SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR OCTOBER 19, 2006

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000229 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR OCTOBER 19, 2006 This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for October 19, ¶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 RADIKAL / HURRIYET: Mardin Governor rejected the appointment request of a U.S. delegation including the U.S. Air and Defense Attachi Col. Charles J. Schneider, Deputy Military Attachi Lieutenant Colonel Randy J. Smith, and Political Military Attachi Carl R. Seibentritt, who are employed in Iraq. The delegation met with the Mardin Mayor on issues concerning southeastern region and the PKK. The delegation headed towards the Habur Border Gate in S?rnak following their visits. ¶3. SABAH / HURRIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM: Office of the Chief of General Staff filed a complaint about DTP Kars provincial chairman Mahmut Alinak who previously filed a complaint on September 5 against Chief of General Staff General Yasar Buyukanit, Land Forces Commander Ilker Basbug and PM Erdogan for "not undertaking their responsibilities duely as state officials which causes the death of many soldiers and guerillas". Chief of Staff blamed Alinak for making propaganda for a terrorist organization. ¶4. EVRENSEL: Batman Prosecutor's Office initiated an investigation against the delegation set up to probe the killing of an 11-year-old in an alleged crossfire between security forces and PKK members on September 5. Prosecutor's Office claims that the delegation's probe is violating the confidentiality of the official investigation. The delegation SIPDIS is made up of members from Batman Bar Association and Batman's Human Rights Association. ¶5. OZGUR GUNDEM: People in Mardin and its districts were told that they were not able to watch Roj TV broadcast which is allegedly being jammed. ¶6. SABAH : Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir and mayors from DTP participated in a live TV program on Roj TV. Baydemir reportedly said that nobody should yield to the provocations during the PKK's cease-fire process. ¶7. EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM: The conclusive statement of the Third International Kurdish Conference held at the European Parliament reportedly urged Turkey to evaluate the cease-fire process well, urged EU Commission and its Council to set up committees to foster democratic dialogue that would help include Kurds in the discussions in Turkey about the government and the constitution, and finally pointed out that resolving the Kurdish issue was vital for the stability of Turkey. ¶8. SABAH (GUNEY): The action that was brought at the Second Administrative Court in Adana to cancel the assembly membership of Karatas Mayor Metin Catalbas has been dropped. Karatas Mayor will keep his mayorship position despite his assembly membership status was in suspension when he was elected as the new mayor. This development reportedly caused a controversy among legal circles. ¶9. BOLGE: DYP Leader Mehmet Agar will arrive at Adana airport today, will briefly address the people welcoming him, and will then head towards Iskenderun district. ¶10. BOLGE: MHP party organization in Hatay paid a visit to Vakifli, the only Armenian village in Turkey, and met with the headman Berc Kartun. Berc Kartun reportedly once again condemned the bill in France that made it a crime to deny the "Armenian genocide." SECURITY ¶11. OZGUR GUNDEM: Turkish Armed Forces launched fresh military operations in rural sections of Diyarbakir and Bingol. HUMAN RIGHTS ¶12. OZGUR GUNDEM: The strike of Mardin's municipal cleaning services employees is continuing and the workers are demanding the salaries the municipality owed to them. ¶13. OZGUR GUNDEM: Twelfth Heavy Penalty Court in Istanbul ADANA 00000229 002 OF 002 sentenced two members of a Kurdish music group called Koma Gulen Xerzan and a baglama player to ten months in prison on grounds that their songs were making propaganda for the the PKK. (Note: Baglama is a type of Turkish musical instrument. End Note.) ECONOMY ¶14. OZGUR GUNDEM: The hail that poured the previous day in Diyarbakir did great damage to lettuce crops. CULTURE / SOCIETY ¶15. YENI SAFAK: Two people died and 16 people have been wounded during a fight that broke out between two families in Sanliurfa. ¶16. HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Hatay Governor Ahmet Kayhan said that 14,000 Syrians would come to Turkey to meet with their relatives during celebrations marking the end of the Ramadan. GREEN