SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR APRIL 28-29, 2005

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000093

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR APRIL 28-29, 2005


This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for April 28-29,

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

SABAH (GUNEY) / BOLGE: Cukurova University Rector Prof. Alper
Akinoglu, at a ceremony held to recognize academicians who have
been appointed as instructors, said that noone will be allowed
to compromise the secular principles of the Turkish state.

ZAMAN / BOLGE: Adana Governor Cahit Kirac visited the Chamber
of Geological Engineers (CGE). During his talks with the CGE
Chairman, Kirac obtained information about the seismic movements
in Adana. Kirac stated that populist policies do nothing to
address the earthquake issue. He added that an Earthquake
Monitoring Center will begin to operate in Adana at the end of
2005 and that his office has completed a Disaster Management
Plan for Adana.

OZGUR GUNDEM: The executive officers of Egitim-Sen
(Education Union) paid a visit to Tuncer Bakirhan, DEHAP
(Democratic People's Party) leader, to discuss the issue of a
lawsuit opened to shut down the Union.

ZAMAN / SABAH (GUNEY) / BOLGE / EKSPRES: The seven governors of
the Cukurova region (Adana, Gaziantep, Mersin, Hatay, Kilis,
Osmaniye, Kahramanmaras) held a meeting at the Adana Governor's
Office to discuss how to handle responsibilities that will be
transferred from the Village Services Offices, which will soon
be closed.

OZGUR GUNDEM / EVRENSEL: Special teams allegedly conducted
a raid on a house in Hakkari on the grounds that "a wounded
terrorist was hiding there." The fact that the operation was
conducted with armored military vehicles and two helicopters
disturbed local people and the DEHAP District Chairman in
Hakkari said that close to ten houses were allegedly raided in
the same fashion in a week.

BOLGE / EKSPRES: Three Deputy Chairmen of the ANAP (Motherland
Party),Mirac Akdogan (Malatya deputy),Muhsin Kocyigit
(Diyarbakir deputy) and Muharrem Dogan (Mardin deputy),and
three members of the Party's Main Executive Board, have come to
Adana attend the address of their leader in an April 30 meeting
in Adana. During a press meeting, Akdogan criticized CHP's
support for the new Political Parties Act, which allegedly aims
to rule out the delivery of Treasury funds to parties with
smaller Parliamentary groups.

OZGUR GUNDEM: Hacettepe University in Ankara is embarking
upon an extensive project to conduct research on internal
migration. The results obtained from the research will
reportedly benefit the Chief of Staff and State Planning
Institute as well.

EKSPRES: At a conference in Tehran, Iran, Adana Mayor Aytac
Durak delivered a speech about his Municipality's experiences
regarding the operation of local administrations in Turkey.

OZGUR GUNDEM: Kadriye Goren, a ten-year-old girl, has been
operated on four times in Dicle University's Research Hospital
after being hit in the eye by a bullet during a military
operation in Derik district of Mardin on March 25. Her family
applied to the Human Rights Association, alleging no military
authority has extended help to date.

RADIKAL: Sahin Ayaz, a founding member of the Kurd-Der
(Kurdish Association) and HAKPAR (Rights and Liberties Party)
was reportedly taken into custody after participating in a
television program. The Bursa Prosecutor's office allegedly
detained Ayaz on the grounds that his talk aimed to incite
hatred and hostility that would promote social class, racial,
religious differences among people. Ayaz was released after
submitting his statement to the Prosecutor.

OZGUR GUNDEM: During the April 23 Sovereignty and Children's
Day, DEHAP Provincial Executives in Siirt were allegedly
excluded from the ceremonial wreath-laying tribute paid to
Ataturk's statue and from the parade held in the city stadium.
This issue has been brought to the agenda of the Turkish
Parliament with a question submitted by CHP Canakkale deputy
Ismail Ozay.

YENI SAFAK / HURRIYET / SABAH / EKSPRES / BOLGE / OZGUR GUNDEM:
State Minister Kursad Tuzmen stated that they would renovate the
Cilvegozu Border Gate, the Turkish side of the border with
Syria. The renovation activities will governed under a
Build-Operate-Transfer project. Tuzmen expressed that this
effort will enhance and accelerate the trade relations with
Syria.

OZGUR GUNDEM: A three-person delegation assigned by
Holland, German and Switzerland has reportedly come to Turkey to
conduct studies at the Iskenderun Port, where the wreckage of
M/V Ulla remains. M/V Ulla, with its 2,200 tons of poisonous
waste, is reportedly still negatively affecting the marine
resources sector.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS

1. ZAMAN / EKSPRES / BOLGE: Ali Kavak, Chairman of the
Antakya Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stated that Turkish
investors, attracted by the lower costs of investment inputs
such as labor and electricity, have recently been seeking
investment opportunities in Syria.


2. SABAH: TOBB (Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity
Exchange Offices) hosted a meeting with Israeli and Palestinian
businessmen to promote joint projects and political ties through
the aid of the trade partnerships. The delegations from Israel
and Palestine showed interest in investment opportunities in the
GAP region.


REID