SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR SEPTEMBER 26, 2007

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000114 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR SEPTEMBER 26, 2007 ¶1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for September 26, 2007. Please note Turkish press reports often contain errors or exaggerations; AmConsulate Adana does not vouch for the accuracy of the reports summarized herein. POLITICAL: ¶2. HURRIYET: Iraqi Interior Minister Jawad Al-Bolani came to Ankara to reportedly discuss reviving a now ineffective anti-terror agreement signed earlier with Saddam Hussein's regime. In bilateral meetings, issues such as the recognition of the PKK as a terrorist organization, hot pursuit against PKK terrorists, prevention of PKK activities in Iraq, etc. are on the agenda. During the meetings, the Turkish Interior Ministry will request the extradition from Iraq of 150 PKK terrorists. ¶3. ZAMAN: The daily reports despite intelligence indicating he was the target of a suicide bomb threat, President Abdullah Gul was adamant about conducting his first official visit to southeastern Turkey in mid-September. ¶4. ZAMAN / EKSPRES: In his book titled "I Witnessed Infidelity," a retired colonel revealed that in the past there were interesting methods to convince locals not to allow terrorists into towns or cities. In one example, the military staged a fabricated conflict, opening fire with machine guns and rockets at predetermined targets in Semdinli under cover of nightfall. The following morning they would tell how such conflicts could harm the city and the people, wrote the colonel in his book. ¶5. GUNDEM ONLINE: On the online edition of Gundem daily, DTP Deputy National Chairperson Nurettin Demirtas called on local people, DTP party organizations, civil society organizations and unions to embrace and support Gundem in the of a recent one-month ban imposed by an unspecified court. ¶6. OZGUR GUNDEM ONLINE: Diyarbakir Governor Huseyin Avni Mutlu, appointed to his position on September 13 when the former governor was assigned to a position at the PM's Undersecretariat, gave his personal cell phone number to local journalists, demonstrating open access to his office. The governor said he wanted to ease office appointment procedures so as to facilitate direct contact with the people. SECURITY ¶7. HURRIYET / ZAMAN / SABAH: A PKK terrorist stole a vehicle carrying bread to a jandarma station located 10 kilometers from Tunceli. The suicide bomber detonated the vehicle near the gate of the station, causing the death of one soldier. Two soldiers were seriously wounded and two soldiers sustained minor injuries. Sabah and Hurriyet dailies report on the same incident, with conflicting details on the bomb itself. The army launched a military operation with air support in several districts of the province following the incident. Jandarma also detained six people in the bakery in Tunceli, which supplied bread to the jandarma unit. Separately, a PKK mine detonated when a herd of sheep was passing a road near a jandarma station in Tunceli's Pulumur district. Many of the animals were killed. ¶8. ZAMAN ONLINE: Upon receiving a bomb tip-off, police stopped a passenger train which departed Adana at 1915 yesterday for Islahiye district. The police evacuated passengers and searched the train. The Ceyhan district governor visited the site to investigate. ¶9. ZAMAN / HURRIYET / HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Hakkari police and jandarma raided a house in Yuksekova district, uncovering arms and other materials used in improvising weapons. The arms found included one Kalashnikov, one G-3, one 9-mm modified gun, 11 hunting rifles, 18 barrels, 11 broken pistol parts, 4 binoculars, etc. ¶10. SABAH: While attending UNGA's 62nd session Foreign Minister and Chief EU Negotiator Ali Babacan, expressed Turkey's frustration about pro-PKK Roj TV that has been continuing to broadcast programs from Denmark. ECONOMY ¶11. HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): A Turkish economic journal conducted a survey and listed 21 companies from the Cukurova and GAP ADANA 00000114 002 OF 002 region among Asia Minor's 100 largest companies. Eleven of those companies are reportedly from Gaziantep. Gaziantep's Sanko was ranked third. CULTURE / SOCIETY / ENVIRONMENT ¶12. SABAH (GUNEY): The Syriac Church and a businessman in Mardin paid for two municipality iftaar dinners for nearly 3300 people. ¶13. HURRIYET: A 3.8-magnitude earthquake shook Hakkari at 0150 yesterday. No casualties were reported. ¶14. BOLGE: Deputy Chairman of Turkey's Sports Federation for Handicapped People presented Adana Mayor Aytac Durak a plaque on behalf of Jan Berteling, Chairman of the International Wheelchair basketball Federation, to express gratitude for Adana's support in holding wheelchair basketball tournament for the last three years. ¶15. SABAH (GUNEY): Mersin's governor, mayor and provincial sports director returned to Mersin from their trip to France. The delegation attended a meeting held with Mediterranean Olympics Committee in France. Mayor Ozcan said they have expended every effort to convince the committee to hold the 2013 Olympics in Mersin. GREEN