SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR 18 SEPTEMBER, 2006

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000204 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR 18 SEPTEMBER, 2006 This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for September 18, ¶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 ONLINE Land Forces Commander General Ilker Basbug took the pulse of public sentiment in the Hakkari province. Basbug, who paid a visit to the Hakkari Governor's Office, walked around the city center and chatted with the people in the street. In addition to listening to what people in the street had to say, Basbug stated that "traitors" had caused the death of 10 children in Diyarbakir. Basbug condemned the bomb attack and expressed his strong desire to track down the perpetrators. EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM: One week after the Diyarbakir bombing, the Evrensel daily asked in today's edition whether the bombing's perpetrators were being pursued or not. The daily pointed out that during a period when the DTP and civil society were calling for the PKK to cease fire, and the PKK was preparing to respond positively to the call, authorities had ignored the PKK's recent condemnation of the bombing and had not paid any attention to the Turkish Revenge Brigade, which claimed responsibility for the attack on its website. The authorities have reportedly also turned a deaf ear to allegations that the "Atabeyler gang" and former retired JITEM members were allegedly summoned back for duty in the region a while ago. According to Ozgur Gundem daily, Adil Timurtas, a PKK defector, said that the TIT (Turkish Revenge Brigade),which claimed responsibility for the bomb attack, was an illegal organization allegedly acting under the auspices of the military. EVRENSEL: Mass organizations and political parties held a demonstration in Tunceli to condemn the Diyarbakir bomb attack. DTP's Adiyaman chapter also held a silent demonstration and made a press announcement in the province. BOLGE: PKK supporters in Mersin carried out unauthorized demonstrations in some parts of the province to protest the Diyarbakir bombing. When demonstrators hurled stones and Molotov cocktails at the police, the police intervened in light armored police vehicles. OZGUR GUNDEM: Representatives of political parties in Batman, including DTP, SHP, ANAP, CHP, AKP and SP, made a press announcement to condemn the Diyarbakir bombing and expressed messages of solidarity. OZGUR GUNDEM: The coffins of six PKK terrorists who were killed in an operation in a village in Van's Ercis district (see the press summary for September 17) have been brought to the Ercis State Hospital. Some families came to the hospital to see whether their family members were among the dead. OZGUR GUNDEM: Southeastern Journalists' Association held its annual journalism awards ceremony. Kurdish author Mehmet Uzun was given the special jury award during the ceremony. OZGUR GUNDEM: Human Rights Association's Diyarbakir Chapter established the European Human Rights Center under a joint project with the IFIAS (Institute for International Assistance and Solidarity) in order to expand its capabilities for sharing information and dialogue. OZGUR GUNDEM: A CHP deputy asked the parliament whether the government had signed an agreement with the U.S. guaranteeing that it would never carry out a cross-border operation targeting the Qandil Mountain in the northern Iraq. OZGUR GUNDEM: Members of the Human Rights Sub-Committee of the European Parliament will come to Turkey to meet with human rights representatives in Istanbul and in southeastern Turkey. BOLGE: AKP Adana Provincial Chairman Mustafa Attaroglu told journalists that he was a peaceful man who dealt with issues calmly. Attaroglu, while discussing current and future investments in Adana province, added that the way to overcome challenges in the province and to overcome difficulties was to foster cooperation and solidarity. BOLGE: Six kilograms of hashish, worth approximately 12,000 YTL, were found by Iskenderun police in an intercity passenger coach in Hatay's Iskenderun district during an anti-drug ADANA 00000204 002 OF 002 trafficking search operation. HURRIYET ONLINE: A fire broke out yesterday at around 11 p.m. in a wooded area in Hatay's Samandag district. Firefighters were not able to reach the fire because of the rough and elevated terrain in the area. EKSPRES: This daily reported alleged irregularities carried out with computer and medicine purchases made by the Provincial Health Directorate of Adana. SABAH (GUNEY): Turk Harb-Is (Defense Industry and Allied Workers Union) held a number of protests against the recent laying off of 17 workers who were employed at VBR (Vinnel-Brown And Root Co.) and AAFES (Army and Air Force Exchange Service) companies at the 39th Wing Air Base in Adana's Incirlik district. EVRENSEL: As the new school year starts today for millions of students in Turkey, the Tunceli chapter of Egitim-Sen (Teacher's Union) drew attention to education-related issues in the southeastern province. According to the union, the southeast's violent environment has serious adverse effects on education. YIBOs (Boarding Schools for Primary School Children) had reportedly been employed also as barracks for soldiers. Moreover, the shortage of teachers and personnel in the schools of the districts of the region had reached serious levels. The schools also lacked facilities such as libraries and recreational areas. SABAH (GUNEY): The seventh International Mersin Festival has ended. SABAH (GUNEY): American soldiers working at the Incirlik Airbase played a friendship basketball game with one of Adana's local teams. OZGUR GUNDEM: The first snow of the year fell in the Ararat Mountain in Agri. GREEN