SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR JUNE 28, 2006

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000153 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR JUNE 28, 2006 This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for June 28, 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 / RADIKAL / SABAH: Ankara Security Directorate (ASD), after examining the statements made, slogans chanted, banners and posters waved at Sunday's DTP congress, finalized its probe into the congress and filed a complaint with the Ankara Chief Prosecutor on grounds that people made propaganda of PKK during the congress. Prosecutor's Office solicited the text of the speeches of National Chairperson Ahmet Turk and former co-chairperson Aysel Tugluk made at the congress and the footage taken by ASD upon receiving the complaint. If Prosecutor's Office finds out that Political Parties Act has been breached during the congress, it will file an investigation against DTP which might pave the way for a court action that demands the closure of DTP. (This summary is from 06/27 editions.) EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM: Ahmet Turk and Aysel Tugluk provided statements at the Ankara Court Hall concerning a text of a declaration made by the DTP Women's Assembly on March 8. HURRIYET: One of the defendants of the Semdinli case, non-commissioned officer Ali Kaya, who has been at an Ankara based military hospital because of a pulmonary disease during the last two hearings of the case, has been discharged from the hospital and has been sent to Van's Military Jail. HURRIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM: Ambassador Hans Jorg Kretschmer, Head of the Delegation of European Commission in Turkey, came to Van the previous day with two delegates from Brussels and paid visits to Van Governor, Chief Prosecutor, Human Rights Association, Mazlum-Der (Solidarity Association for Oppressed People),VAKAD (Van Women's Association),VANGIAD (Van Young Businessmen Association),Van Chapter of Goc-Der (Solidarity and Culture Association for Displaced People),etc. (This summary is from 06/27 edition of Hurriyet and 06/28 edition of Ozgur Gundem.) The delegation went to Hakkari's Semdinli district yesterday. Kretschmer will pay visits to Semdinli Mayor Hursit Tekin and non-governmental organizations. EVRENSEL: Kretschmer reportedly told mainstream Milliyet newspaper that DTP could not pursue political goals without putting distance between itself and the PKK. CUMHURIYET / YENI SAFAK / EVRENSEL / RADIKAL / HURRIYET / ZAMAN: Higher Board of Judges and Prosecutors overturned the petition of former Van Prosecutor Ferhat Sarikaya which requested reevaluation of the court decision that expelled him from his profession. ZAMAN: Diyarbakir Prosecutor's Office finalized the indictment it had been preparing against Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir for Baydemir's statements made in support for terrorists following the violent Diyarbakir demonstrations in late March. Baydemir reportedly said in response to the indictment that if attaining democracy, social peace and stability required the sacrifice of Osman Baydemir, please let it happen. YENI SAFAK / EVRENSEL / ZAMAN: The dailies reported remarks of U.S. Ambassador Ross Wilson in Izmir. Wilson reportedly said that the U.S. has not been able to do everything it can with regard to Turkey's fight against the PKK. OZGUR GUNDEM: The daily reports that military operations have been continuing in Tunceli, Hakkari, Mardin, Diyarbakir, Agri, Elazig and Bingol provinces. According to the daily, 30 soldiers and 8 PKK members have allegedly died in clashes over the last week. The daily further reported that Turkish military forces have launched a military operation in Elazig's Palu district the previous day and a village guard reportedly died in a clash there. Military forces reportedly have deployed soldiers in an area situated in the triangle of Diyarbakir's Hani, Lice and Genc districts. CUMHURIYET / YENI SAFAK / EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM / RADIKAL: According to the report of the Diyarbakir Bar Association's Women's Rights Center, 50 murders have been committed in Diyarbakir in the name of honor killing in the last six years. CUMHURIYET: Diyarbakir Chamber of Commodity Exchange criticized AKP government for not including Diyarbakir in the list of provinces where a project will be implemented to create centers in the east of Ankara which would attract people in order to prevent migration to western cities. ADANA 00000153 002 OF 002 OZGUR GUNDEM: A seminar called "Sharing of Experiences among Street Childen" will be held through joint efforts of GAP Regional Development Authority and UN Development Program in Batman. HURRIYET: Five children have been wounded because of an explosive, which they found in a village of Agri's Dogubeyazit district. OZGUR GUNDEM: Saban Ayhan, who applied to Loss and Damage Assessment Commission of Hakkari Governor's Office for wounds he incurred during a 1991 bomb incident in Hakkari's Yuksekova district, was denied any compensation because of a Jandarma report claiming that the explosive used at the bombing belonged to the local clans. SABAH (GUNEY): Farmers in the Cukurova region have been objecting to the decision of Ministry of Agriculture which bans pesticide spraying through planes. REID