SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR APRIL 17, 2006

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000086

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

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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).


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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