliamentary Human Rights Commission
criticized the absence of the accused special operations team
members in the first hearing of the case.

OZGUR GUNDEM: Five hundred infant goats and lambs died in
Mus province due to a microbe called septicemia, which caused a
contagious disease called salmallezois an which is characterized
in animals by symptoms of high fewer and diarrhea. The microbe
takes advantage of the poor conditions that the cattle are
raised in, such as the low quality feed, airless and crowded
sheepfolds, poor feeding methods, hunger, and very low
temperatures.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS


1. HURRIYET (CUKUROVA) / YENI SAFAK / SABAH (GUNEY):
Turkey's Aleppo Consul in Syria, Hulusi Kilic, Syria's Gaziantep
Consul in Turkey, Bahjat Doughman, and the U.S.'s Adana Consul

W. Scott Reid are going to attend the opening ceremony of the
third of the five-day GAPSHOES fair which is organized by
Gaziantep Chamber of Industry in the Gaziantep province. 125
Turkish companies participate in the event and two buses will
bring Syrian businessmen to visit the fair as well.


2. TOBB'DAN HABERLER: State Minister responsible for
foreign trade, Kursat Tuzmen, announced a security reform
package for the border gates and ports of Turkey. Tuzmen signed
a protocol agreement with TOBB (Turkish Union of Chambers and
Commodity Exchanges) to modernize Habur Border Gate by means of
a Build-Operate-Transfer Project. The physical and technical
infrastructure of the Habur Border Gate will be renovated
through constructing new administrative and commercial buildings
and social facilities. The gate's security will be strengthened
to fight smuggling through installation of security materiel
such as exit-entrance control units, electronic scales, etc.


3. YENI SAFAK: The reform announced by State Minister Kursat
Tuzmen for Turkish ports includes Mersin and Iskenderun's ports,
and envisages the installation of closed circuit TV (CCTV)
surveillance systems which will permit monitoring of the ports
24 hours a day from a central control site in Ankara.


4. MILLI GAZETE: The border gate built by Sanliurfa
Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Commodity Exchange Office
in Akcakale township of Sanliurfa has remained idle since then,
because the dispute about the border has not been settled since
1988 and Syria has not embarked upon a project to build a border
gate counterpart on its side.


5. MILLIYET / HURRIYET (CUKUROVA) / SABAH (GUNEY): CUGIAD
(Cukurova Young Businessmen Association) was certified with the
ISO9001-2001 Quality Management Certificate by the Italian Det
Norske Veritas (DNV). The Governor of Adana, Cahit Kirac, said,
"CUGIAD achieved the standards of the EU," as he received the
Cerificate on behalf of the association. AKP (Justice and
Development Party) MP from Adana, Ayhan Zeynep Tekin Boru; CHP
(Republican People's Party) MPs, Kemal Sag and Ziya Yergok;
Chairperson of the Adana Chamber of Commerce, Saban Bas; and
President of the Cukurova University, Alper Akinoglu,
participated in the ceremony.


6. EKSPRES: BOTAS (Turkish Petroleum Pipeline Corporation)
announced that 95 percent of the BTC (Baku-Tibilisi-Ceyhan)
Pipeline construction has been completed. Petroleum is expected
to begin flowing into the 6 huge tanks located in the Turkish
section of the pipeline (at Ceyhan port) in June 2005.





REID