SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR APRIL 12, 2006

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000081 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR APRIL 12, 2006 This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for April 12, ¶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 CUMHURIYET / RADIKAL / EVRENSEL: Forty-seven non-governmental organizations and unions made a call to end provocations that lead to escalation of tension between Turkish and Kurdish people. EKSPRES / CUMHURIYET: Cukurova University Rector Alper Akinoglu in Adana criticized Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir for his non-attendance at the celebrations held to mark the 161st anniversary of Turkish National Police's foundation. SABAH: Parliamentary Commission Probing Semdinli Case prepared a draft report. A statement in the report concludes that the commission can not determine decisively whether the bombing incidents in Hakkari in 2005 were all carried out by the PKK. The report, as a response to Van Prosecutor Ferhat Sarikaya's indictment, branded attempts to link the suspicious bomb incidents with military authorities as "judicial fantasizing." The report did not include any statements about Land Forces Commander Yasar Buyukanit. CUMHURIYET: The report of the commission established within the party organization of AKP to probe irregularities in tenders held in Hatay have reportedly acquitted the AKP deputies and determined that no irregularities or corruption was found. OZGUR GUNDEM: A delegation comprised of chairmen of IHD (Human Rights Association),TIHV (Turkish Human Rights Foundation) and Mazlum-Der (Human Rights and Solidarity for Oppressed People) went to Diyarbakir to conduct studies there. Claudia Roth, Germany's Green Party Co-Chairperson, also came to Turkey to pay a visit to Diyarbakir. OZGUR GUNDEM: Leftist oriented students in the Cukurova University dismissed allegations about their alleged attack on an art exhibition in Cukurova University in Adana which was reported in many newspapers yesterday (see press summary 04/11). The students claimed that nationalist oriented people from Ceyhan were brought to the campus to carry out an attack on the leftist group which was protesting a "nationalist oriented" exhibition at the university. RADIKAL / SABAH (GUNEY) / EKSPRES / OZGUR GUNDEM: An explosion took place in an open field in Adana's Seyhan district as five people were attempting to dismantle the tank of a fuel-oil delivery truck. OZGUR GUNDEM: Ayhan Adiyaman (20) has been detained, arraigned and arrested on charges of "making propaganda of illegal terrorist organization" and "damaging public property" during Newruz celebrations on March 20 in Hakkari. Meanwhile, four people, who have been under interrogation for four days at Mersin's Security Directorate, were arraigned on April 9 and arrested on charges of "being a member of the outlawed terrorist organization." OZGUR GUNDEM: Iranian officials reportedly killed a person attempting to cross Turkey's border with Iran around Van's Baskale district the previous day. The person was reportedly aiming to smuggle fuel-oil. OZGUR GUNDEM: A blast took place for unknown reasons when villagers attempted to burn hay in Bitlis's Mutki district. Two villagers have been wounded. Meanwhile, the daily noted two separate gun fights taking place between groups of people attacking each other for reasons not yet known. OZGUR GUNDEM: Minister of Interior, which filed a lawsuit of indemnification to redress damage done to the public property against the family of a PKK terrorist killed in a March 2000 operation in Bingol, has won the case and has been entitled to take an amount of 9000 new Turkish liras (approx. 6700 USD) from the family. OZGUR GUNDEM: Nine people have been detained in Elazig's Aricak district in connection with the killing of one military officer and one Jandarma private on April 8 in Elazig (see press summaries 04/10 and 04/11). OZGUR GUNDEM: Middle Eastern Media Research Institute reportedly said in a report that the AKP government, which disfavored the Land Forces Commander Buyukanit's name as the next person to run for Turkish Chief of Staff, has been running ADANA 00000081 002 OF 002 a campaign against Buyukanit. HURRIYET: Erdogan met with around 70 deputies from east and southeast Turkey ahead of changes that would be adopted in the Anti-Terror Bill. PM Erdogan reportedly told Bitlis deputy Abdurrahim Aksoy not to be the mouthpiece of the PKK when Aksoy voiced demands for a general amnesty for political prisoners. HURRIYET/ SABAH: Six children were wounded as a result of a mine blast in Sirnak. The ages of children range between 13 and ¶14. HURRIYET ONLINE: Twelve terrorists, two of whom were women, have been killed in an area in the north of Sirnak during a military operation. Two commissioned officers also died during the clash. REID