SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR OCTOBER 05, 2006

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000215 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR OCTOBER 05, 2006 This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for October 05, ¶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 ¶2. OZGUR GUNDEM / EVRENSEL: Sixty-four civil society organizations, including representatives of political parties such as DTP, CHP, AKP, ANAP, DYP, SHP and SP, held a joint press announcement at Diyarbakir Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Diyarbakir, and made a call to the government to take action in response to the cease-fire. ¶3. RADIKAL: Ali Topuz, CHP Deputy Group Leader, said that recent AKP policies were aiming to win the votes it has been losing to date from the electorate base sympathizing with the PKK. ¶4. RADIKAL / OZGUR GUNDEM: Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE) ratified on Wednesday (10/04) the report "The Cultural Situation of the Kurds." (see press summary for October 3.) The report said that PKK's fight against the Turkish military worsened the situation of the Kurds. The report branded the conflict situation "a de facto civil war." Terry Davis, General Secretary of Council of Europe, held a press announcement and said that Kurdish issue must be resolved in due adherence to the territorial integrity of Turkey. To resolve the issue, the parties should reportedly sit at a table to talk and take action. PACE also said that Turkey should take up the issue of retrying Abdullah Ocalan. ¶5. EVRENSEL: Second Heavy Penalty Court in Malatya continued to hear the case of Commissioned Officer Tanju Cavus, who opened fire and caused the death of one person following the bombing that took place in Hakkari's Semdinli district on November 9, ¶2005. ¶6. OZGUR GUNDEM: Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir went to Italy to attend a conference called "Urban Diplomacy." HUMAN RIGHTS ¶2. RADIKAL / OZGUR GUNDEM: 104 houses have been constructed to date in an area where there was a risk of landslide in a quarter of Adana, after settlement permit was issued ten years ago despite that risk. When cracks were detected on the walls of 24 houses, the Governor's Office provided a one-year rent aid for evacuation. Nineteen of the families recently returned to their houses, when the period of the aid expired. ¶3. OZGUR GUNDEM / SABAH (GUNEY): Diyarbakir's Baglar Municipality distributed food aid to 7000 economically disadvantaged families. Seyhan Municipality in Adana has also been distributing food aid to disadvantaged families. ECONOMY ¶4. RADIKAL: Nezahat Ozgenc, a 38-year-old woman in Hakkari's Yuksekova district, founded a carpet weaving workshop after obtaining 60 unused looms from the Governor's Office to add them to her 150 looms, despite the oppression of women from local clans and their codes. Ozgenc trained carpet weavers and established a business providing employment for 450 women in the villages. Ozgenc's business has been exporting Hakkari's carpets to countries including China. CRIME/LAW ENFORCEMENT ¶5. OZGUR GUNDEM / EVRENSEL: During a fight that broke out between two clans in Siirt, eleven people have been wounded. Special team members extended support to the police to quell the unrest. The tension in the district has reportedly been continuing. Meanwhile, two people died in a fight that broke out between two families in Hatay when the cows of one family trespassed on the field of the other family. ¶6. BOLGE: Jandarma teams caught a person with two kilograms of hashish in Adana's Ceyhan district. CULTURE/SOCIETY ¶7. HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): The reported first Kurdish stand-up show will be held in the municipality's theater hall on ADANA 00000215 002 OF 002 October 8 in Adana. ¶8. BOLGE: The new academic year started with an opening ceremony held at the Cukurova University. ¶9. OZGUR GUNDEM: A fifteen-year-old child committed suicide in Van's Muradiye district. GREEN