SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR MARCH 17, 2006

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000053 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR MARCH 17, 2006 ¶1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for March 17, 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 ¶2. ZAMAN: A bomb attack took place in front of the HSBC bank in Diyarbakir. Separately, four terrorists were reportedly caught as they were attempting to launch activities in Batman. According to the daily, security measures have been heightened in the provinces and city centers. Anti-terror branch directors of thirty provinces gathered in Sanliurfa to discuss the death commando teams of the PKK. Meanwhile, Minister of Interior, Abdulkadir Aksu, went to Batman to conduct local studies. Aksu met with the Batman Governor and the Security Director and extended condolences to the family members of the victims of the March 6 bomb attack in Batman. ¶3. BOLGE / EKSPRES: Jean Dunn, Australian Ambassador to Ankara, paid a courtesy visit to the Municipality of Adana and met with deputy mayor Aytac Bilgen. ¶4. CUMHURIYET / YENI SAFAK / OZGUR GUNDEM: As Newruz celebrations drew near, NGOs and business associations in Diyarbakir made a joint press announcement in the conference hall of the Diyarbakir Chamber of Commerce (COC). Kutbettin Arzu, Chairperson of Diyarbakir COC, expressed on behalf of the civil society members their concern over the increasing violence that has been hindering investments in the region, and causing further unemployment and impoverishment. ¶5. OZGUR GUNDEM / YENI SAFAK / ZAMAN: DTP Siirt provincial party organization invited PM Erdogan to the Newruz celebrations that will be held in the hometown of Mr. Erdogan's wife in Siirt on March 19. Siirt is also the province where Erdogan emerged as the winner of 2003 by-elections which paved the way for him to become the Prime Minister of Turkey. A Kars court overturned an appeal of a prosecutor to seize Kurdish invitations involving the letters "w" and "o" and using a non-Turkish word for the "Newruz" event. The invitations were prepared by Mahmut Alinak, DTP Kars Provincial Chairperson. Ozgur Gundem daily reported that court's decision will serve as an example for similar cases that may come up. Meanwhile, Kars Governor's Office has reportedly not yet responded to Newruz Committee's application to hold the Newruz celebrations. A Newruz fire has been lit in Sanliurfa Eyubiye quarter and 200 people reportedly participated in this event. ¶6. OZGUR GUNDEM: Turkish military has reportedly been extending the scope of the military operation it launched in Siirt's Pervari district which has been going on for about one week. 115 military vehicles will reportedly be deployed in the operation area. Meanwhile military units have reportedly been establishing temporary military points in a section of Pervari district. ¶7. CUMHURIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM: Despite reported past remarks of PM Erdogan saying "Semdinli people cannot be held witnesses of the incidents (since they were reportedly being oppressed by the PKK)," Van Third Heavy Penalty Court decided to take statements of the witnesses at the site of the Semdinli incident. A delegation of the jurors will go to Semdinli to hear statements from 44 witnesses. Cumhuriyet daily noted that the court will also hear statements of Mehmet Ali Altindag, owner of Soz TV, who previously made statements to the parliamentary commission where he made charges against Land Force Commander Yasar Buyukanit. The daily notes that Altindag has been awarded many public tenders in the past in the provinces in southeastern region and in the Bolu province. ¶8. OZGUR GUNDEM: Tunceli Mayor Songul Erol Abdil filed a complaint with the prosecutor's office because of a letter she received that made threatening remarks against Abdil and the Kurdish people. The letter was reportedly sent from a post office in Elazig and expressed intolerbly insulting remarks and threatening statements, said Abdil. ¶9. CUMHURIYET / RADIKAL / OZGUR GUNDEM: The Semdinli incident, which has been dominating the Turkish agenda, has been discussed in the European Parliament as well. A Belgian parliamentarian pointing out that the Semdinli indictment demands that negotiations with Turkey be halted. Meanwhile, Turkish parliamentary commission probing Semdinli case heard statements of the MIT intelligence center chiefs. Two MIT officials reportedly submitted a confidential report to the commission concerning the case. Officials reportedly said that Semdinli was a sensitive place and people of Semdinli would easily get incited, because that section of the southeastern region is like a bridge between Iraq and Iran. According to the MIT officials, people of Semdinli were under influence of Iraq Kurdistan Democratic Party leader Massoud Barzani. Per a question asked by the commission whether there existed a "deeper criminal structure" embedded in the state mechanism, the MIT officials said that they were not obtaining intelligence about police or military. MIT members also reiterated that they did not have information about the bombing incidents in Hakkari. ¶10. RADIKAL / OZGUR GUNDEM / YENI SAFAK / HURRIYET: Meanwhile, the daily reported that a heated debate has been going on between AKP and CHP deputies of the commission concerning the allegations placed against Land Forces Commander Yasar Buyukanit in the Semdinli Case indictment. A separate public controversy was reportedly sparked over Hakkari Mayor Metin Tekce's 10-page report submitted to the commission allegedly because Tekce did not brand PKK as a terrorist organization in his statements. An investigation has been started against Tekce on grounds that he made terrorist propaganda. Metin Tekce complained that commission members have been abusing the situation and extracting certain and limited statements from his report to leak them to the media. That's why I am receiving threatening letters now, said Tekce. ¶11. RADIKAL / OZGUR GUNDEM / CUMHURIYET / YENI SAFAK: People in Iraq's Halabja province rose against government officials who declined to keep their promises to launch a rehabilitation project for the victims of the 1998 Halabja massacre. The unrest came on the anniversary of the massacre. People burned tires and carried out sit-in protests. Nearly, 10,000 people marched towards the monument erected to commemorate the event. Police intervened and opened fire which killed one person and wounded many. ¶12. RADIKAL: Twenty-two NGOs in Istanbul made a call to the people and security officers to exhibit common sense and wisdom in order not to incite incidents during Newruz celebrations. The NGOs expressed goodwill intentions about Newruz and envisaged that celebrations lead to more peaceful conditions. ¶13. RADIKAL: A reported 17-year-old girl, Yildiz Zaman, and her lover were killed by Zaman's brother in Gaziantep's Nizip district. Reportedly, Yildiz Zaman ran away with her lover when her family did not consent to their marriage. However, the Zaman family reportedly called the lovers to their house to reach a peaceful solution within the family. During this meeting, a quarrel that was sparked between Yildiz Zaman's lover and her brother resulted in the brother's opening fire on the couple. Authorities suspect that this was an honor killing incident since the family members of Yildiz Zaman did not attend the funeral of their daughter. ¶14. CUMHURIYET / RADIKAL / YENI SAFAK / HURRIYET: Council of State has finally reached a verdict following a two-year trial period, and unanimously overturned a request for annulling a June 2003-dated bill that permitted Turkey's allies to use Turkish bases, ports, airports and facilities for a one-year period. ¶15. YENI SAFAK / HURRIYET / ZAMAN: A military helicopter crashed in the province of Erzincan. The witnesses reported that the helicopter hit high-voltage cables. Five officers died in the crash. REID