Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ADANA46
2007-03-28 05:16:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Consulate Adana
Cable title:
SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR MARCH 27, 2007
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000046
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR MARCH 27, 2007
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for March 27,
2007. 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
EKSPRES / BOLGE: A local TV station interviewed the U.S. Consul
to Adana, Eric Green, on the day that marked the fourth
anniversary of the Iraq war. Green reportedly said that after
four years, the situation in Iraq was not as well as they like
it to be and there was a high level of instability there.
According to Green, President Bush had acknowledged this, and,
they were changing their strategy to try to improve the
situation in Iraq. Green, when asked questions about the PKK
issue, asserted that PKK was designated as a terrorist
organization by the U.S. and denied having any contacts with
them. Regarding the PKK's relationship with any people or
authority in northern Iraq, Green said their objective was to
get all of the Iraqi authorities, those in Baghdad as well as
those in northern Iraq, to work to end PKK's presence in that
country.
EKSPRES / BOLGE / ZAMAN: Umit Ozgumus, Chairperson of
Adana's Chamber of Industry, talked with members of ISKAD (Adana
Businesswomen Association). During the talk Ozgumus mentioned
that despite the U.S. officially stating that it respected
Turkey's territorial integrity and it designated the PKK as a
terrorist organization, it has not been sharing information with
Turkey about 5000 people who have established presence in the
Qandil Mountains in Northern Iraq and who have been entering
Turkey to raid police stations and kill soldiers and civilians.
BOLGE / EKSPRES: Adana's new governor Ilhan Atis paid a
courtesy visit to Adana Mayor Aytac Durak. Durak ran a slide
show for Mr. Atis in order to show him the other side of Adana
and make him aware of the problems of people who migrated to
Adana from rural sections.
EVRENSEL / ZAMAN: Diyarbakir's Kayapinar district mayor Zulkuf
Karatekin reportedly received a threat letter including a
suspicious powder in it. The text of the letter was created
with letters cut from a newspaper and it was signed as "Laz
Direnc (Laz Resistance)". Similar letters including the same
signature were sent to Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir and
Hakkari Mayor Metin Tekce in the past.
ONLINE GUNDEM: Online Gundem daily claims that the pressure
exerted on the Kurdish press has been continuing with the recent
20-day ban on Azadiya Welat daily which is the only Kurdish
language newspaper in Turkey. The proprietary owner of the
newspaper has recently been arraigned because of the former
publications about the alleged slow poisoning of Abdullah Ocalan
by state authorities.
CRIME / LAW ENFORCEMENT
HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Police found and seized 6557 Kalashnikov
bullets in a car they stopped and searched in Sanliurfa's
Ceylanpinar district.
ECONOMY
HURRIYET (CUKUROVA) / EVRENSEL: Kemal Sag, Adana deputy from
CHP, gave the good news to 400 workers that the Adana's TEKEL
cigarette factory will resume its operations.
SABAH (GUNEY): Guler Sabanci, a powerful businesswomen whose
hometown is Adana, will come to Adana on March 27 and attend a
meeting that will be held with ISKAD.
CULTURE / SOCIETY / ENVIRONMENT
EVRENSEL / ZAMAN: Thousands of people reportedly protested
recent killing of a teacher because of an ongoing feud between
two families in Hakkari's Yuksekova district.
EKSPRES / SABAH (GUNEY) / BOLGE / ZAMAN: Adana Governor Ilhan
Atis attended a program that marked the Week for Libraries at
the Provincial Public Library. Atis arrived at the venue prior
to the program, inspected the building to see if it was kept
clean and orderly, and reprimanded some officials for not
keeping the place clean.
ADANA 00000046 002 OF 002
EKSPRES: Zeki Yilmaz, Provincial Culture and Tourism
Director, said that a French company applied to them to get
permission from them to carry out a 10-billion-YTL tourism
investment.
GREEN
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR MARCH 27, 2007
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for March 27,
2007. 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
EKSPRES / BOLGE: A local TV station interviewed the U.S. Consul
to Adana, Eric Green, on the day that marked the fourth
anniversary of the Iraq war. Green reportedly said that after
four years, the situation in Iraq was not as well as they like
it to be and there was a high level of instability there.
According to Green, President Bush had acknowledged this, and,
they were changing their strategy to try to improve the
situation in Iraq. Green, when asked questions about the PKK
issue, asserted that PKK was designated as a terrorist
organization by the U.S. and denied having any contacts with
them. Regarding the PKK's relationship with any people or
authority in northern Iraq, Green said their objective was to
get all of the Iraqi authorities, those in Baghdad as well as
those in northern Iraq, to work to end PKK's presence in that
country.
EKSPRES / BOLGE / ZAMAN: Umit Ozgumus, Chairperson of
Adana's Chamber of Industry, talked with members of ISKAD (Adana
Businesswomen Association). During the talk Ozgumus mentioned
that despite the U.S. officially stating that it respected
Turkey's territorial integrity and it designated the PKK as a
terrorist organization, it has not been sharing information with
Turkey about 5000 people who have established presence in the
Qandil Mountains in Northern Iraq and who have been entering
Turkey to raid police stations and kill soldiers and civilians.
BOLGE / EKSPRES: Adana's new governor Ilhan Atis paid a
courtesy visit to Adana Mayor Aytac Durak. Durak ran a slide
show for Mr. Atis in order to show him the other side of Adana
and make him aware of the problems of people who migrated to
Adana from rural sections.
EVRENSEL / ZAMAN: Diyarbakir's Kayapinar district mayor Zulkuf
Karatekin reportedly received a threat letter including a
suspicious powder in it. The text of the letter was created
with letters cut from a newspaper and it was signed as "Laz
Direnc (Laz Resistance)". Similar letters including the same
signature were sent to Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir and
Hakkari Mayor Metin Tekce in the past.
ONLINE GUNDEM: Online Gundem daily claims that the pressure
exerted on the Kurdish press has been continuing with the recent
20-day ban on Azadiya Welat daily which is the only Kurdish
language newspaper in Turkey. The proprietary owner of the
newspaper has recently been arraigned because of the former
publications about the alleged slow poisoning of Abdullah Ocalan
by state authorities.
CRIME / LAW ENFORCEMENT
HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Police found and seized 6557 Kalashnikov
bullets in a car they stopped and searched in Sanliurfa's
Ceylanpinar district.
ECONOMY
HURRIYET (CUKUROVA) / EVRENSEL: Kemal Sag, Adana deputy from
CHP, gave the good news to 400 workers that the Adana's TEKEL
cigarette factory will resume its operations.
SABAH (GUNEY): Guler Sabanci, a powerful businesswomen whose
hometown is Adana, will come to Adana on March 27 and attend a
meeting that will be held with ISKAD.
CULTURE / SOCIETY / ENVIRONMENT
EVRENSEL / ZAMAN: Thousands of people reportedly protested
recent killing of a teacher because of an ongoing feud between
two families in Hakkari's Yuksekova district.
EKSPRES / SABAH (GUNEY) / BOLGE / ZAMAN: Adana Governor Ilhan
Atis attended a program that marked the Week for Libraries at
the Provincial Public Library. Atis arrived at the venue prior
to the program, inspected the building to see if it was kept
clean and orderly, and reprimanded some officials for not
keeping the place clean.
ADANA 00000046 002 OF 002
EKSPRES: Zeki Yilmaz, Provincial Culture and Tourism
Director, said that a French company applied to them to get
permission from them to carry out a 10-billion-YTL tourism
investment.
GREEN