SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR NOVEMBER 28, 2006

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000249 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR NOVEMBER 28, 2006 This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for November 28, ¶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 EVRENSEL: Sinan Yerlikaya, Tunceli deputy from CHP, who said that nobody could negotiate with the (Turkish) state on terrorism, further stated that only when the PKK lays down its arms unconditionally, regulations about a general amnesty could be brought to the agenda. EVRENSEL: Thirty-six institutions in Diyarbakir including mayors, leaders of political parties and civil society organizations, convened at the Diyarbakir Municipality's theater hall under the name of "Peace Platform" and made a call to the authorities to stop the ongoing military operations. EVRENSEL: A lawsuit has been brought against Salih Yildiz, Mayor of Hakkari's Yuksekova district, for "making propaganda of the terrorist organization through utilizing media and press." YENI SAFAK: DTP issued a statement that voiced harsh criticism against CHP Leader Deniz Baykal. The statement claimed that the military operations had continued intensively following the cease-fire the PKK declared, and, despite much bloodshed since then, political and military circles, continued to take advantage of the environment of conflict and clashes. The statement further said that the CHP leader, instead of behaving like a political leader, was actually acting like a commander. BOLGE: Eric Green, U.S. Consul in Adana, came to Van to conduct a series of visits in the province. Eric Green, who came to Van via Sun Express Airlines, paid his first visit to the Mayor of Van and held talks with him nearly for an hour. SECURITY EVRENSEL / BOLGE: The troops with 250,000 soldiers that were amassed at the border area with northern Iraq are preparing to withdraw from the area where they have been deployed since March ¶2006. In the first stage, fifteen trucks loaded with cannons and tanks and carrying soldiers have returned to Hakkari's Yuksekova district. HUMAN RIGHTS HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Hatay Women's Platform condemned the killings in the name of honor in Hatay. The spokesperson of the platform said that a total of 1137 murders were committed in 2006 in the name of honor. CRIME / LAW ENFORCEMENT HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): A doctor from Cukurova University's Balcali Hospital, who was in the center of a scandal, has recently been convicted, and will serve three years in prison. The doctor caused his patients to get pregnant by sperms taken from other men. HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): A lawsuit was started against the district mufti of Kadirli in Osmaniye for attempted fraud in a tender and for insulting persons who had intentions to submit bids for a tender. ECONOMY HURRIYET (CUKUROVA) / YENI SAFAK: Kadri Saman, Chairperson of Mersin's Chamber of Industry and Commerce, said that, despite there being 23 techno park complexes built in Turkey, Mersin's Techno-park was one of the 13 techno-parks which has started operations. The techno-park, which was built on 12.3-acres of land, is reportedly awaiting to host researchers. ZAMAN: Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir, who opened the biggest live animal market in Turkey and the Middle East last Saturday, met with journalists in charge of economic issues. Baydemir said that instability was a great obstacle against the development of the province and every bomb exploding in the city was taking the city six months backwards in terms of its economy. ADANA 00000249 002 OF 002 YENI SAFAK: Members of Association for Women Entrepreneurs in Van's Ercis district paid a visit to the Van Governor Niyazi Tanilir and gave information about their newly established association. CULTURE / SOCIETY / ENVIRONMENT HURRIYET (CUKUROVA) / RADIKAL: The feud that had been going on between two clans in Mardin's Kiziltepe district was settled amicably during a dinner that aimed to bring the two clans together for peaceful end to the drawn-out dispute. 5000 people attended the dinner event. ZAMAN: The olive oil factories on the Syrian side of the Orontes River in Hatay are reportedly polluting the river. The waters of the river have turned into black color nowadays. ZAMAN: A fire that broke out in the landfill area of Mersin, reportedly is under control, according to the authorities; however, people living around the area are complaining about the air pollution the fire is causing since it has not been extinguished yet. YENI SAFAK: A lawsuit has been opened against three persons who were part of a group of people that held a protest in front of the subgovernor's office in Diyarbakir's Cinar district on grounds that they had not been able to receive any aid after the flooding that affected the district. The lawsuit was reportedly brought on charges that the group held an unauthorized demonstration. SABAH: Tunceli Governor Mustafa Erkal said that Return to Villages Project was going on successfully, and people in the fifty per cent of the villages that were evacuated had returned to their villages to date. GREEN