SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR JANUARY 30,2006

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000020 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR JANUARY 30,2006 This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for January 30, ¶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 HTTP://WWW.NTV.COM.TR: A bomb, presumably a percussion bomb, went off in the ladies' room of the Malatya Governor's Office. Security measures have been taken and bomb squad teams reportedly started examining the spot. (This summary is from a 01/28 article.) YENI SAFAK / EVRENSEL / CUMHURIYET / RADIKAL / OZGUR GUNDEM / HURRIYET: Police Officer Hakan Acil, who was kidnapped on October 9, 2005 on a road between Mardin and Sirnak provinces, was released by 15 PKK members in northern Iraq. Two members from the delegation that was set up to save the police officer (see press summaries 01/03, 01/04 and 01/23) and Acil's father Muammer Acil reportedly took Acil from a village in Zaho. Turkish military and police officers, who heard that Acil would be released, blockaded the Habur border gate in Silopi and raised the security threat level at the border. As the delegation waited at the Habur Border Gate, Turkish special team members entered Zaho with three military vehicles. (This summary is from a 01/28 editions.) OZGUR GUNDEM: Police Officer Hakan Acil, who arrived at Habur border gate on Friday at 1.30 p.m., went to Sirnak following the completion of the judicial investigation processes. Acil paid a visit to the Sirnak Governor and thanked him on Saturday morning. Acil reportedly said that in last 68 days of the 111 days he was held hostage, he had been in Iraq. Acil further said that he was eager to go back to his hometown and see his family there. (This summary is from a 01/29 edition.) EKSPRES / BOLGE: Investigation on an explosion that took place near the Children Protection Branch of the Adana Security Directorate has been continuing. The bomb reportedly caused minor wounds in two people and material damage on a car. (This summary is from a 01/28 edition.) ZAMAN / BOLGE / EKSPRES / EVRENSEL / SABAH (GUNEY): Support for the workers of TEKEL Cigarette Factory in Adana has been growing, reported the daily. Yesterday marked the 20th day of the workers' strike. Yesterday, CHP (Republican People's Party) deputies, CHP's provincial and district women and youth 
branches, CHP's Commission Probing the Closure of the Tekel Cigarette Factories, and CHP members paid a visit to the workers to show their support for them. Following the talks of the CHP members with the representatives of the workers in the CHP Adana premises, CHP members started a march on D-400 road, which ended at the cigarette factory. EKSPRES: The TEKEL Cigarette Factory in Adana has not been operating for two months, reported the daily, because of the strike launched by its workers against the decision of the Privatization Authority to close down the factory. EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM: Authorities from the Security Directorate and Jandarma reportedly talked with the chairperson of the Turkish Parliamentary Commission Probing the Semdinli Case on the phone and allegedly demanded that commission members keep the information provided to the commission confidential. EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM: As a result of tests confirming avian influenza in three chickens in Samsun's Salipazari district, officials imposed quarantine in the district and in its several villages and started slaughtering poultry animals. OZGUR GUNDEM: Two persons were allegedly kidnapped by JITEM (Jandarma Intelligence Center) members in Usak province as they were traveling from Adana province in southeastern Turkey to Izmir on the west coast. Sister of Abdulaziz Yilmaz, one of the victims of alleged kidnapping, applied to Adana Human Rights Association concerning the case. RADIKAL / OZGUR GUNDEM: Fifth International Congress on Disappeared People will be held between May 16 and May 20 in Diyarbakir. The conference will be sponsored by ICAD (International Committee against Disappearances) and YAKAY-DER (Turkish Solidarity Association for People Whose Relatives Disappeared). Meanwhile, YAKAY-DER Chairperson Pervin Buldan said during a press announcement that the case of Serdar Tanis and Ebubekir Deniz, who allegedly disappeared in 2001 at the Silopi Jandarma Command (see press summaries 01/23 and 24),will be on the agenda of the congress. EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM: Village guards reportedly intervened when youth attempted to march in a quarter of the Sirnak province to protest the recent 20-day confinement of terrorist leader Abdullah Ocalan in his prison cell, which ended as of January 19. A village guard was reportedly wounded as a result of the incident. Meanwhile, the rolling hunger strike, which was started in Silopi three days ago to protest confinement of Ocalan in his cell, continues, and the second group took turns fasting. OZGUR GUNDEM: Artist Ferhat Tunc, who has been invited by Freemuse (Free Arts Association) and International PEN, will deliver a speech in the Parliament of Denmark tomorrow. Ferhat Tunc has been on trial in Turkey for two cases: 1-He faces charges under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code because of an article he wrote for Ozgur Gundem daily, 2-He faces charges for being a member of an unauthorized delegation that was set up to save Private Coskun Kirandi, who was kidnapped on the Tunceli-Pulumur road on July 11, 2005 by PKK terrorists (see press summary 01/03). ZAMAN / EVRENSEL: A flag that was hung on a mast in an industrial area in Osmaniye's Kadirli district was brought down and burned partially by unknown person(s). Two local chambers of assorted artisans and craftsmen condemned the incident. RADIKAL: Reportedly, a serious shortage of doctors has become a central issue for public hospitals especially in the four provinces of Adana, Osmaniye, Mersin and Kahramanmaras. This shortage was reportedly triggered when the SSK (Social Security Institute) began to purchase some of the health services from the private sector. REID