SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR APRIL 12, 2005

UNCLAS ADANA 000078 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR APRIL 12, 2005 ¶1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for April 12, 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 ¶2. CUMHURIYET / YENI SAFAK: Ten people were wounded as a result of fighting that broke out between the youth members of two families in Tatvan district of Bitlis. Nineteen people were detained after the incident. ¶3. ZAMAN: Kemal Unakitan, Finance Minister, announced that the state request bids for a mine-clearing project around the Turkish-Syrian border that will make the land safely available, specifically for a project of organic cultivation. ¶4. EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM: The Sub-governor of Malazgirt district of Mus vetoed the March 3 decision of the municipality assembly asking for a change in the names of two streets to "Musa Anter" and "Ugur Kaymaz" Streets, on the grounds that these two people made no significant contribution to the development of the district. ¶5. EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM: Fourteen male refugees of Pakistani origin were reportedly found in Caldiran district of Van in a secret section of a truck, which transported livestock. ¶6. TERCUMAN: The PKK allegedly collects blood from its members and sells it. According to the report of Tercuman, the PKK has been visiting villages in the southeastern Turkey and collected 3500 blood samples under the guise of medical checks in order to raise money. ¶7. EKSPRES: A columnist in Ekspres stated that the hostility between Aytac Durak, tha Adana Mayor, and Abdullah Dogru, AKP (Justice and Development Party) Provincial Chairperson, actually turned into a "marriage" when a close friend of Durak was assigned to the position of Akdeniz TV's Chief Broadcasting Director. Abdullah Dogru is reportedly one of the business partners of the Akdeniz TV in Adana. ¶8. EKSPRES / BOLGE: Yuregir Municipality in Adana held an official ceremony yesterday to initiate the construction of a reform school for juveniles, which was described as a significant facility for solving the street children problem. The Adana Governor's Office and the Security Directorate provided support for the reformatory project, as well. ¶9. OZGUR GUNDEM: The Governor's Office in Hakkari allegedly started a probe through civilian police to identify the names of students who did not participate in the March 25 flag-march activity of the Governor's Office. Reportedly, families of the students are disturbed about this development and have filed a complaint with the Hakkari Prosecutor.