SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR OCTOBER 4, 2006

UNCLAS ADANA 000214 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR OCTOBER 4, 2006 This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for October 04, ¶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 OZGUR GUNDEM: DTP-based mayors of the southeastern region, including Sirnak, Batman, Mardin's Nusaybin and Kiziltepe districts, Diyarbakir's Baglar and Kayapinar districts, Sanliurfa'a Viransehir district, made a call to the authorities to respond positively to the cease-fire declaration of the PKK. ¶3. ZAMAN: Adana Mayor Aytac Durak, as he talked about the Cukurova Industry and Commerce Fair, which entered the last phase of its organizational preparations, said that it was pointless and unnecessary to hold a fair in every province. SECURITY ¶4. HURRIYET: Arte, a TV station, which is a joint venture of Germany and France, broadcast a documentary that was allegedly propaganda for the PKK. The documentary depicted lives of two female and two male PKK members living in the Qandil Mountain of Iraq. ¶5. OZGUR GUNDEM: The daily reports a soldier, whose death as was serving his military service in Tunceli's Battalion Command on September 30, raised suspicion among his family members. The military officials claim that the soldier committed suicide. The hometown of the soldier who died was reportedly Mardin ¶6. HURRIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM: Land Forces Commander Ilker Basbug, who paid a visit to the Diyarbakir Governor together with the Jandarma National Commander, said that the fight against the PKK would continue until the last terrorist in the mountains was done away with. According to Basbug, the PKK should lay down arms unconditionally and surrender to Turkish judicial authorities. Ozgur Gundem commented on the visit saying that military circles "were not pleased with the cease-fire." ¶7. OZGUR GUNDEM: Soldiers from a jandarma command arrested two village guards in Van's Gurpinar district allegedly for stealing telephone wires which were installed for public use. HUMAN RIGHTS ¶8. ZAMAN / OZGUR GUNDEM: Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir upheld his remarks made during to "calm down" people during the violent public demonstrations in March in Diyarbakir during the trial brought against him at Diyarbakir's Sixth Heavy Penalty Court (see press summary for October 3) on charges of voluntarily "aiding and abetting the terrorist organization." ¶9. HURRIYET: A 22 year old male has been sentenced to a life in prison for killing in the name of honor his 16 year old sister who was pregnant, 2.5 months ago in Gaziantep. ECONOMY ¶10. OZGUR GUNDEM: Authorities responded to the protests of Adana Chapter of Chamber of Architects, and said that the problem about shortage of funding for Old Roman Bridge's renovation in Adana was solved. CRIME/LAW ENFORCMENT ¶11. HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Jandarma teams seized twenty-eight kilograms of hashish during an operation against drug trafficking in Diyarbakir's Lice district. ¶12. OZGUR GUNDEM: During an anti-drug operation in Hakkari's Yuksekova district, three kilograms of opium gum was seized. GREEN