VZCZCXRO7755
RR RUEHDA
DE RUEHDA #0112 2690528
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 260528Z SEP 07
FM AMCONSUL ADANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4609
INFO RUEUITH/AFOSI DET 521 ANKARA TU
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1154
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 1000
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEILB/NCTC WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/AFOSI DET 522 INCIRLIK AB TU
RUETIAA/DIRNSA FT MEADE MD
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 1212

UNCLAS ADANA 000112 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR SEPTEMBER 25, 2007 
 
¶1.      This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for 
September 25, 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.      BOLGE:  Selahattin Demirtas, Deputy of the Chairperson 
of the DTP Group at Parliament, harshly criticized AKP Deputy 
National Chairperson Dengir Mir Mehmet Firat, claiming Firat was 
pursuing policies in favor of keeping the terrorists fighting in 
the mountains instead of trying to bring them back to the fold 
of ordinary civilian life. 
 
¶3.      EKSPRES:        A controversial proposal to build a hotel in a 
forested area of was ultimately turned down by Adana Mayor Aytac 
Durak after local media campaigned against it for environmental 
reasons. 
 
¶4.      EVRENSEL: Members of the BAK group (Global Peace and 
Justice Commission) in western Izmir province filed a suit with 
the Council of State demanding closure of Incirlik Airbase in 
Adana, a reported logistic support staging area for the Iraq 
war. 
 
¶5.      ZAMAN / EVRENSEL:       Sixth Heavy Penalty Court of Diyarbakir 
sentenced two clergymen to ten months in prison for writing and 
publicly reading a poem lauding the PKK on the eve of Ramazan 
last year.  The poem also called on the PKK to issue a 
ceasefire, reports the daily. 
 
        SECURITY 
 
¶6.      BOLGE:          Security personnel killed a terrorist in a 
conflict that erupted in Sirnak's Beytussebap district. 
 
¶7.      ZAMAN:  Terrorists detonated a mine as a cargo train 
was traveling on the railroad between Elazig and Bitlis's Tatvan 
district.  Four personnel sustained minor injuries. 
 
 
 
        CULTURE / SOCIETY / ENVIRONMENT 
 
¶8.      HURRIYET (CUKUROVA) / SABAH (GUNEY):    A 130-centimeter 
relief sculpture was excavated on Duluk (Doliche), Gaziantep. 
The relief depicts Jupiter Dolichenus, god of the heavens in 
Asia Minor, together with his wife Iuno Regina as they are 
offering gifts to the gods. 
 
¶9.      HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):    Well-known U.S. action star Chuck 
Norris visited the Incirlik Air Base in Adana, speaking with 
airmen at the base and signing autographs. 
 
¶10.     HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):    AKP Diyarbakir Provincial party 
organization hosted an iftaar dinner for a group of successful 
students in the province.  The party will give iftaar dinners to 
a total of 80 primary school students throughout the month of 
Ramazan. 
 
¶11.     SABAH (GUNEY):  Mustafa Attaroglu, AKP Adana Provincial 
Chairman, held an iftaar dinner with members of the youth branch 
of the party organization.  Attaroglu said during the dinner 
young people were the driving force of the party during the 
elections. 
 
¶12.     HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):    Erhan Ekinci, Rector of the newly 
built university in Kilis (7 Aralik University), solicited 
support from local businessmen for the university. 
 
GREEN