SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR JULY 3, 2006

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000156 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR JULY 3, 2006 This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for July 03, 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 ZAMAN / SABAH: A police officer was killed as he was trying to defuse a bomb placed allegedly by PKK terrorists in Diyarbakir's Kocakoy district, announced Diyarbakir Governor's Office. ZAMAN / CUMHURIYET: Twenty-six of the 35 people detained and arraigned following last week's operation against corruption in the Habur Border Gate in Sirnak's Silopi district have been arrested. ZAMAN / CUMHURIYET: The report BOTAS (Petroleum Pipeline Company) has presented to the parliament reportedly urges that Turkey should demand a share of Kirkuk oil in exchange for financial losses totaling 500 million USD incurred because of oil transfer problems in Kirkuk(Iraq)-Yumurtalik(Adana, Turkey) pipeline. CUMHURIYET / HURRIYET / RADIKAL / ZAMAN / YENI SAFAK / SABAH: A 49-year-old MIT intelligence center regional director in Batman has been killed in the building where he worked by another employee working on a contract basis who was reportedly in a state of frenzy. The assailant has been arrested and is being interrogated. HURRIYET: Parliament Spokesperson Bulent Arinc had to respond to questions in Denmark of a Danish journalist, who was reportedly well-known for his articles in support of Roj TV broadcasts in Denmark, because of an interview arranged by the Turkish Consulate undersecretary and a consulate official in Denmark. RADIKAL / OZGUR GUNDEM / YENI SAFAK: Chairperson of Butchers in Diyarbakir has been invited to Chile for his outstanding performance in resolving a total of 417 feuds in the southeastern region of Turkey peacefully. A Chilean delegation came to Diyarbakir specifically to exchange information about, and benefit from, experiences gained in resolving feuds in the area. RADIKAL / SABAH: Head of the EU Delegation in Turkey, Hans Jorg Kretschmer, has reportedly been angered by PM Erdogan's program in Erzurum, which was not clarified until the last minute before a ground breaking ceremony in Erzurum's Karayazi district that was initially planned to be opened by PM Erdogan, Education Minister Huseyin Celik and Kretschmer. When PM Erdogan decided not to attend the ceremony in person, but through a live interactive TV session, Kretschmer reportedly decided to leave Erzurum without attending the ceremony, despite that the fact that he arranged his schedule months ago. YENI SAFAK / OZGUR GUNDEM: Many Syriacs living in different parts of the world convened in Adiyaman to attend a mass religious ceremony marking the anniversary of the foundation of Syriac Church in Adiyaman. OZGUR GUNDEM: An investigation has been started against DTP Chairperson in Hatay's Iskenderun district because of a banner reading a Kurdish May 1 slogan he carried on May Day in Iskenderun. OZGUR GUNDEM: The daily claims that soldiers damaged the graves of five PKK members, who were killed in 1991, in Siirt's Eruh district. OZGUR GUNDEM: The funeral of a PKK member, who was killed on June 25, has been held in a quarter of Mersin. Members of DTP's Mersin chapter, members of Goc-Der's (Solidarity Association for Displaced People) Mersin Chapter, and members of Tuhad-Der (Solidarity Association for Prisoners' Families) visited the family of the PKK member and paid their condolences. OZGUR GUNDEM: A total of nine DTP senior officials have been arraigned and arrested for allegedly keeping possession of arms and bombs in their houses last year, reported the daily. EKSPRES: During a reception held to celebrate 80th anniversary of Turkey gaining sovereignty on coastal waters, of Chairperson of Mersin's Chamber of Marine said that people engaged in tourism sector and local people should support the hydrofoil line between Mersin and Syria's Lazkiye port launched recently to boost tourism sector in the region. ADANA 00000156 002 OF 002 YENI SAFAK / OZGUR GUNDEM: The muhtar (headman) of Karaduvar quarter in Mersin drew attention to the environmental pollution caused by the leakages from petroleum lines transferring oil from the storage spaces to the vessels in the sea. Agriculture and fishing sector has reportedly suffered greatly because of that pollution. CUMHURIYET: The restoration project launched at Van's Armenian Christian Church on Van's Akdamar Island has entered its last phase. Electricity and water network, conveniences the church lacked to date, will reportedly also be provided soon. ZAMAN A student in Adana won the third rank in javelin throwing category in World High School Level Championship. REID