SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR AUGUST 09, 2006

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000180 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR AUGUST 09, 2006 This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for August 09, ¶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 BOLGE / EKSPRES: Coffins of two soldiers, a Jandarma commando private and a commando private, who were killed by terrorists in a terrorist attack in Gumushane (see press summary 08/07 and 08/08) on Sunday, were received by people carrying giant Turkish flags. Mersin Governor Huseyin Aksoy and Mediterrenean Regional and Garrison Commander attended the funeral ceremonies. Funeral prayer of one of the soldiers was held at the Haci Bektasi Veli Cultural Center of the Alevi community. EKSPRES / EVRENSEL: Fifteen trucks, which entered the Incirlik Airbase in Adana without cargo load, have left the base three hours later and allegedly carried war materiel to the NATO port in Mersin. Special operations team escorted the convoy of trucks. Trucks reportedly had labels reading 'Explosives' on them. Trucks unloaded their cargo at the port where Jandarma teams and NATO forces took high security measures. A Turkish-flagged frigate approached to the port. Evrensel daily carried the story on its front page and asked: 'We are asking this to PM Erdogan: Is the source of Israel's bombs Incirlik (Airbase)?' EKSPRES: A local radio station in Adana called Radio Hayat started airing a non-stop 94-hour 5 minute program against Israel on August 7 in Adana. Abdurrahman Dilipak, one of the columnists of Vakit newspaper, who joined the program by phone, said that small boycotting efforts would turn into bigger sanctions. EVRENSEL: Egitim-Sen (Teachers' Union) and EMEP (Party of Labor) will hold a protest against the 'massacres of Israel' in Hatay's Dortyol district on Saturday (08/12). BOLGE / SABAH (GUNEY): Members of Chamber of Civil Engineers and Chamber of Architects in Adana fired criticism at Adana Mayor Aytac Durak who had filed complaint against the Seyhan Municipality and the chambers for ignoring the unlicensed construction activities and buildings in the province. Chamber representatives said Adana Municipality, which was directly answerable for the zoning corruption and growth of unlicensed buildings in Adana was striving to find associates to blame for their own wrongdoing. HURRIYET CUKUROVA: A short circuit in a truck travelling on a road Sirnak's Silopi district caused the truck to cathch fire and the truck was completely burned in the end despite hopeless efforts of the driver. HURRIYET CUKUROVA: Police conducting raids in three districts of Sanliurfa found 42 kilograms of hashish and 223,310 hemp roots cultivated in the fields. Five people have been detained in the anti-drug operations. HURRIYET CUKUROVA: Hatay has become the new touristic spot for rich Arab tourists who had to cancel their vacation plans in Lebanon's Beirut because of the ongoing war. EVRENSEL: Five young persons in Sirnak who wanted to go on a picnic were stopped by the security officers and searched later to be taken to a police station. The youth filed a complaint with the prosecutor on allegations that that they were maltreated at the police station. EVRENSEL: Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir dismissed allegations published on a website on August 3 that Baydemir met with Iraqi President Celal Talabani and Kurdish Regional Chief Massoud Barzani. Never in his life has Baydemir traveled to the northern Iraq, said the announcement issued by the Diyarbakir Municipality. EVRENSEL: Information gathered about journalists, columnists, executives and employees of pro-Kurdish media outlets are reportedly being published on ultra-nationalist internet websites. The names publicized on the websites are reportedly putting the people in a sensitive and vulnerable position. EVRENSEL: A Financial Times columnist compared the death toll caused by Israel's offensive on Lebanon with civilian losses ADANA 00000180 002 OF 002 "Turkey's operations in Kurdistan" caused and reportedly complained that Turkey's operations did not attract as much public notice as Israeli strikes. REID