Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ADANA17
2006-01-30 07:10:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Consulate Adana
Cable title:
SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR JANUARY 19, 2006
how-toThis record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000017
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR JANUARY 19, 2006
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for January 19,
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
CUMHURIYET / RADIKAL / ZAMAN / HURRIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM / YENI
SAFAK: The Hakkari Heavy Penalty Court that held its first
hearing yesterday in the case of Sergeant Tanju Cavus, who was
accused of killing one person when he allegedly opened fire at a
demonstrating crowd following the November 9 Semdinli incident
in 2005 (see press summary 01/18),overturned the plea demanding
that the case should be linked to the case of the November 9
Semdinli bombing. The court decided to release Cavus while he
stood trial. Ozgur Gundem daily brands this court decision as an
attempt to cover the alleged "organized crime network" rooted in
the state structure.
ZAMAN / CUMHURIYET / RADIKAL: According to Cumhuriyet daily,
Selim Akyildiz, Head of the Anti-Terror Branch, provided very
little information to the Turkish Parliamentary Commission
Probing the Semdinli Case. Akyildiz told the commission that
their presence in Semdinli during the November 9 incident was a
mere coincidence. Akyildiz had reportedly been in Semdinli
between November 8 and 12 as part of a trip to study the
situation in various districts including Semdinli, Yuksekova and
Hakkari; however, they were stuck in their location in Semdinli
following the outbreak of the incident. Radikal daily quoted
the statements of the Deputy Head of the National Security
Directorate's Intelligence Office to the commission as saying
that it would be illogical for a terrorist organization to carry
out those bombings in Semdinli and Yuksekova.
YENI SAFAK / RADIKAL / ZAMAN / OZGUR GUNDEM: A two-year-old
daughter of a family in Mus's Kiyibasi village reportedly died
fifteen days ago and the family now suspects that the girl died
because of the rooster the family cooked and ate before the
death of their daughter. The family members have been
hospitalized in Mus's State Hospital and Diyarbakir's Dicle
University Hospital.
OZGUR GUNDEM: The daily reported that many dead birds in Van
have not been properly collected by the officials and the local
people are improperly putting the carcasses in plastic bags and
burying them under snow; a method that would reportedly cause
more serious problems.
OZGUR GUNDEM: Co-chairpersons of Democratic Society Party
(DTP) made a press announcement together with 56 mayors of the
southeastern region in Turkey about confinement of Abdullah
Ocalan in a cell in prison for 20 days (see press summary
01/18). DTP made a call to the government and urged it not to
further strain the already tense situation in the region. The
daily separately noted that attorneys of Ocalan went to the
Imrali Island, where Ocalan's solitary prison is located, to
meet with their client. Hoewever, it is not yet known whether
the attorneys were able to see him or not. Meanwhile, a
26-year-old inmate in a prison in Adana, who burned himself to
protest the confinement of Ocalan five days ago, received severe
burns and was hospitalized.
ZAMAN: The daily reported that confinement of Abdullah
Ocalan to his cell ended today.
OZGUR GUNDEM: Higher Election Board announced the names of
the political parties which are currently eligible to compete in
a national election contest. Reportedly, DTP and a few other
parties have still not met the requirements to become qualified
as a political party; therefore, DTP would not be able to take
part in an election if an election was held today. DTP Deputy
Co-Chairperson said that their party was a brand new one, and it
would be able to complete all the required processes until fall
2006.
ZAMAN / CUMHURIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM: A large-scale operation has
been started by the Turkish military forces against 350 PKK
terrorists in Tunceli. The operation is reportedly being
supported by air forces as well.
OZGUR GUNDEM: Police and security officers from Riot Police
and Jandarma conducted raids on the houses of four DTP members
in Siirt. Police reportedly said that these raids came as a
result of police suspecting these people.
OZGUR GUNDEM: Human Rights Association (HRA) and Mazlum-Der
(Association for Solidarity for Human Rights and Oppressed
People) decided to form a joint delegation that would set off
before weekend arrives to save Hakan Acil, a police officer who
was kidnapped on December 9, 2005 by the PKK/Kongra-Gel members
(see press summary 12/09 of 2005).
OZGUR GUNDEM: According to the daily, the European Court of
Human Rights' decision to refer cases concerning damages
incurred by people due to terror activities and counter-terror
measures on grounds that internal judicial mechanisms to resolve
such cases have been established in Turkey, have been met with
skepticism by NGO's in southeastern Turkey.
