SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR MARCH 27, 2006

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000058 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR MARCH 27, 2006 This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for March 27, ¶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 EVRENSEL: The daily criticized AKP for holding a party congress in the 12,000-year-old caves of the ancient Hasankeyf city in Batman and damaging sensitive historical site with technical sound equipment installed in the caves. The daily further cited an AKP deputy from Mardin as defending the controversial dam project which will bury part of the historical ruins in Hasankeyf under dam waters. EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM: CHP national leader Deniz Baykal, as he criticized the government for attempting to plot the Semdinli indictment, further added that the government has been unsuccessful in reaching its goals. When asked whether Prime Minister's Undersecretary was backing the Semdinli indictement, the CHP leader said that there should be tangible evidence to allege that. However, the CHP leader believed that the indictment was interwoven with politics, and Prosecutor Sarikaya was being manipulated by certain circles. ZAMAN / HURRIYET: Six of the fourteen terrorists killed in a large-scale military operation held on Friday were reportedly from Syria, Iran and Iraq. Three of the terrorists are reportedly from Diyarbakir. The operation was carried out in Diyarbakir's Kulp and Lice, Bingol's Genc and Solhan, and Mus's Senyayla districts. According to the military officials, three shelters full of supplies for terrorists were destroyed. The dead bodies of the terrorists were sent to the Malatya Forensic Authority. OZGUR GUNDEM: PKK confirmed that 14 terrorist have been killed in a military operation carried out on Friday, and published identities of the killed on its internet site. Reportedly, 10,000 soldiers and village guards took part in the military operation which has been supported with ground and aerial military forces. PKK, which made a call to the families of those killed to take possession of the bodies of their kin, claimed that Turkish military forces used chemical weapons during the operation. OZGUR GUNDEM: The daily claimed that military forces have been readying to launch military operations in the districts of Mardin. Military personnel from Jandarma Division on the road to Mardin have reportedly been deployed in Mardin province and its districts for about one week. War planes taking off from the airport in Mardin have reportedly been flying over Kiziltepe district. Road checkpoints have been fortified in the area. OZGUR GUNDEM: The administrative investigation started against Ferhat Sarikaya, Van Prosecutor who prepared the Semdinli indictement, will be completed this week. If the report of the investigation is completed by Thursday, it will be discussed at Thursday's meeting of the Higher Council of Judges and Prosecutors. OZGUR GUNDEM: Mesrob Mutafyan (Mesrob II),Patriarch of the Armenian Community in Turkey, paid a visit to the Hatay Governor Ahmet Kayhan. Mutafyab, who reportedly came to Hatay to conduct a series of separate visits, told the journalists asking about Armenian issues that it was a positive development that the Armenian issue was being discussed at the universities now. SABAH GUNEY: Michael Roberts, Undersecretary of British Embassy in Ankara, and his wife came to Hatay and paid a visit to the Hatay Governor. Roberts reportedly told journalists that he did not agree with remarks of Iraqi Prime Minister Alawi as claiming that there was civil war in Iraq. Roberts further said that nobody should expect that democracy will come to Iraq very quickly. OZGUR GUNDEM: A waiter incurred serious wounds when a bomb went off at 7.15 p.m. on Saturday night at a night club in Tunceli. Another explosion took place across the street from a DTP provincial building located in Elazig province. OZGUR GUNDEM: At a congress held by Van branch of Mazlum-Der (Association of Human Rights and Solidarity for Oppressed People),Mazlum-Der members demanded that a discriminatory amnesty be issued for all political inmates at jails to be able to solve the Kurdish issue. OZGUR GUNDEM: Van branch of DTP condemned the police's "harsh" attitude against demonstrators protesting recent arrest of former DEHAP Provincial Chairperson, Sebahattin Suvagci (see press summary 03/24),in Hakkari. Meanwhile, five of 23 demonstrators detained for holding protest activities against the arrest of Suvagci have been arrested following arraignment of all 23 detainees the previous day. Meanwhile, the daily reports that tension persisted in Hakkari, and masked special team members have been frequenting the streets. OZGUR GUNDEM: A 42-year-old male has been killed in a gun attack in Batman. CUMHURIYET: New Iraqi Constitution poses a new threat to Turkey: It will reportedly pave the way for PKK members to be granted the right to citizenship or be political refugees in Iraq. OZGUR GUNDEM: Sanliurfa Governor had demanded on an unspecified date that 18 public employees, who are members of KESK (Confederation of Public Employee Unions),be exiled from their posts for attending a February 2005-dated press conference called "No to war for global peace." Fourteen of these people have been exiled to posts in other provinces to date. EKSPRES / SABAH GUNEY / BOLGE: Tourism Minister Atilla Koc will come to Adana today to attend the opening of 8th Sabanci International Theater Festival of Adana. REID