Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ADANA35
2006-02-15 06:19:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Consulate Adana
Cable title:
SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR FEBRUARY 14, 2006
how-toThis record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000035
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR FEBRUARY 14, 2006
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for February 14,
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
OZGUR GUNDEM: Iran government administration reportedly took
health precautions against bird flu in its border area with
Turkey.
CUMHURIYET / ZAMAN / OZGUR GUNDEM / SABAH / RADIKAL: Following
Forensic Medicine Authority's (FMA) confirmation that some of
the bones found in the mass graves in Diyarbakir's Kulp district
(see press summary 02/13) belonged to two of the 11 villagers
who disappeared during the military operations of 1994, Sezgin
Tanrikulu, Chairperson of Diyarbakir Bar Association, said that
an effective investigation process should be reopened to probe
the case and the prosecutor must file a complaint against Bolu
Commando Brigade. Ozgur Gundem clarified the fact that DNA
tests on the bones of (only) two of the 11 people have been
confirmed by FMA as matching with the samples taken from their
families (see press summary 02/13). Reyahan Yalcindag, Deputy
National Chairperson of the Human Rights Association, noted
that, despite families of the villagers having received
compensation from the Euopean Court (on an unspecified date),
the perpetrators of the incident have not been found yet. Sabah
daily reported Sezgin Tanrikulu's claims that separately 11
people also disappeared in the same area.
ZAMAN / CUMHURIYET: Van Yuzuncu Yil University Rector Yucel
Askin paid a visit to the national headquarters of the IP
(Worker's Party) and met the General Secretary, Ferit Ilsever,
to extend his appreciation to the party administrators for their
interest in his case.
ZAMAN / HURRIYET / SABAH: Funeral of Kani Yilmaz, who was
killed in a car bomb in Iraq's Suleymaniyah province (see press
summary 02/13),has been held at Sanliurfa's Ceylanpinar
district in Turkey.
OZGUR GUNDEM: The daily reported that, as February 15 drew
close (see press summary 02/13),tanks of the Sirnak Cannon
Battalion have started cruising in the streets of Sirnak's Cizre
district following yesterday's protest activities reportedly to
"intimidate" people. Meanwhile, PKK's chief headquarters
denounced February 15 which marked the 7th anniversary of
Abdullah Ocalan's arrest and his bringing back to Turkey by
authorities. PKK reportedly made a call to the people to
"boycott a life that was going on without Abdullah Ocalan."
OZGUR GUNDEM: Abdullah Ocalan's hand-written petition asking
for opening of his retrial process has been received by Ankara's
11th Heavy Penalty Court.
HURRIYET / SABAH: Fourteen people have been wounded as a result
of a blast caused by a bomb left in an Istanbul supermarket
which belonged to an AKP (Justice and Development Party) deputy.
PKK claimed responsibility for the incident.
HURRIYET / SABAH: An avalanche took place on a road between
Tunceli and Erzincan provinces. Teams have started efforts to
clear the snow covered road. The authorities announced that no
information has been received as to whether any car has been
buried under the huge avalanche which reportedly caused a
20-meter-high wall of snow.
SABAH: PM Erdogan, bothered by the crisis triggered by his
uttering slang words to a protesting farmer during a chance
meeting in Mersin with the angry farmer, reportedly told the
ministers in a council meeting, "I was taken unawares and could
not control my nerves when the farmer spoke in an arrogant
manner despite that I was the one to let him (the farmer) come
near and speak his mind."
SABAH: Osman Ocalan, brother of Abdullah Ocalan, reportedly
had a heart attack in the northern Iraq. Ocalan was
hospitalized in Iraq's Arbil province.
SABAH: Istanbul's Bilgi University will hold a conference
between March 11 and 12 under the following topic: "Turkey's
Kurdish Issue, and Exploring Ways to Solve the Issue through
Civil and Democratic Means."
SABAH: Istanbul's Beyoglu First Instance Court solicited
counseling from the Istanbul Kurdish Institute in a January
2006-dated letter about the meaning of a Kurdish word, which
meant "Revolution" in English. Reportedly, a person applied to
the court to change his name as "Sores" in Kurdish.
OZGUR GUNDEM: Serious shortage of teachers in southeastern
Turkey has reportedly been gravely affecting children's school
life. 1,300 teachers are needed only for schools in the Mus
province.