REID
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR JANUARY 19, 2006
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for January 19,
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
CUMHURIYET / RADIKAL / ZAMAN / HURRIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM / YENI
SAFAK: The Hakkari Heavy Penalty Court that held its first
hearing yesterday in the case of Sergeant Tanju Cavus, who was
accused of killing one person when he allegedly opened fire at a
demonstrating crowd following the November 9 Semdinli incident
in 2005 (see press summary 01/18),overturned the plea demanding
that the case should be linked to the case of the November 9
Semdinli bombing. The court decided to release Cavus while he
stood trial. Ozgur Gundem daily brands this court decision as an
attempt to cover the alleged "organized crime network" rooted in
the state structure.
ZAMAN / CUMHURIYET / RADIKAL: According to Cumhuriyet daily,
Selim Akyildiz, Head of the Anti-Terror Branch, provided very
little information to the Turkish Parliamentary Commission
Probing the Semdinli Case. Akyildiz told the commission that
their presence in Semdinli during the November 9 incident was a
mere coincidence. Akyildiz had reportedly been in Semdinli
between November 8 and 12 as part of a trip to study the
situation in various districts including Semdinli, Yuksekova and
Hakkari; however, they were stuck in their location in Semdinli
following the outbreak of the incident. Radikal daily quoted
the statements of the Deputy Head of the National Security
Directorate's Intelligence Office to the commission as saying
that it would be illogical for a terrorist organization to carry
out those bombings in Semdinli and Yuksekova.
YENI SAFAK / RADIKAL / ZAMAN / OZGUR GUNDEM: A two-year-old
daughter of a family in Mus's Kiyibasi village reportedly died
fifteen days ago and the family now suspects that the girl died
because of the rooster the family cooked and ate before the
death of their daughter. The family members have been
hospitalized in Mus's State Hospital and Diyarbakir's Dicle
University Hospital.
OZGUR GUNDEM: The daily reported that many dead birds in Van
have not been properly collected by the officials and the local
people are improperly putting the carcasses in plastic bags and
burying them under snow; a method that would reportedly cause
more serious problems.
OZGUR GUNDEM: Co-chairpersons of Democratic Society Party
(DTP) made a press announcement together with 56 mayors of the
southeastern region in Turkey about confinement of Abdullah
Ocalan in a cell in prison for 20 days (see press summary
01/18). DTP made a call to the government and urged it not to
further strain the already tense situation in the region. The
daily separately noted that attorneys of Ocalan went to the
Imrali Island, where Ocalan's solitary prison is located, to
meet with their client. Hoewever, it is not yet known whether
the attorneys were able to see him or not. Meanwhile, a
26-year-old inmate in a prison in Adana, who burned himself to
protest the confinement of Ocalan five days ago, received severe
burns and was hospitalized.
ZAMAN: The daily reported that confinement of Abdullah
Ocalan to his cell ended today.
OZGUR GUNDEM: Higher Election Board announced the names of
the political parties which are currently eligible to compete in
a national election contest. Reportedly, DTP and a few other
parties have still not met the requirements to become qualified
as a political party; therefore, DTP would not be able to take
part in an election if an election was held today. DTP Deputy
Co-Chairperson said that their party was a brand new one, and it
would be able to complete all the required processes until fall
2006.
ZAMAN / CUMHURIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM: A large-scale operation has
been started by the Turkish military forces against 350 PKK
terrorists in Tunceli. The operation is reportedly being
supported by air forces as well.
OZGUR GUNDEM: Police and security officers from Riot Police
and Jandarma conducted raids on the houses of four DTP members
in Siirt. Police reportedly said that these raids came as a
result of police suspecting these people.
OZGUR GUNDEM: Human Rights Association (HRA) and Mazlum-Der
(Association for Solidarity for Human Rights and Oppressed
People) decided to form a joint delegation that would set off
before weekend arrives to save Hakan Acil, a police officer who
was kidnapped on December 9, 2005 by the PKK/Kongra-Gel members
(see press summary 12/09 of 2005).
OZGUR GUNDEM: According to the daily, the European Court of
Human Rights' decision to refer cases concerning damages
incurred by people due to terror activities and counter-terror
measures on grounds that internal judicial mechanisms to resolve
such cases have been established in Turkey, have been met with
skepticism by NGO's in southeastern Turkey.
REID