Identifier | Created | Classification | Origin |
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06ADANA86 | 2006-04-20 10:47:00 | UNCLASSIFIED | Consulate Adana |
VZCZCXRO8900 RR RUEHDA DE RUEHDA #0086/01 1101047 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 201047Z APR 06 FM AMCONSUL ADANA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4101 INFO RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 0698 RUEUITH/AFOSI DET 521 ANKARA TU RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0650 RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0564 |
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000086
SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR APRIL 17, 2006 This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for April 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 HURRIYET / BOLGE / EKSPRES / ZAMAN: MHP National Chairperson Devlet Bahceli severely criticized government's policies in his speech delivered at a congress held by the MHP Adana party organization in Adana. Bahceli reportedly cautioned party grassroots not to be enticed into action against provocations of certain circles. Bahceli, addressing the people of the region, asked, "Does the U.S. like you more than we do?" Bahceli also paid a visit in Ceyhan district to the family of a soldier killed in Sirnak. Bahceli attended a party congress in Mersin before he came to Adana. CUMHURIYET / RADIKAL / EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM: Eight of 16 senior members of DTP's Nusaybin Provincial Party Organization, who were detained reportedly three days ago as a result of police's and anti-terror team's raid at the party building, have been arrested. DTP provincial chairperson Naif Coskun is reportedly among the arrestees. DTP members are saying that detentions and arrests have escalated tension in the district. HURRIYET / RADIKAL: Erzurum's Second Heavy Penalty Court found Gungor Alp, a candidate for the mayorship of Kars province in 2004 local elections, guilty of portraying a martyr in 2004 a PKK terrorist killed in a military operation. The court ordered five months in prison for Alp. HURRIYET ONLINE: Two soldiers (an officer and a private) have been wounded during a clash with PKK militants in a military operation going on around the border area in the Cukurca district of Hakkari, said Hakkari Governor Ayhan Nasuhbeyoglu. RADIKAL / HURRIYET / ZAMAN: A solidarity association organized a meeting to celebrate "Prophet Muhammed's Blessed Birth" in Diyarbakir. 80,000 people reportedly have participated in the event. OZGUR GUNDEM: Report of parliamentary commission probing Semdinli case allegedly hinted that authorities reportedly dragged feet for eight years in a reported investigation process of the non-commissioned officer Ali Kaya, one of two defendants of November 2005 Semdinli bombing in Hakkari. A complaint was filed back in 1998 by a Diyarbakir businessman, namely Mehmet Ali Altindag (owner of the Soz TV), against Ali Kaya for "fabricating false documents which aimed to prove Altindag's alleged support of the PKK." OZGUR GUNDEM: It is reported that birds culled in Van during the outbreak of bird flu in Van have not been properly buried. The carcasses buried only under snow in an area around Hakkari-Van road reappeared when snow started to melt. Street dogs reportedly have been accessing and tearing sacks of carcasses. OZGUR GUNDEM: ACAT's (Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture) France branch launched a mail campaign aiming to send letters to PM Erdogan against increasing arrests of human rights activists in the aftermath of developments following Newruz in the southeastern region of Turkey. Meanwhile, Amnesty International reportedly sent a letter to PM Erdogan and Ministry of Interior and made a call to authorities to take action against all of the human rights violations taking place in the southeastern region. EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM: A ceremony has been held in Adana for the memory of a leftist oriented newspaper's journalist who recently died in Ankara because of fatal wounds he received as he was watching violent protests in Diyarbakir. The funeral of the journalist has been held at Diyarbakir's Dicle district and journalist's colleagues have been denied entrance to the Dicle district. Meanwhile, the daily reported a group of university students from Bosphorus University in Istanbul, Middle East Technical University and Hacettepe University in Ankara as paying a visit to the region and meeting with the mayors, and also families of people who died in the protests and demonstrations in Diyarbakir to express solidarity. OZGUR GUNDEM: A tent has been set up in Van to receive people offering condolences to the family of a terrorist killed on an unspecified date in a military operation in Sirnak. RADIKAL: PM Erdogan paid a visit to Tunceli province on Friday (04/14). ADANA 00000086 002 OF 002 RADIKAL: Daily Radikal newspaper covered an interview with Mayor Osman Baydemir in its front page. Baydemir reportedly told Radikal that political parties should not engage in feuds among themselves. According to Baydemir, announcements of leaders made through media channels have been exacerbating tension in the society. Solutions to the issues can only be found through means of better dialogue, said Baydemir. REID |