Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ADANA107
2006-05-12 05:08:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Consulate Adana
Cable title:
SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR MAY 11, 2006
how-toVZCZCXRO2184 RR RUEHDA DE RUEHDA #0107 1320508 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 120508Z MAY 06 FM AMCONSUL ADANA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4137 INFO RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 0734 RUEUITH/AFOSI DET 521 ANKARA TU RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0686 RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0595 RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS ADANA 000107
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR MAY 11, 2006
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for May 11, 2006.
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
HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Four people, who were arrested when they
were caught with USD 4,000,000-worth of materials with which
Captagon drugs can be produced in a textile factory in
Gaziantep's Organized Industrial Zone in February, have been
released by Adana's 7th Heavy Penalty Court to stand trial
later. The suspects have been in prison for three months.
HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Non-governmental organizations and
political parties in Bitlis gathered at Bitlis's Chamber of
Commerce and Industry to discuss the problems and to find
solutions to natural disasters the city has experienced for 20
years.
BOLGE / EKSPRES: Seyhan Municipality's cleaning services
workers have entered the third day of their strike in Adana (see
press summary 05/09). Seyhan Mayor Azim Ozturk talked with the
workers and requested from them to carry on with their work and
not yield to provocations. Meanwhile, police have been
investigating into identity of alleged actors inciting workers
to strike.
BOLGE: Chairperson of Adana Commodity Exchange said that
farmers have don't favor the cultivation of wheat and corn in
the Cukurova region anymore because of an oversupply of such
products, which yields insufficient economic returns.
OZGUR GUNDEM: In the last three months, Siirt Prosecutor
initiated investigations against 27 students of the Siirt
Education Faculty on charges of disseminating terrorist
organization's propaganda and breaching codes on holding
demonstrations and gatherings on such occasions as the World
Women's Day, anniversary of Halabja massacre, and Newruz
celebrations. Action has been brought against 7 of the
students. Meanwhile, Jandarma teams which arrived at a
dormitory at Van Centennial University to extinguish a fire that
broke out have allegedly detained 6 students for keeping illegal
documents in their rooms.
CUMHURIYET / RADIKAL / EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM: Eskisehir Heavy
Penalty Court continued to hear the case of Ahmet (30) and Ugur
Kaymaz (12),the father and son who were killed in November 2004
in Mardin's Kiziltepe district. Claimant's attorneys and
defendant's attorneys blamed each other for using a discourse
that politicized the case. The jurors rejected a petition by
the claimants to conduct a study at the site of the incident and
to have the defendants arrested in the course of their trial.
The court was adjourned until July 19.
CUMHURIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM: Seven more children, five of whom
were under arrest, have been arraigned in Diyarbakir. The
children dismissed accusations during their statements in the
court hearing, which was not open to press members. A reported
interesting development was that 18 police officers, who were
wounded during the rioting in Diyarbakir late in March, were
present at the courtroom to express their complaints. However,
the officers said the children accused in that court session
were not the ones that attacked the officers.
RADIKAL / OZGUR GUNDEM / HURRIYET: Jandarma Regiment Command
filed a complaint against Tunceli mayor Songul Erol Abdil
because of a speech Abdil delivered in Germany on April 29. An
investigation has been started against Abdil. Meanwhile, the
court gave verdict about two university students who allegedly
gathered signatures in support of Abdullah Ocalan in Agri. The
students are sentenced to ten months in prison and a fine of 416
YTL each. Separately, Diyarbakir's 4th Heavy Penalty Court
heard the case of an Azadiya Welat newspaper representative and
two employees of Ozgur Gundem daily newspaper who are being
accused of disseminating terrorist organization's propaganda
during efforts to hold referendum in support for Abdullah
Ocalan.
RADIKAL: Representative of Delegation of European Commission
in Turkey, Hans Jorg Kretschmer, told Diyarbakir Mayor Osman
Baydemir during a reception in Ankara marking EU Day that the
representatives of the Kurdish community should be more active
in convincing (Kurdish) people to establish dialogue.
REID
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR MAY 11, 2006
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for May 11, 2006.
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
HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Four people, who were arrested when they
were caught with USD 4,000,000-worth of materials with which
Captagon drugs can be produced in a textile factory in
Gaziantep's Organized Industrial Zone in February, have been
released by Adana's 7th Heavy Penalty Court to stand trial
later. The suspects have been in prison for three months.
HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Non-governmental organizations and
political parties in Bitlis gathered at Bitlis's Chamber of
Commerce and Industry to discuss the problems and to find
solutions to natural disasters the city has experienced for 20
years.
BOLGE / EKSPRES: Seyhan Municipality's cleaning services
workers have entered the third day of their strike in Adana (see
press summary 05/09). Seyhan Mayor Azim Ozturk talked with the
workers and requested from them to carry on with their work and
not yield to provocations. Meanwhile, police have been
investigating into identity of alleged actors inciting workers
to strike.
BOLGE: Chairperson of Adana Commodity Exchange said that
farmers have don't favor the cultivation of wheat and corn in
the Cukurova region anymore because of an oversupply of such
products, which yields insufficient economic returns.
OZGUR GUNDEM: In the last three months, Siirt Prosecutor
initiated investigations against 27 students of the Siirt
Education Faculty on charges of disseminating terrorist
organization's propaganda and breaching codes on holding
demonstrations and gatherings on such occasions as the World
Women's Day, anniversary of Halabja massacre, and Newruz
celebrations. Action has been brought against 7 of the
students. Meanwhile, Jandarma teams which arrived at a
dormitory at Van Centennial University to extinguish a fire that
broke out have allegedly detained 6 students for keeping illegal
documents in their rooms.
CUMHURIYET / RADIKAL / EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM: Eskisehir Heavy
Penalty Court continued to hear the case of Ahmet (30) and Ugur
Kaymaz (12),the father and son who were killed in November 2004
in Mardin's Kiziltepe district. Claimant's attorneys and
defendant's attorneys blamed each other for using a discourse
that politicized the case. The jurors rejected a petition by
the claimants to conduct a study at the site of the incident and
to have the defendants arrested in the course of their trial.
The court was adjourned until July 19.
CUMHURIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM: Seven more children, five of whom
were under arrest, have been arraigned in Diyarbakir. The
children dismissed accusations during their statements in the
court hearing, which was not open to press members. A reported
interesting development was that 18 police officers, who were
wounded during the rioting in Diyarbakir late in March, were
present at the courtroom to express their complaints. However,
the officers said the children accused in that court session
were not the ones that attacked the officers.
RADIKAL / OZGUR GUNDEM / HURRIYET: Jandarma Regiment Command
filed a complaint against Tunceli mayor Songul Erol Abdil
because of a speech Abdil delivered in Germany on April 29. An
investigation has been started against Abdil. Meanwhile, the
court gave verdict about two university students who allegedly
gathered signatures in support of Abdullah Ocalan in Agri. The
students are sentenced to ten months in prison and a fine of 416
YTL each. Separately, Diyarbakir's 4th Heavy Penalty Court
heard the case of an Azadiya Welat newspaper representative and
two employees of Ozgur Gundem daily newspaper who are being
accused of disseminating terrorist organization's propaganda
during efforts to hold referendum in support for Abdullah
Ocalan.
RADIKAL: Representative of Delegation of European Commission
in Turkey, Hans Jorg Kretschmer, told Diyarbakir Mayor Osman
Baydemir during a reception in Ankara marking EU Day that the
representatives of the Kurdish community should be more active
in convincing (Kurdish) people to establish dialogue.
REID