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 0407 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU IZ ADANA
SUBJECT:  SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY, 
          NOVEMBER 30-DECEMBER 1, 2002 
 
 
¶1.  This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for 
November 30-December 1, 2002.  Please note that 
Turkish press reports often contain errors or 
exaggerations; AmConsulate Adana does not vouch for 
the accuracy of the reports summarized here. 
 
 
POLITICS, SECURITY, HUMAN RIGHTS 
-------------------------------- 
 
 
¶2.  OHAL ENDS IN DIYARBAKIR AND SIRNAK 
(Hurriyet/Radikal/Sabah/Turkiye/Bolge)  The fifteen- 
year-old State of Emergency (OHAL) was lifted in 
Diyarbakir and Sirnak on November 30.  Between 1,000 
and 2,000 people, mostly youths, gathered to celebrate 
OHAL's abolition by dancing to the tunes of folk 
songs, burning sparklers and shouting slogans in 
support of peace, democracy, freedom and PKK leader 
Abdullah Ocalan.  Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu 
paid a last visit to Diyarbakir prior to the 
abolition.  Aksu said the administration returned to 
normal in the region and added studies continued to 
come up with new applications regarding the status of 
village guards.  Evrensel reported that, regarding 
changes to take place in the region following the 
abolition of OHAL, Diyarbakir Bar Association 
President Sezgin Tanrikulu displayed a "Let's wait and 
see" attitude, noting that the Provincial 
Administration Law had changed all of Turkey into an 
OHAL.  Cumhuriyet reported the Diyarbakir Democracy 
Platform formed by 46 NGO's, political parties, 
professional chambers and labor unions celebrated the 
lifting of OHAL in a meeting held at the Municipal 
Theater Hall by applauding and cheering.  The paper 
indicated 33,070 people have lost their lives in the 
region since 1984. 
 
 
¶3.  HRA REPORT ON MISSING MUS MAN 
(Evrensel)  A Human Rights Association (HRA) 
delegation issued a report following their 
investigation of the disappearance of Varto (Mus) 
resident Siddik Kaya after he had left home to meet 
with local Jandarma official Celal San.  The report 
said there were efforts to present the incident as an 
ordinary judicial incident, but noted relations 
between Kaya and San were not judicial and simple 
relations.  The report stressed there was serious 
evidence confirming Kaya's disappearance in custody. 
Kaya's father, Tekdemir Kaya, suspects San of having 
handed Kaya over to the Kartal family as the suspected 
murderer of Ahmet Kartal. 
 
 
¶4.  PKK SUSPECT RELEASED 
(Evrensel)  Van State Security Court ordered the 
release of Sabahattin Ozmen, arrested in Istanbul in 
1999 and then ordered to remain in custody for 
"membership in the PKK," based on information from 
(PKK) informants arrested in Tatvan (Bitlis) in 1993. 
The court is awaiting a medical report from the 
Forensic Medical Department saying if Ozmen is sane or 
not. 
 
 
¶5.  DEHAP OFFICIAL ACQUITTED 
(Evrensel)  Hakkari Felony Court acquitted Democratic 
People's Party (DEHAP) Hakkari provincial chairman 
Musa Ciftci, charged with violation of Article 159/1 
of the Turkish Criminal Code by "criticizing the court 
via press."  The charges stemmed from Ciftci's holding 
a press conference to criticize the detention of 
People's Democracy Party (HADEP) Hakkari provincial 
chairman Sebahattin Suvagci in February 2002. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ECONOMIC AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS 
-------------------------------------- 
¶6.  ADANA DELEGATION LOBBYING FOR EU 
(Milliyet)  A Mediterranean Exporters Union (MEU) 
delegation, led by MEU President Tarik Bozbey, met 
with contacts in Brussels, where (EU) Bi-lateral 
Commercial Relations Director Lee Bail and OECD 
Director Joan Jean met the delegation.  In Brussels, 
Bozbey and his delegation talked about the results of 
the (November 3) parliamentary elections held in 
Turkey and Turkey's EU bid. 
 
 
¶7.  A WHITE LIE SAVES MARDIN 
(Sabah)  Mardin Residents Education and Solidarity 
Foundation (MAREV) President Ibrahim Ozlen's "UNESCO 
will declare Mardin a world province after Venice and 
Jerusalem" statement in 2000 has had effects of a 
magic touch on the historic province, which had been 
neglected for years.  This statement has been the 
salvation of Mardin, where the value of historic homes 
rose to USD 200,000 and the number of visitors jumped 
from several thousand to 150,000 people.  Ozlen 
explains the reason for this lie:  "We were not able 
to attract the attention of the press or anyone else 
no matter what we did.  Everyone claimed ownership 
over and supported my lie.  Even State officials 
believed it." 
HOLTZ