Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ADANA15
2006-01-30 07:09:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Consulate Adana
Cable title:
SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR JANUARY 23, 2006
how-toThis record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS ADANA 000015
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR JANUARY 23, 2006
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for January 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
SABAH / OZGUR GUNDEM: A 12-person U.S. delegation came to Van
to study the bird flu cases at local level. Van Governor
briefed the delegation which will later reportedly pay a visit
to Van Centennial University to see the patients suspected of
having bird flu. U.S. Department of State Deputy Undersecretary
Ann Derse said that the measures undertaken against bird-flu
were pleasing.
OZGUR GUNDEM: DTP (Democratic Society Party) administrators
in Agri's Patnos district, who were detained because of a
January 18 press announcement made to protest confinement of
Abdullah Ocalan to a prison cell, have been released.
EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM: Five years have reportedly passed
since Serdar Tanis, HADEP's former Silopi provincial
chairperson, and Ebubekir Deniz, HADEP's provincial leader,
disappeared allegedly after being summoned to Silopi Jandarma
Command in January 2001. It is anticipated that the lawsuit
brought at the European Court of Human Rights concerning the
disappearance will reach a verdict at the end of February.
OZGUR GUNDEM: A delegation formed by the Human Rights
Association (HRA) and Mazlum-Der (Association for Solidarity for
Human Rights and Oppressed People) went to Cizre. The
delegation made a call on the PKK/Kongra-Gel to announce via a
media channel the spot at which the PKK would be releasing the
police officer Hakan Acil, who they kidnapped October 9, 2005 in
Cizre.
OZGUR GUNDEM: People in Semdinli have closed their
businesses temporarily as protest against the confinement of
Abdullah Ocalan to a prison cell for 20 days and against the
release of Sergeant Tanju Cavus, an officer held as the
defendant of the killing of Ali Yilmaz during a demonstration
that followed Semdinli incident which took place in November 9,
2005.
OZGUR GUNDEM: An entertainment program on a national TV
station, which enjoyed high ratings in Turkey, has been
discontinued allegedly because the entertainer of the program,
who is a well-known celebrity, reportedly said that she was of
Kurdish-origin. She was neither ashamed of her origin nor
boastful of it, and she said that everybody were brothers (in
Turkey). Kurdish Artists Initiative condemned the TV station
for its decision to end the program following these statements
of the celebrity on a live TV program.
HURRIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM: Many roads have been closed and
access has been blocked to many villages due to the heavy
snowfall in the southeastern region. 500 people, who were stuck
on a road in the Haruna Crossing between Yuksekova and Semdinli
districts because of the snow, risked death while they waited
for five hours for the rescue team to reach them.
OZGUR GUNDEM: A 4.0-magnitude earthquake shook Mersin
yesterday at 4.26 p.m.
EVRENSEL: In the course of the Semdinli investigation Van
Prosecutors decided to seize computers at the Semdinli Security
Directorate. A search of the hard disks was reportedly started
a while ago upon allegations by the head of the Anti-terror
Branch of National Security Directorate that Veysel Ates's
statement given while he was in detention, was lost. (Note:
Veysel Ates is the PKK defector who had been in Semdinli along
with the two officers during the Semdinli incident of November
9, 2005. End Note.)
BOLGE: Members of the TKP (Turkish Communist Party) marched
towards the TEKEL Cigarette factory in Adana to protest the
government's decision to close down the factory.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS
HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Saban Bas, Chairperson of the Adana
Chamber of Commerce, suggested that Adana's Tekel Cigarette
Factory, which will be closed down by the Privatization
Authority, be bought by Adana businessmen in order to revive it.
REID
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR JANUARY 23, 2006
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for January 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
SABAH / OZGUR GUNDEM: A 12-person U.S. delegation came to Van
to study the bird flu cases at local level. Van Governor
briefed the delegation which will later reportedly pay a visit
to Van Centennial University to see the patients suspected of
having bird flu. U.S. Department of State Deputy Undersecretary
Ann Derse said that the measures undertaken against bird-flu
were pleasing.
OZGUR GUNDEM: DTP (Democratic Society Party) administrators
in Agri's Patnos district, who were detained because of a
January 18 press announcement made to protest confinement of
Abdullah Ocalan to a prison cell, have been released.
EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM: Five years have reportedly passed
since Serdar Tanis, HADEP's former Silopi provincial
chairperson, and Ebubekir Deniz, HADEP's provincial leader,
disappeared allegedly after being summoned to Silopi Jandarma
Command in January 2001. It is anticipated that the lawsuit
brought at the European Court of Human Rights concerning the
disappearance will reach a verdict at the end of February.
OZGUR GUNDEM: A delegation formed by the Human Rights
Association (HRA) and Mazlum-Der (Association for Solidarity for
Human Rights and Oppressed People) went to Cizre. The
delegation made a call on the PKK/Kongra-Gel to announce via a
media channel the spot at which the PKK would be releasing the
police officer Hakan Acil, who they kidnapped October 9, 2005 in
Cizre.
OZGUR GUNDEM: People in Semdinli have closed their
businesses temporarily as protest against the confinement of
Abdullah Ocalan to a prison cell for 20 days and against the
release of Sergeant Tanju Cavus, an officer held as the
defendant of the killing of Ali Yilmaz during a demonstration
that followed Semdinli incident which took place in November 9,
2005.
OZGUR GUNDEM: An entertainment program on a national TV
station, which enjoyed high ratings in Turkey, has been
discontinued allegedly because the entertainer of the program,
who is a well-known celebrity, reportedly said that she was of
Kurdish-origin. She was neither ashamed of her origin nor
boastful of it, and she said that everybody were brothers (in
Turkey). Kurdish Artists Initiative condemned the TV station
for its decision to end the program following these statements
of the celebrity on a live TV program.
HURRIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM: Many roads have been closed and
access has been blocked to many villages due to the heavy
snowfall in the southeastern region. 500 people, who were stuck
on a road in the Haruna Crossing between Yuksekova and Semdinli
districts because of the snow, risked death while they waited
for five hours for the rescue team to reach them.
OZGUR GUNDEM: A 4.0-magnitude earthquake shook Mersin
yesterday at 4.26 p.m.
EVRENSEL: In the course of the Semdinli investigation Van
Prosecutors decided to seize computers at the Semdinli Security
Directorate. A search of the hard disks was reportedly started
a while ago upon allegations by the head of the Anti-terror
Branch of National Security Directorate that Veysel Ates's
statement given while he was in detention, was lost. (Note:
Veysel Ates is the PKK defector who had been in Semdinli along
with the two officers during the Semdinli incident of November
9, 2005. End Note.)
BOLGE: Members of the TKP (Turkish Communist Party) marched
towards the TEKEL Cigarette factory in Adana to protest the
government's decision to close down the factory.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS
HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Saban Bas, Chairperson of the Adana
Chamber of Commerce, suggested that Adana's Tekel Cigarette
Factory, which will be closed down by the Privatization
Authority, be bought by Adana businessmen in order to revive it.
REID