Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05ADANA60
2005-03-22 14:52:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Consulate Adana
Cable title:
SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR MARCH 22, 2005
how-toThis record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS ADANA 000060
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR MARCH 22, 2005
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for March 22,
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
BOLGE: AKP (Justice and Development Party) Adana Provincial
Chairperson and Adana MPs from AKP paid a visit to the chairmen
of Chamber of Commerce (ACC),Chamber of Industry (ACI) and
Commodity Exchange (ACE),who were all reelected after the
chamber elections. During their visit in ACC, Adana MPs were
asked questions about their lack of cooperative effort and not
being in harmony. The MPs, rejecting these criticisms, could not
agree on the economic well being of Turkey, when asked about
their opinions on Turkey's economic prospects.
CUMHURIYET: Karin R|sjorgensen, an MP from the European
Parliament, and Louise Feilberg, her assistant, paid a visit to
Efkan Ala, Governor of Diyarbakir , and press was not allowed
access to their meeting. R|sjorgensen stated that women's rights
and honor killings were among the issues they discussed.
CUMHURIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM: A gun attack in Hazro district of
Diyarbakir killed a person. Mayor Hamit Ergin and his brother
were wounded. The event, which sparked the incident, reportedly
was the dismissal of a municipality employee. Police control was
tightened in Hazro and press was not allowed into the district.
EVRENSEL / CUMHURIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM: Tens of thousands
celebrated Newruz in Diyarbakir and Batman. People chanted
slogans in support of (Abdullah) Ocalan and the flags of the
PKK/Kongra-gel were waved. Tuncer Bakirhan, DEHAP (Democatic
People's Party) leader, criticized the government during his
address to the crowd. Bakirhan said that extra-judicial killings
increased in the region during the term of the AKP (Justice an
Development Party) government and invited PM Erdogan to solve
the problems of the (southeastern) region together with the
Kurds and their representatives. Leyla Zana, during her speech,
allegedly stated that Diyarbakir embraced the "democratic
society project" of Ocalan. Zana added that the democratic
republic that the Kurds envisage should not be construed as
Kurds giving up their identities. Osman Baydemir, Diyarbakir
Mayor, said, "The time of war and conflict has ended. Today is
the time for resonstruction".
ZAMAN: The Turkish government denied claims that the
government would amend the law to enable the retrial of
terrorist leader Abdullah Ocalan. Faruk Celik, AKP (Justice and
Development Party) Group Acting Chairperson, said that when he
talked with PM Erdogan, Erdogan strongly denied such claims and
did not understand why such claims were being made. In a
separate article, Zaman paper claimed that the "democratic
confederation" that the terrorist leader Ocalan reportedly
proposed is aimed at creating a state within a state and urged
the Kurds to disregard the laws of the countries, in which they
live. However, the paper also quoted Ocalan as saying
"'Democratic confederalism' is not a state system, it is a
democratic system without a state."
OZGUR GUNDEM: Unidentified assailant(s) attacked DEHAP
(Democratic People's Party) Gaziantep Provincial Headquarters.
Vakkas Kilic, DEHAP Gaziantep Provincial Chairperson, said that
they are being attacked each time an event concerning them
raises public interest. Kilic further added that it was to no
avail to bring the case to the Security Office, since the
perpetrators have never been found in the past incidences.
REID
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR MARCH 22, 2005
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for March 22,
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
BOLGE: AKP (Justice and Development Party) Adana Provincial
Chairperson and Adana MPs from AKP paid a visit to the chairmen
of Chamber of Commerce (ACC),Chamber of Industry (ACI) and
Commodity Exchange (ACE),who were all reelected after the
chamber elections. During their visit in ACC, Adana MPs were
asked questions about their lack of cooperative effort and not
being in harmony. The MPs, rejecting these criticisms, could not
agree on the economic well being of Turkey, when asked about
their opinions on Turkey's economic prospects.
CUMHURIYET: Karin R|sjorgensen, an MP from the European
Parliament, and Louise Feilberg, her assistant, paid a visit to
Efkan Ala, Governor of Diyarbakir , and press was not allowed
access to their meeting. R|sjorgensen stated that women's rights
and honor killings were among the issues they discussed.
CUMHURIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM: A gun attack in Hazro district of
Diyarbakir killed a person. Mayor Hamit Ergin and his brother
were wounded. The event, which sparked the incident, reportedly
was the dismissal of a municipality employee. Police control was
tightened in Hazro and press was not allowed into the district.
EVRENSEL / CUMHURIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM: Tens of thousands
celebrated Newruz in Diyarbakir and Batman. People chanted
slogans in support of (Abdullah) Ocalan and the flags of the
PKK/Kongra-gel were waved. Tuncer Bakirhan, DEHAP (Democatic
People's Party) leader, criticized the government during his
address to the crowd. Bakirhan said that extra-judicial killings
increased in the region during the term of the AKP (Justice an
Development Party) government and invited PM Erdogan to solve
the problems of the (southeastern) region together with the
Kurds and their representatives. Leyla Zana, during her speech,
allegedly stated that Diyarbakir embraced the "democratic
society project" of Ocalan. Zana added that the democratic
republic that the Kurds envisage should not be construed as
Kurds giving up their identities. Osman Baydemir, Diyarbakir
Mayor, said, "The time of war and conflict has ended. Today is
the time for resonstruction".
ZAMAN: The Turkish government denied claims that the
government would amend the law to enable the retrial of
terrorist leader Abdullah Ocalan. Faruk Celik, AKP (Justice and
Development Party) Group Acting Chairperson, said that when he
talked with PM Erdogan, Erdogan strongly denied such claims and
did not understand why such claims were being made. In a
separate article, Zaman paper claimed that the "democratic
confederation" that the terrorist leader Ocalan reportedly
proposed is aimed at creating a state within a state and urged
the Kurds to disregard the laws of the countries, in which they
live. However, the paper also quoted Ocalan as saying
"'Democratic confederalism' is not a state system, it is a
democratic system without a state."
OZGUR GUNDEM: Unidentified assailant(s) attacked DEHAP
(Democratic People's Party) Gaziantep Provincial Headquarters.
Vakkas Kilic, DEHAP Gaziantep Provincial Chairperson, said that
they are being attacked each time an event concerning them
raises public interest. Kilic further added that it was to no
avail to bring the case to the Security Office, since the
perpetrators have never been found in the past incidences.
REID