Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ADANA118
2006-05-24 06:34:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Consulate Adana
Cable title:
SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR MAY 23, 2006
how-toVZCZCXRO5248 RR RUEHDA DE RUEHDA #0118/01 1440634 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 240634Z MAY 06 FM AMCONSUL ADANA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4148 INFO RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 0748 RUEUITH/AFOSI DET 521 ANKARA TU RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0697 RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0604 RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000118
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR MAY 23, 2006
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for May 23, 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
YENI SAFAK / OZGUR GUNDEM: Forty-four foreign nationals, who
have entered the country illegally and who were being
trafficked, were caught in a truck in Van's Gurpinar district.
Twenty-six of them were Afghanis, 15 of them were Bangladeshis,
3 of them were Pakistanis. Yeni Safak daily further reports
that Ministry of Interior started scrutinizing the issue of
human trafficking, terrorism, internal displacement and
prostitution.
ZAMAN / BOLGE / OZGUR GUNDEM: Traffic police have imposed fines
on four drivers in Adana who were carrying construction workers
in the cargo section of the trucks in the last three days.
CUMHURIYET / YENI SAFAK / OZGUR GUNDEM: Deputy Chief of Afghan
Embassy in Turkey said that the identity cards of the Afghani
nationals who were killed in an accident on Friday (05/19) in
Osmaniye (see press summary 05/22) were seized by the human
traffickers; a situation which made it difficult to identify the
victims.
ZAMAN / BOLGE: Provincial Chairperson of AKP (Justice and
Development Party) paid a courtesy visit to the Adana Governor.
OZGUR GUNDEM: The Turkish Supreme Court's objection against
the co-chairmanship concept introduced by DTP has caused heated
controversy within party ranks. The party's Central Executive
Board has tended to act in accordance with the prescription of
the Supreme Court, however, DTP's women's branch has been
showing strong objection to annulment of co-chairmanship. (This
summary is from 05/20 edition.)
RADIKAL: Diyarbakir Prosecutor's Office, pointing to DTP
Siirt Provincial Chairperson Murat Avci's lawsuit, demanded that
DTP be closed. Murat Avci made his March 29 remarks in Siirt
where he allegedly incited people to protest action during the
violent protests in Diyarbakir in late March.
HURRIYET / ZAMAN / RADIKAL / CUMHURIYET: Two separate remote
controlled mines killed one commissioned officer and wounded two
privates in separate incidents in Diyarbakir and Van.
OZGUR GUNDEM: The daily claimed that 10 soldiers have died
in the last two days in military operations going on in Bingol
and Diyarbakir's Lice district. Separately, a private has
reportedly been wounded because of an explosion that took place
when a military vehicle was passing along a road in Van's
Baskale district.
OZGUR GUNDEM: The rivalry between DTP and AKP in Van turned
into a demonstration of power between the two parties'
congresses that were held on May 19 and May 21 respectively in
Van. Both parties attempted to strengthen their position: AKP,
frustrated about Diyarbakir, shifted its concentrated efforts in
Van, and DTP, frustrated in mayoral elections in Van was trying
to strengthen its position there (05/18 edition). Thousands of
people reportedly welcomed the DTP Co-Chairpersons when they
arrived at Van for the first congress of DTP to be held in Van.
Co-Chairpersons Ahmet Turk and Aysel Tugluk, who wanted to visit
Bostanici district municipality after their visit to DTP office
in Van, were denied entrance to the municipality by Jandarma
when the delegation refused to be searched. DTP delegation and
Bostanici Mayor protested the search attempt and quit the scene,
the crowd of people applauded to protest the actions by the
Jandarma, and the Mayor of the Bostanici Municipality said that
the search attempt by the Jandarma was unlawful (05/20 edition).
DTP Co-Chairperson Ahmet Turk urged PM Erdogan to see them as
counterparts of the Kurdish issue during the DTP congress held
in Van on May 20. People chanted slogans saying, "PKK is made up
of people. And those people are now here" during the congress.
People also chanted slogans in support of terrorist leader
Abdullah Ocalan. Van Mayor (from AKP) sent flowers to the DTP
congress (05/21 edition).
OZGUR GUNDEM: A group comprised of members of Human Rights
Association and Socialist Platform of the Oppressed People
staged a protest activity in Adana to mark the International
Week for People Who Disappeared Under Detention (May 17-31).
OZGUR GUNDEM: Threatening letters have been sent to 18
muhtars (headmen) of the villages in Van's Gurpinar district
from unknown sources in Hatay. The headmen are from a section
of Gurpinar which was evacuated in 1990s on grounds that people
ADANA 00000118 002 OF 002
did not agree to become village guards. For about a month, the
displaced people were returning to their villages there.