REID
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR FEBRUARY 14, 2006
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for February 14,
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
OZGUR GUNDEM: Iran government administration reportedly took
health precautions against bird flu in its border area with
Turkey.
CUMHURIYET / ZAMAN / OZGUR GUNDEM / SABAH / RADIKAL: Following
Forensic Medicine Authority's (FMA) confirmation that some of
the bones found in the mass graves in Diyarbakir's Kulp district
(see press summary 02/13) belonged to two of the 11 villagers
who disappeared during the military operations of 1994, Sezgin
Tanrikulu, Chairperson of Diyarbakir Bar Association, said that
an effective investigation process should be reopened to probe
the case and the prosecutor must file a complaint against Bolu
Commando Brigade. Ozgur Gundem clarified the fact that DNA
tests on the bones of (only) two of the 11 people have been
confirmed by FMA as matching with the samples taken from their
families (see press summary 02/13). Reyahan Yalcindag, Deputy
National Chairperson of the Human Rights Association, noted
that, despite families of the villagers having received
compensation from the Euopean Court (on an unspecified date),
the perpetrators of the incident have not been found yet. Sabah
daily reported Sezgin Tanrikulu's claims that separately 11
people also disappeared in the same area.
ZAMAN / CUMHURIYET: Van Yuzuncu Yil University Rector Yucel
Askin paid a visit to the national headquarters of the IP
(Worker's Party) and met the General Secretary, Ferit Ilsever,
to extend his appreciation to the party administrators for their
interest in his case.
ZAMAN / HURRIYET / SABAH: Funeral of Kani Yilmaz, who was
killed in a car bomb in Iraq's Suleymaniyah province (see press
summary 02/13),has been held at Sanliurfa's Ceylanpinar
district in Turkey.
OZGUR GUNDEM: The daily reported that, as February 15 drew
close (see press summary 02/13),tanks of the Sirnak Cannon
Battalion have started cruising in the streets of Sirnak's Cizre
district following yesterday's protest activities reportedly to
"intimidate" people. Meanwhile, PKK's chief headquarters
denounced February 15 which marked the 7th anniversary of
Abdullah Ocalan's arrest and his bringing back to Turkey by
authorities. PKK reportedly made a call to the people to
"boycott a life that was going on without Abdullah Ocalan."
OZGUR GUNDEM: Abdullah Ocalan's hand-written petition asking
for opening of his retrial process has been received by Ankara's
11th Heavy Penalty Court.
HURRIYET / SABAH: Fourteen people have been wounded as a result
of a blast caused by a bomb left in an Istanbul supermarket
which belonged to an AKP (Justice and Development Party) deputy.
PKK claimed responsibility for the incident.
HURRIYET / SABAH: An avalanche took place on a road between
Tunceli and Erzincan provinces. Teams have started efforts to
clear the snow covered road. The authorities announced that no
information has been received as to whether any car has been
buried under the huge avalanche which reportedly caused a
20-meter-high wall of snow.
SABAH: PM Erdogan, bothered by the crisis triggered by his
uttering slang words to a protesting farmer during a chance
meeting in Mersin with the angry farmer, reportedly told the
ministers in a council meeting, "I was taken unawares and could
not control my nerves when the farmer spoke in an arrogant
manner despite that I was the one to let him (the farmer) come
near and speak his mind."
SABAH: Osman Ocalan, brother of Abdullah Ocalan, reportedly
had a heart attack in the northern Iraq. Ocalan was
hospitalized in Iraq's Arbil province.
SABAH: Istanbul's Bilgi University will hold a conference
between March 11 and 12 under the following topic: "Turkey's
Kurdish Issue, and Exploring Ways to Solve the Issue through
Civil and Democratic Means."
SABAH: Istanbul's Beyoglu First Instance Court solicited
counseling from the Istanbul Kurdish Institute in a January
2006-dated letter about the meaning of a Kurdish word, which
meant "Revolution" in English. Reportedly, a person applied to
the court to change his name as "Sores" in Kurdish.
OZGUR GUNDEM: Serious shortage of teachers in southeastern
Turkey has reportedly been gravely affecting children's school
life. 1,300 teachers are needed only for schools in the Mus
province.
REID