SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR APRIL 05, 2007

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000050

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR APRIL 05, 2007

This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for April 05,

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

BOLGE: 'Adana Mayor Aytac Durak has once again caused
confusion' with his statements in response to questions on
whether he will run for mayorship once again in the next local
elections, reports the daily. Durak reportedly said, "I have
serious concerns and doubts over announcing candidacy in the
upcoming elections.'

SABAH (GUNEY): Following yesterday's news reports about
Adana's Karatas district mayor's persistence in refusing to
leave his seat when he faced an administrative court's verdict
declaring that the mayor's taking up office was not legitimate
since his municipality assembly membership was in a dubious
status at the time he was appointed as mayor, today the papers
report Adana Governor Ilhan Atis as saying that they will have
the court verdict enforced (see press summary for April 4).

EVRENSEL: Izzet Belge, DTP provincial chairperson in Sirnak,
criticized recent arrest of Cizre Mayor Aydin Budak (from DTP)
(see press summary for April 4) and said, "The only rival of the
current government in the southeastern region is DTP. As the
election period draws near and as our party reveals a solid
commitment to win seats in the parliament, the mounting pressure
on our party and on our mayors seems not a mere coincidence, but
a deliberate attempt to obstruct our efforts." Belge further
said that the arrest of Budak was a political decision, not a
judicial one. Meanwhile, the daily reports that people in Sirnak
were still angry over the arrest of Budak: they are holding
demonstrations in the district and they are not opening their
businesses or shops. A tent has been set up in front of the
municipality building and groups of people will reportedly stand
duty there until April 7. The mayors from DTP in Diyarbakir and
Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir came to Cizre to extend support
to Cizre people. Reportedly, nearly 3000 people welcomed the
mayors. Police took extensive security measures in the area
around the municipality.

EVRENSEL: Seferi Yilmaz, the owner of the bookstore which was
bombed on November 9, 2005 in Hakkari's Semdinli district, was
arrested ten months ago upon charges brought against him for
"being a member of the PKK." Upon petitions filed by Yilmaz's
attorneys, the court ordered two days ago that Yilmaz could be
released as he still continued to stand trial. Yilmaz, who was
released the previous day, said that he was arrested on
illegitimate grounds and he expressed concerns about threats to
his life.

SABAH: A police and some demonstrators were wounded when
Sanliurfa police intervened as a group of demonstrators
attempted to hold an unauthorized demonstration to mark the
birthday of the imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan in
Sanliurfa. The group reportedly attempted to go to the Omerli
village of Sanliura's Halfeti district where Ocalan was born,
but the police did not allow them to do so.

CUMHURIYET: An anti-U.S. and anti-NATO protest was held in Adana
yesterday by a group branding themselves as the Patriotic Front.


ECONOMY

BOLGE / SABAH (GUNEY): Motherland Party's national leader Erkan
Mumcu will participate in the meeting called "Business World and
Politics" which is organized by ADSIAD (Adana Industrialists and
Businessmen Association) and DASIFED (Federation of the Eastern
Mediterranean Industrialists and Businessmen Associations) in
Adana.

SABAH (GUNEY): Minister of Agriculture and Village Works came
to Sanliurfa to attend the opening ceremony of the AGROGAP
agricultural fair.

SECURITY

HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Mehmet Cebe, Security Director of Adana,
who retired from his position, paid farewell to his colleagues.
Following Mr. Cebe's retirement, Cemal Levent, deputy director
of the anti-terror branch, assumed responsibility as the acting

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security director of Adana.

CRIME AND LAW ENFORCEMENT

HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Police searched a small truck in Van's
Muradiye district and found 130 kilograms of hashish in the
vehicle's hidden sections. The driver of the truck has been
apprehended.

CULTURE / SOCIETY / ENVIRONMENT

CUMHURIYET: Because of the International Mine Awareness Day, the
civil society organizations and bar associations in Istanbul and
Diyarbakir made announcements and pointed out that an average of
180 people were dying or being handicapped because of
mine-related incidents. According to these organizations, one
third of the victims are children.

EKSPRES: Officials from Environmental Initiative Association
in Adana informed members of a national TV station, who were
running a reality show program, about environmental concerns
over the alleged dumping, by officials from Incirlik Air Base,
of asbestos-laden debris created when 70 villa type houses on
the base were recently demolished. The debris was allegedly
disposed in a landfill area called Sofulu in Adana. The team
from the TV station conducted extensive research and verified
the allegations about the air-base-related environmental issue.

SABAH (GUNEY): Syriacs in Mardin celebrated their Spring
Festival with joy on April 1. Many of the Syriacs living around
the world came to Mardin to celebrate the occasion.
GREEN