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 ADANA 00000050 002 OF 002 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