SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR MARCH 29,2005

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000066

SIPDIS

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TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR MARCH 29,2005

This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for March 29,

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

MILLIYET / EVRENSEL / CUMHURIYET / ZAMAN: The Foreign Ministry
and the General Staff will prepare and submit a report about
Incirlik airbase to Prime Minister Erdogan. The U.S. reportedly
wants to use the airbase as a logistics hub without putting
forward a time limitation for its use and without having to
provide prior notice to Turkish authorities. The U.S. also
reportedly wants no restrictions to be imposed on the direction
of flights and destinations to and from the airbase. The Turkish
response about the airbase is pending PM Erdogan's decision.

CUMHURIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM: A group of 23 human shield
volunteers, aiming to end military operations and conflict in
the Cudi Mountains of Sirnak, set off for Sirnak from Adana,
Antep and Hatay. The group's car was reportedly stopped at the
exit of Diyarbakir province and searched by soldiers. The car
was (allegedly) stopped for the second time thirty-five
kilometers from Mardin to be searched once again; identity cards
of the group were checked, as well.

SABAH (GUNEY): Sukru Sariisik, the Second Army Commander;
Ayhan Tas, the Sixth Army Corps Commander; Huseyin Senturk, the
39th Mechanized Brigadier General; and Idris Sahin, the Garrison
Commander, paid a visit to Abdulkadir Sari, the Hatay Governor.


OZGUR GUNDEM: During the first Alawi Conference held in
Ankara, participants discussed topics including participation in
the activities of NGOs, nurturing democratic Alawi
organizations, the state's mandatory religious instruction and
the state's Religious Affairs Directorate. The idea to unite
Alawi organizations under a single umbrella and to act under a
federal union was also discussed.

CUMHURIYET: During his meetings with Elazig's Deputy Governor
and Mayor as well as with the Rector of Firat University,
Wolf-Ruthart Born, German Ambassador to Ankara, said that German
Government supported Turkey's endeavors to join the EU. When
asked about the alleged scenes of European MPs supporting the
PKK during Newruz celebrations, Born said that the PKK is a
terrorist organization and those who follow the PKK are
terrorists.

EKSPRES / BOLGE: Contrary to rumors floating in the political
circles of Adana, Abdullah Caliskan, Adana MP from AKP (Justice
and Development Party),announced that he will not sever his
ties with his party. This week AKP MPs seemed to resume amicable
terms with Caliskan after last week's disputes among them about
the economic status of Turkey.

CUMHURIYET: Mervan Gul, Mayor of Siirt, had originally been
elected to Parliament before becoming Mayor, but vacated his
parliament seat to allow PM Erdogan to run in a 2003
by-election. Recently however, Mervan Gul has been accused of
nepotism. According to reports of an Audit Commission
consisting of municipality assembly members, Gul has allegedly
provided trillions of lira worth of resources unlawfully to his
kin.

OZGUR GUNDEM: Ozgur Gundem claims that the way in which the
youth were taken into custody and arrested after their recent
attempt to dishonor the Turkish flag was contrary to Convention
on Children's Rights, Beijing Rules and domestic law.

OZGUR GUNDEM: Urfa's Provincial Directorate of Education
(allegedly) issued a statement that prohibits students, teachers
and staff from joining any unauthorized demonstrations, meetings
and activities of non-governmental organizations. The statement
was sent to all of the primary schools in the province.

EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM: Attorney Hamza Yilmaz applied to
the Ministry of Interior to change the name of his hometown
Arslankasi, in Keban district of Elazig, to "Niskusagi."
Yilmaz, claiming that the law had been breached when his town's
name was changed to "Arslankasi" in the 1960s, alleged that the
change had been part of the state's assimilation policy.


CUMHURIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM: Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline
Calmy-Rey will come to Turkey as the guest of her Turkish
counterpart Abdullah G|l. Calmy-Rey plans to visit Istanbul,
Ankara and Diyarbakir. In Diyarbakir, Calmy-Rey will reportedly
visit Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir, and members of the Human
Rights Association.

HURRIYET / CUMHURIYET / EKSPRES / SABAH (GUNEY): In Mersin,
Gokhan Kiziltepe, the police officer who saved the flag from
being stepped on and burned in Newruz celebrations, was given
his prize and certificate of honor by Ministry of Interior
officials and the Mersin Governor. Kiziltepe donated the
twenty-four salary installments he was awarded to the Martyrs
and Veterans Solidarity Association. During his address to the
audience, Mehmet Ekizer, Deputy Director of the Mersin Security
Directorate, accused DEHAP (Democratic People's Party) of not
singing the Turkish National Anthem and hanging the Turkish flag
during their party meetings and congresses.

ZAMAN / SABAH / OZGUR GUNDEM: Mehmet Agar, DYP (True Path Party)
leader, stated in a meeting held in Diyarbakir, "We will not
allow anybody to separate the Turks and Kurds, to politically
abuse the sacred values of Turkish nation, to draw this country
into a chaotic battleground. The red color in the flag
represents, among other things, the blood of the people --
including those of eastern and southeastern Turkey -- who died
for this country." However, Ozgur Gundem criticizes Agar, who is
a former National Security Director, as being one of the
engineers of the conflict that started in the southeastern
region in 1993.

ZAMAN: Zaman reports that it was discovered that Alaattin
Erdogan, Head of the DEHAP delegation sent to Mersin to
investigate the flag-insult incident, had served a prison
sentence in the past for showing disrespect the Turkish flag in
Mersin. Alaattin Erdogan was the Provincial Chairperson of the
former HADEP (People's Democracy Party) in Mersin and the Adana
State Security Court allegedly found him guilty of stepping over
the Turkish flag and throwing it into the wastebasket in 1998.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS


1. SABAH (GUNEY) / EKSPRES / BOLGE / HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):
Suleyman Onatca, Chairperson of the Adana Industrialists and
Businessmen Association, announced that his visits with Syrian
and Jordanian authorities last week were very fruitful in terms
of economic relations. Onatca said that his visits to Jordan's
Minister of Industry, Chairperson of the Chamber of Commerce,
and Chairperson of the Industrialists and Businessmen
Association aimed to enhance Adana's trade relations with Middle
Eastern markets.


REID