SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR SEPTEMBER 22, 2006

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000206 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR SEPTEMBER 22, 2006 This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for September 22, ¶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 HURIYET ONLINE / NTVMSNBC ONLINE: An explosion took place in an allegedly illegally-operated chemical factory in an industrial area of Gaziantep yesterday at about 8 p.m. The blazes quickly jumped onto containers having thinner in them at the site, and fire started. Firefighters were able to extinguish it in four hours, and 36 people, including some of the firefighters, have been wounded so far. The death toll is three persons and their bodies have not been identified yet. NTVMSNBC ONLINE: Fire broke out for unknown reasons in one of the primary schools in Siirt. A stampede took place and panic started among people, when it took the firefighters to intervene because of shortage of water. During the event, one of the firefighting cars had an accident and rolled over wounding one of the firefighters. After two hours of fight, the blazes were extinguished. No casualties were reported. (This article is from the September 21 dated edition.) ¶3. YENI SAFAK: BOTAS Co. (Petroleum Pipeline Corporation), which has been running the Baku-Tibilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline (BTC) established Turkey's first team to fight against oil fires. ¶4. CUMHURIYET: Diyarbakir Governor's Office announced that the government will allocate 15,000 YTL to compensate for losses of 60 houses and 11 businesses that incurred material damage during September 12 Diyarbakir bomb attack. The Office further clarified that compensation covered only losses caused by material damage. Those people whose family members died or were wounded during the event would be covered under the Law on Compensating for Losses Incurred Because of Terrorism and During the Fight Against Terrorism. ¶5. HURRIYET: Chief of General Staff General Yasar Buyukanit paid a courtesy visit to the newly appointed Third Army Commander in Erzincan together with other top-ranking commanders. The Governor and the new commander welcomed Buyukanit. Buyukanit went to Malatya and paid a visit to Malatya Governor, as well. Buyukanit told the journalists that the Turkish translation of the "Special Envoy for Countering the PKK" was causing misunderstandings, and that Turkey would never engage in negotiations with the terrorist organization. ¶6. ZAMAN: PM Erdogan reportedly paid a visit to the families of martyrs the previous day during his trip to the Bursa province in order to extend condolences. The visit was kept secret since PM Erdogan did not want to advertise his visit. ¶7. SABAH (GUNEY): Sanliurfa's Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who contributed to the construction of Akcakale Border Gate which was completed two years ago, has launched efforts to have the General Chief of Staff demine a mined area which has been hindering the opening of the Gate. Officials from Syrian side had long ago given consent for opening of that border gate. ¶8. NTVMSNBC ONLINE: Fire broke out for unknown reasons in one of the primary schools in Siirt. A stampede took place and panic started among people, when it took the firefighters to intervene because of shortage of water. During the event, one of the firefighting cars had an accident and rolled over wounding one of the firefighters. After two hours of fight, the blazes were extinguished. No casualties were reported. (This article is from the September 21 dated edition.) ¶9. HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Upon receiving a tip-off, Van Police searched a vehicle at the city center, and, found 117 kilograms of heroin worth 10 million YTL, in the car's fuel tank. Security Director of Van said that that was a record amount of illegal drugs caught in one single operation. Separately, Van Police caught two people having six Glock-brand pistols, 150 bullets, 18 clips. ¶10. HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Fifth International Middle East Industry Fair and 1st Automotive Fair (see press summary for September 19) is going on in Diyarbakir province. Diyarbakir Governor Efkan Ala said during the opening ceremony that stability in the region is a prerequisite for economic ADANA 00000206 002 OF 002 development. 380 from Iraqi people reportedly attended the fair. ¶11. OZGUR GUNDEM: Mehmet Demir, who lost his wife, three children, two nieces and his sister-in-law in the September 12 bomb attack in Diyarbakir, is preparing to file a lawsuit against the Turkish State because of the incident. ¶12. OZGUR GUNDEM: Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir gave a statement to the Second Court of First Instance because of a news article titled "Kurds and Turks cannot Live Together" which was published on a well-known journal on an unspecified date. ¶13. Four bullets wounded a six-year old girl, Serivan Cetin, on September 5 allegedly because of fire opened from village guards' automatic guns of at the truck of the Cetin family on unspecified grounds on a road in Sirnak's Beytussebap district. The mother of the girl claims that the village guards opened fire and ran away then leaving the girl wounded. Since then, the family has reportedly been trying to cure the girl's wounds at hospitals. ¶14. HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Mersin Governor said that Mersin submitted its candidacy for hosting 2013 Mediterranean Games. GREEN