Reportedly, security officers from Van Command seized the
letters.
WILSON
REID
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR MAY 23, 2006
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for May 23, 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
YENI SAFAK / OZGUR GUNDEM: Forty-four foreign nationals, who
have entered the country illegally and who were being
trafficked, were caught in a truck in Van's Gurpinar district.
Twenty-six of them were Afghanis, 15 of them were Bangladeshis,
3 of them were Pakistanis. Yeni Safak daily further reports
that Ministry of Interior started scrutinizing the issue of
human trafficking, terrorism, internal displacement and
prostitution.
ZAMAN / BOLGE / OZGUR GUNDEM: Traffic police have imposed fines
on four drivers in Adana who were carrying construction workers
in the cargo section of the trucks in the last three days.
CUMHURIYET / YENI SAFAK / OZGUR GUNDEM: Deputy Chief of Afghan
Embassy in Turkey said that the identity cards of the Afghani
nationals who were killed in an accident on Friday (05/19) in
Osmaniye (see press summary 05/22) were seized by the human
traffickers; a situation which made it difficult to identify the
victims.
ZAMAN / BOLGE: Provincial Chairperson of AKP (Justice and
Development Party) paid a courtesy visit to the Adana Governor.
OZGUR GUNDEM: The Turkish Supreme Court's objection against
the co-chairmanship concept introduced by DTP has caused heated
controversy within party ranks. The party's Central Executive
Board has tended to act in accordance with the prescription of
the Supreme Court, however, DTP's women's branch has been
showing strong objection to annulment of co-chairmanship. (This
summary is from 05/20 edition.)
RADIKAL: Diyarbakir Prosecutor's Office, pointing to DTP
Siirt Provincial Chairperson Murat Avci's lawsuit, demanded that
DTP be closed. Murat Avci made his March 29 remarks in Siirt
where he allegedly incited people to protest action during the
violent protests in Diyarbakir in late March.
HURRIYET / ZAMAN / RADIKAL / CUMHURIYET: Two separate remote
controlled mines killed one commissioned officer and wounded two
privates in separate incidents in Diyarbakir and Van.
OZGUR GUNDEM: The daily claimed that 10 soldiers have died
in the last two days in military operations going on in Bingol
and Diyarbakir's Lice district. Separately, a private has
reportedly been wounded because of an explosion that took place
when a military vehicle was passing along a road in Van's
Baskale district.
OZGUR GUNDEM: The rivalry between DTP and AKP in Van turned
into a demonstration of power between the two parties'
congresses that were held on May 19 and May 21 respectively in
Van. Both parties attempted to strengthen their position: AKP,
frustrated about Diyarbakir, shifted its concentrated efforts in
Van, and DTP, frustrated in mayoral elections in Van was trying
to strengthen its position there (05/18 edition). Thousands of
people reportedly welcomed the DTP Co-Chairpersons when they
arrived at Van for the first congress of DTP to be held in Van.
Co-Chairpersons Ahmet Turk and Aysel Tugluk, who wanted to visit
Bostanici district municipality after their visit to DTP office
in Van, were denied entrance to the municipality by Jandarma
when the delegation refused to be searched. DTP delegation and
Bostanici Mayor protested the search attempt and quit the scene,
the crowd of people applauded to protest the actions by the
Jandarma, and the Mayor of the Bostanici Municipality said that
the search attempt by the Jandarma was unlawful (05/20 edition).
DTP Co-Chairperson Ahmet Turk urged PM Erdogan to see them as
counterparts of the Kurdish issue during the DTP congress held
in Van on May 20. People chanted slogans saying, "PKK is made up
of people. And those people are now here" during the congress.
People also chanted slogans in support of terrorist leader
Abdullah Ocalan. Van Mayor (from AKP) sent flowers to the DTP
congress (05/21 edition).
OZGUR GUNDEM: A group comprised of members of Human Rights
Association and Socialist Platform of the Oppressed People
staged a protest activity in Adana to mark the International
Week for People Who Disappeared Under Detention (May 17-31).
OZGUR GUNDEM: Threatening letters have been sent to 18
muhtars (headmen) of the villages in Van's Gurpinar district
from unknown sources in Hatay. The headmen are from a section
of Gurpinar which was evacuated in 1990s on grounds that people
ADANA 00000118 002 OF 002
did not agree to become village guards. For about a month, the
displaced people were returning to their villages there.
Reportedly, security officers from Van Command seized the
letters.
WILSON
REID