Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ADANA110
2006-05-17 11:16:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Consulate Adana
Cable title:
SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR MAY 17, 2006
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000110
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR MAY 17, 2006
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for May 17, 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
OZGUR GUNDEM: The daily carried in its front page that the
records of the telephone calls made by Ali Kaya, a
non-commissioned officer and one of the three defendants of the
Semdinli case, has been received by the Van Prosecutor's Office.
The record reportedly revealed that Kaya established a network
of business connections with businessman, contractors,
transporter company owners, and factory owners in the
southeastern region. The records allegedly further reveal that
"oppresion", "threats" and "expropriation" characterized the
nature of the relationship Kaya established with such people.
ZAMAN / CUMHURIYET: The place of the court hearing that
continued to try the specialized sergeant Tanju Cavus, who has
been accused of killing one person and wounding five more during
the unrest that took place following the Semdinli bombing last
year on November 9 in Hakkari's Semdinli district, was
transferred from Hakkari to Malatya at the March 17-dated second
hearing of the case. The third hearing will be held tomorrow
(05/18).
BOLGE / EKSPRES: The dailies have carried the decision of local
CHP party administration to refer businessman Bulent Ozulku to
party disciplinary committee with a demand to expel Ozulku from
party, a news item which has recently shaken CHP's Adana chapter
and caused controversy in the local political arena. Ozulku was
a candidate who had run for Adana mayorship in previous local
elections in Adana.
EKSPRES: The daily asks a question on why the Seyhan Mayor
Azim Ozturk (from AKP) did not choose to have PM Erdogan open
the newly constructed big facility called "Dream Park" (see
press summary 05/15) during Erdogan's visit to Adana last week.
Whether PM Erdogan did not personally favour it, or whether
Ozturk did not think about it, or whether some people convinced
Ozturk that the facility was not yet ready to be opened during
Erdogan's visit were the questions the asked by the paper.
EKSPRES / ZAMAN / RADIKAL / CUMHURIYET: Former President
Suleyman Demirel, who delivered a speech at Adana's Cukurova
University, said that authorities should differentiate between
the people and the terrorist components in Turkey. And the
people, on their part, should not follow certain circles seeking
nothing but adventure, and everybody should undertake
responsibility to work for the unity of the state, according to
Demirel.
HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Agriculture and Animal Breeding Fair of
Mersin will start today at 11 a.m. State Minister Kursat Tuzmen
will open the fair. Former President Suleyman Demirel, DYP
(True Path Party) National Leader Mehmet Agar and Minister of
Agriculture Mehdi Eker will participate in the opening ceremony.
OZGUR GUNDEM: Turkish Supreme Court sent a second letter of
warning to DTP that required DTP to change some articles of the
party charter. DTP officials have reportedly not responded to
the February 20-dated first letter of warning which demanded a
change in the article that defined the co-chairmanship concept,
a DTP-initiated first implementation in Turkey which the Supreme
Court objects to on grounds that co-chairmanship was in
non-conformity with the Turkish Political Party Act.
OZGUR GUNDEM: The military operation that was started by the
soldiers at the rural sections of Siirt one month ago has
reportedly been continuing. Demirkaya village of Siirt's Eruh
district has reportedly been blockaded by a 100-vehicle convoy
and the road checks between Siirt and Eruh has been intensified.
Another military operation has reportedly been started in rural
sections of Bingol. The area is reportedly being bombarded
intermittently by Cobra helicopters.
OZGUR GUNDEM: Patrick Cockbur, a journalist from Independent
newspaper, reportedly interviewed with people in the Qandil
Mountain in Iraq where PKK headquarters are located. A news
article authored by the journalist reportedly read that Kurds
had no other friends than the mountains.
OZGUR GUNDEM: Many people, who are relatives of disappeared
people from around the world, came to Diyarbakir to attend the
5th International Conference on People Disappeared under
Detention which has been organized by ICAD (International
Committee against Disappearances) and Turkish Yakay-Der
ADANA 00000110 002 OF 002
(Solidarity Association for the Family Members of Forcibly
Disappeared People) (see press summary 05/15). The major
organizations to attend the conference are as follows: Iraqi
Patriots' Union, Iranian Kurdistan Democracy Party, People's
Liberation Front in Palestine, and Solidarity Committee for
Political prisoners in Chile, Bulgaria's Labour Party, etc.
OZGUR GUNDEM: A lawsuit has been brought against the
organizing committee of the March 21 Newruz celebrations in
Kars's Ardahan district on charges that unauthorized banners and
posters were used and illegal slogans were chanted during the
celebrations. Three senior members of DTP's Ardahan branch
including the district chairperson will be arraigned next month
on these charges. Separately, Sabahattin Suvagci, former DEHAP
(Democratic People's Party) Hakkari provincial chairperson, who
was arrested during a March 22 raid on his house and who was
accused of aiding and abetting the terrorist organization, has
been released upon second objection submitted by his attorneys
against his arrest.
OZGUR GUNDEM: People have reportedly been showing great
interest in the English language course that has been started by
the Public Relations Office of the Derik Municipality in Mardin.
OZGUR GUNDEM: A Kurdish hacker group named "Coldhackers"
hacked a Turkish bank's and some local media organizations'
websites. The group pledged to defend the Kurdish values within
the virtual environment.
RADIKAL / HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Incoming number of tourists
in Diyarbakir has decreased by 40 per cent, said the Culture and
Tourism Director of the province. This was not only an
aftereffect of terrorist incidents in the region, but also a
decrease in the cultural and economic events held in the city
has led to lesser number of foreigners coming to the city.
BOLGE / ZAMAN: Thirteenth Film, Culture and Arts Festival of
Adana will be take place between June 5 and 11.
