SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR DECEMBER 29, 2005

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000004 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR DECEMBER 29, 2005 This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for December 29, ¶2005. 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 ZAMAN / HURRIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM: While authorities demanded additional detention period from the Prosecutor's Office for 10 persons detained in connection with the anti-corruption operation at Sirnak's Habur Border Gate in order to continue suspecs' interrogation process, the operation at the Gate has concentrated its scrutiny on the police and military checkpoints where trucks are regularly being examined before crossing the border. According to the allegations of bribery, instead of waiting for 15 days at a 40-kilometer queue, truck owners are reportedly paying money ranging between 100 and 400 USD to the officers to prioritize and shorten their customs procedures. HURRIYET: Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Turkish authorities cannot be held liable since action was brought against the suspects of the case of Abdullah Canan, the son of CHP (Republican People's Party) lawmaker Esat Canan's uncle, who was allegedly detained on February 17, 1996 in Van and his tortured dead body was found under a bridge in Van's Esendere quarter. The court acquitted them as a result of the judicial proceedings, said Ministry officials. According to the family, the judiciary "did not penalize the perpetrators" and redress the family's suffering. The family applied to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and it recently submitted as evidence the photographs of the victim at the place the victim was found. The family rejected Ministry's 30,000 euro compensation proposal for amicable solution to the case. OZGUR GUNDEM / ZAMAN: Musa Sivacioglu, Chairperson of the Turkish Parliament's commission for probing the Semdinli Case (TPCSC),said that the commission requested information from various offices including the National Jandarma Command (NJC). NJC's Intelligence Service Chairperson Mehmet Corten brought the information requested in person, and the allegations in the media that the visit was kept secret are false, said Sivacioglu. Meanwhile, Hakkari Governor Erdogan Gurbuz and Semdinli Subgovernor Mustafa Cihat Feslihan told the commission that they were not knowledgeable about the intelligence undertakings of the two officers in Semdinli during the November 9 bombing in a bookstore. OZGUR GUNDEM: Abdullah Tufan, a person in Adana's Seyhan district, filed a complaint with the Adana Chapter of the Human Rights Association for police's alleged four raids conducted at his house and business within 24 hours. Tufan claimed that the police officers treated him badly. ZAMAN / OZGUR GUNDEM: Sabri and Cetin Yagizer, the nephews of the Baskale Municipality Mayor (from AKP) in Van, claimed that two commissioned officers and a teacher attempted to kidnap them on December 24. The two people, who barely freed themselves from this attempt, filed a complaint with the prosecutor's office. The suspects gave their statements to the prosecutor's office and were released to await trial. OZGUR GUNDEM: A lawsuit has been instituted against Mehmet Can Demir, former DEHAP Bitlis Provincial Chairperson, because of a press announcement he made on September 1. Demir allegedly referred to PKK terrorists as "guerillas" during his speech and demanded an end to the policy of isolating prisoners in jails, particulary referring to the case (of terrorist leader Adullah Ocalan). Meanwhile, Abdurrahman Dogar, former DEHAP Van Provincial Chairperson, who was detained following a raid conducted at his house on September 17 because of his speech "making a propaganda of the PKK and inciting people to violence", has still not been brought before the court although it has been four months since his arrest. ZAMAN / OZGUR GUNDEM: An investigation has been started against former DEP (Democracy Party) deputies Selim Sadak and Hatip Dicle on charges that they took part in a television program of pro-PKK Roj TV on September 21 and made statements in a manner that "praised offensive actions and offenders." SABAH / HURRIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM / EVRENSEL: Bird flu has been detected in the Igdir province of the eastern Turkey. The temporary quarantine imposed has been prolonged and 350 poultry have been slaughtered as a precaution. The tests revealed that H5 avian infuenza was the cause of the poultry deaths. The officials ensured that the losses of the farmers will be compensated for. SABAH / HURRIYET: The daily reported that Diyarbakir's Soz TV station and Sanliurfa's Medya FM radio station will start broadcasting in Kurdish as of January 15. RTUK (Higher Board of Radio and Television) said that the other eight stations, which applied to obtain authorization for broadcasting in non-Turkish languages and dialects, will be able to obtain their licenses if they complete their missing application documents. Meanwhile, it is reported that state-run TRT TV station and other private stations will join efforts to build satellite antennae in the southeastern region to enhance their broadcasting capabilities and to prevent pro-PKK Roj TV to gain wider audience in the region. REID