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Viewing cable 06ADANA6, SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR JANUARY 03, 2006

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06ADANA6 2006-01-04 08:19 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Consulate Adana
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000006 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR JANUARY 03, 2006 
 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for January 03, 
ΒΆ2006.  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 
 
RADIKAL / HURRIYET / EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM:   Private Coskun 
Kirandi was kidnapped on the Tunceli-Pulumur road on July 11, 
2005 by PKK terrorists (see press summaries 07/12 and 13) who 
later surrendered Kirandi on August 4, 2005 to a delegation made 
up of the members of the Human Rights Association (HRA) at a 
village of Tunceli.  Investigations, which were initiated 
against the association members and the journalists who 
accompanied the delegation, were recently completed and the 
trial has begun against HRA Diyarbakir Cahirperson Selahattin 
Demirtas, HRA Regional Representative Mihdi Perincek, artist 
Ferhat Tunc, journalist-author Umut Hozatli, Tunceli 
Municipality City Council Chairperson Ozgur Soylemez, two 
journalists from DIHA (Dicle News Agency), one journalist from 
DHA (Dogan News Agency), and one journalist from AA (Anatolia 
News Agency), on grounds that the delegation and the journalists 
involved themselves in propaganda for the outlawed PKK.  The 
indictment branded the delegation to which Kirandi was submitted 
as a "so-called delegation" that was not appointed via legal 
state instruments.  The first court hearing will be held on 
March 3 in Tunceli and defendants are reportedly facing a 
maximum 3 year prison sentence. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   The daily drew attention to the early-December 
remarks of the police officer Hakan Acil, who was kidnapped on 
October 3, 2005 by PKK terrorists (see press summaries 10/11 and 
12), who said, "As it was in the case of Private Kirandi, I am 
hoping that I would be released soon through the efforts of the 
Human Rights Association." 
 
HURRIYET / EVRENSEL:    Hilmi Ozkok, Chief of Turkish General 
Staff, said that the Anti-terror Law should be updated and 
revised to reinforce its effectiveness.  Ozkok said that the 
recent amendments to the law were insufficient, and he further 
warned that recent discourse has been abusive of the concept of 
democracy and benefited the terrorists. 
 
RADIKAL / OZGUR GUNDEM: The chief doctor of the Van Centennial 
University (VCU) Medical School's Research Hospital, stating 
that recent health conditions of VCU Rector Yucel Askin were 
good, announced that the analysis that would be held tomorrow 
would determine whether Askin will be allowed to leave the 
hospital or not. 
 
RADIKAL / HURRIYET / EVRENSEL / ZGUR GUNDEM:    Ankara Health 
Institute reportedly announced that avian influenza was not 
found in a 14-year-old child who died following his transfer 
from Agri's Dogubeyazit district to the Research Hospital of 
VCU's Medical School in Van.  VCU's chief doctor announced that 
the cause of the child's death was pneumonia.  Family members of 
the child, who were hospitalized as well, were also reported as 
having contracted pneumonia.  An outbreak of avian influenza in 
poultry found in a province in proximity to the Agri province 
(see press summary 12/30), has caused rumors about a bird flu 
case to surface recently at VCU following the child's transfer. 
Relatives of the hospital's patients, who are worried because 
hospital staff members have started wearing masks, reportedly 
began leaving the hospital.  The caption of the Ozgur Gundem 
daily news article reads, "Are authorities covering up the bird 
flu incidents?"  Evernsel daily further reported the suspicious 
deaths of 15 poultry in Erzurum's Horasan district.  The state 
and municipality officers formed special teams in the district 
and started gathering the poultry from homes to slaughter them 
later. 
 
EKSPRES:        A hundred and ninety two officers from Adana's Tax 
Office conducted inspections on New Year's night at 182 
entertainment venues.  Head of the Tax Office said that the 
lesser number of fines imposed proved a better record on the 
part of Adana tax-payers. 
 
BOLGE / EKSPRES / EVRENSEL:     The daily reported the growing 
support extended for continuing protests against the decision by 
Turkey's Privatization Authority to close down Adana's state-run 
TEKEL Cigarette Factory.  Fifty members of the Basic Rights and 
Liberties Association staged a protest in front of the factory 
along with the factory workers yesterday at noon. 
 
SABAH (GUNEY) / BOLGE / EKSPRES / RADIKAL:      An arts studio 
in Adana covered some of the billboards in Adana with 
photographs of veterans of the Turkish Independence War to mark 
the occasion of the 84th anniversary of liberating Adana from 
occupying forces on January 5.  Separately, Mersin province will 
celebrate the city's liberation from enemy forces 84 years ago 
today.  Radikal daily separately reported that two teachers from 
Hatay applied to European Court of Human Rights to file a 
complaint against France, which allegedly exploited the 
resources and richness of the province during its occupation in 
1920s. 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Sakine Kiran (48), whose husband was killed in 
Mardin's Derik district (on an unspecified date), said that his 
son went abroad two years ago as a result of the oppression 
exerted by the security forces.  Sakine Kiran, who currently 
lives in Adana, complained that Jandarma officers were 
frequently coming and putting pressure on her to enable 
surrender of her son. 
 
RADIKAL / HURRIYET / EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM:   Following the 
recent remarks of Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullah Gul made 
against the 56 mayors (from Democratic Society Party) who sent a 
December 30-dated letter to the Prime Minister of Denmark to 
prevent the black-out of pro-PKK Roj-TV on grounds that their 
electoral base demanded that the broadcast of the station should 
continue, Diyarbakir Prosecutor's Office has started a probe 
against the mayors, including Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir, 
Tunceli Mayor Songul Erol Abdil, and Batman Mayor Huseyin 
Kalkan. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Diyarbakir Yenisehir district mayor Firat Anli 
warned that the growing tension among people of southeastern 
Turkey may cause "fault lines to break," and "an earthquake 
might be triggered" by the people of the region at any time. 
 
EVRENSEL:       The daily highlighted some statements from the 
recent report of the Turkish Parliament's Human Rights 
Commission (for probing honor killings) that was generated 
following the commission's latest visit to southeastern Turkey. 
According to the report, falling in love with somebody, talking 
to a man, losing one's virginity, and going out without 
obtaining permission from parents are deemed as immoral and 
unchaste actions (for women).  According to the report, 83.7 
percent of the people hold the opinion that those women who do 
not protect their chastity should be punished and women should 
act in an obedient and acquiescent manner. 
 
SABAH (GUNEY):  Gaziantep Mayor Asim Guzelbey reported on the 
services provided by the municipality in 2005 and announced new 
projects to be undertaken in 2006 in Gaziantep. 
 
HURRIYET:       The muhtar (headman) of Mersin's Karaaga village, 
his son and his nephew were reportedly ambushed and shot dead in 
a forest area by two people, who surrendered themselves to the 
Jandarma later.  The attack was reportedly caused by a dispute 
between the attackers and the headman. 
REID