REID
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR MAY 17, 2006
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for May 17, 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
OZGUR GUNDEM: The daily carried in its front page that the
records of the telephone calls made by Ali Kaya, a
non-commissioned officer and one of the three defendants of the
Semdinli case, has been received by the Van Prosecutor's Office.
The record reportedly revealed that Kaya established a network
of business connections with businessman, contractors,
transporter company owners, and factory owners in the
southeastern region. The records allegedly further reveal that
"oppresion", "threats" and "expropriation" characterized the
nature of the relationship Kaya established with such people.
ZAMAN / CUMHURIYET: The place of the court hearing that
continued to try the specialized sergeant Tanju Cavus, who has
been accused of killing one person and wounding five more during
the unrest that took place following the Semdinli bombing last
year on November 9 in Hakkari's Semdinli district, was
transferred from Hakkari to Malatya at the March 17-dated second
hearing of the case. The third hearing will be held tomorrow
(05/18).
BOLGE / EKSPRES: The dailies have carried the decision of local
CHP party administration to refer businessman Bulent Ozulku to
party disciplinary committee with a demand to expel Ozulku from
party, a news item which has recently shaken CHP's Adana chapter
and caused controversy in the local political arena. Ozulku was
a candidate who had run for Adana mayorship in previous local
elections in Adana.
EKSPRES: The daily asks a question on why the Seyhan Mayor
Azim Ozturk (from AKP) did not choose to have PM Erdogan open
the newly constructed big facility called "Dream Park" (see
press summary 05/15) during Erdogan's visit to Adana last week.
Whether PM Erdogan did not personally favour it, or whether
Ozturk did not think about it, or whether some people convinced
Ozturk that the facility was not yet ready to be opened during
Erdogan's visit were the questions the asked by the paper.
EKSPRES / ZAMAN / RADIKAL / CUMHURIYET: Former President
Suleyman Demirel, who delivered a speech at Adana's Cukurova
University, said that authorities should differentiate between
the people and the terrorist components in Turkey. And the
people, on their part, should not follow certain circles seeking
nothing but adventure, and everybody should undertake
responsibility to work for the unity of the state, according to
Demirel.
HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Agriculture and Animal Breeding Fair of
Mersin will start today at 11 a.m. State Minister Kursat Tuzmen
will open the fair. Former President Suleyman Demirel, DYP
(True Path Party) National Leader Mehmet Agar and Minister of
Agriculture Mehdi Eker will participate in the opening ceremony.
OZGUR GUNDEM: Turkish Supreme Court sent a second letter of
warning to DTP that required DTP to change some articles of the
party charter. DTP officials have reportedly not responded to
the February 20-dated first letter of warning which demanded a
change in the article that defined the co-chairmanship concept,
a DTP-initiated first implementation in Turkey which the Supreme
Court objects to on grounds that co-chairmanship was in
non-conformity with the Turkish Political Party Act.
OZGUR GUNDEM: The military operation that was started by the
soldiers at the rural sections of Siirt one month ago has
reportedly been continuing. Demirkaya village of Siirt's Eruh
district has reportedly been blockaded by a 100-vehicle convoy
and the road checks between Siirt and Eruh has been intensified.
Another military operation has reportedly been started in rural
sections of Bingol. The area is reportedly being bombarded
intermittently by Cobra helicopters.
OZGUR GUNDEM: Patrick Cockbur, a journalist from Independent
newspaper, reportedly interviewed with people in the Qandil
Mountain in Iraq where PKK headquarters are located. A news
article authored by the journalist reportedly read that Kurds
had no other friends than the mountains.
OZGUR GUNDEM: Many people, who are relatives of disappeared
people from around the world, came to Diyarbakir to attend the
5th International Conference on People Disappeared under
Detention which has been organized by ICAD (International
Committee against Disappearances) and Turkish Yakay-Der
ADANA 00000110 002 OF 002
(Solidarity Association for the Family Members of Forcibly
Disappeared People) (see press summary 05/15). The major
organizations to attend the conference are as follows: Iraqi
Patriots' Union, Iranian Kurdistan Democracy Party, People's
Liberation Front in Palestine, and Solidarity Committee for
Political prisoners in Chile, Bulgaria's Labour Party, etc.
OZGUR GUNDEM: A lawsuit has been brought against the
organizing committee of the March 21 Newruz celebrations in
Kars's Ardahan district on charges that unauthorized banners and
posters were used and illegal slogans were chanted during the
celebrations. Three senior members of DTP's Ardahan branch
including the district chairperson will be arraigned next month
on these charges. Separately, Sabahattin Suvagci, former DEHAP
(Democratic People's Party) Hakkari provincial chairperson, who
was arrested during a March 22 raid on his house and who was
accused of aiding and abetting the terrorist organization, has
been released upon second objection submitted by his attorneys
against his arrest.
OZGUR GUNDEM: People have reportedly been showing great
interest in the English language course that has been started by
the Public Relations Office of the Derik Municipality in Mardin.
OZGUR GUNDEM: A Kurdish hacker group named "Coldhackers"
hacked a Turkish bank's and some local media organizations'
websites. The group pledged to defend the Kurdish values within
the virtual environment.
RADIKAL / HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Incoming number of tourists
in Diyarbakir has decreased by 40 per cent, said the Culture and
Tourism Director of the province. This was not only an
aftereffect of terrorist incidents in the region, but also a
decrease in the cultural and economic events held in the city
has led to lesser number of foreigners coming to the city.
BOLGE / ZAMAN: Thirteenth Film, Culture and Arts Festival of
Adana will be take place between June 5 and 11.
REID