This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ADANA 0036 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU IZ ADANA
SUBJECT:  SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY, 
          FEBRUARY 1-2, 2003 
 
 
¶1.  This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary 
for February 1-2, 2003.  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.  MERVAN GUL WITHDRAWS FROM SIIRT ELECTIONS 
(All papers)  Mervan Gul of AK Party has withdrawn 
from the March 9 Siirt elections.  Gul had been 
elected to the Parliament in the November 3 
elections, but lost his status as a Member of 
Parliament after the Siirt elections were 
cancelled.  Gul declared he would resign to open 
the way for AK Party leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 
"My party will make the decision regarding my 
candidacy," Erdogan said.  Milli Gazete reported 
Gul submitted a petition regarding his withdrawal 
from the March 9 Siirt elections to the Higher 
Election Council (YSK) on January 31.  According to 
Radikal newspaper, the Republican People's Party 
(CHP) has changed its list of Siirt candidates to 
attract votes of DEHAP members in Siirt.  Turkiye 
and Radikal reported the February 1 acceptance of 
Gul's resignation by YSK. 
 
 
¶3.  CONTINUED ANTI-WAR SENTIMENTS IN THE SOUTHEAST 
(Milli Gazete/Bolge)  The Adana Art Council issued 
an anti-war handbill declaration "Let There Not Be 
Wars."  Representatives of various NGO's had signed 
the declaration.  The declaration read:  "There are 
efforts to re-draw paintings of blood and horror 
over Iraqi territories.  Turkey and its neighbor 
Iraq is being pulled toward a catastrophe during 
which hundreds of people will die, children will 
become orphans, and families broken.  We want 
neither this nor another war.  We believe that it 
is possible for humanity, which is able to reason 
and talk, to solve its problems by way of 
understanding and compromise."  The Diyarbakir 
Democratic Youth Platform held a press conference 
during which it declared it would stand against the 
possible U.S.-led war in Iraq.  Evrensel reported 
Adana merchants, including a Turkish veteran of the 
Korean War, objected to fighting on the same side 
with the U.S.  According to Milli Gazete, the nine- 
person Oral family of Iskenderun (Hatay) declared 
they would serve as human shields during any 
possible U.S.-led war in Iraq.  Edip Oral, father 
of former President Suleyman Demirel's adopted 
daughter, is known for his anti-war struggle in the 
region. 
 
 
¶4.  TROOPS DISPATCHED TO IRAQI BORDER 
(Evrensel)  Many soldiers and village guards 
affiliated with the Van Regiment Command have been 
dispatched to the Iraqi border within the framework 
of a possible U.S.-led operation against Iraq.  A 
convoy of 100 vehicles, including ambulances, left 
for Semdinli (Hakkari).  Turkiye and Sabah reported 
the dispatch by train of 800 soldiers from the 
(Istanbul-based) First Army to the Iraqi border. 
 
 
¶5.  FIRST TENTS ALONG IRAQI BORDER 
(Hurriyet)  Turkey is trying to prevent a possible 
Iraq operation, while it continues to take measures 
against a possible influx of refugees in the event 
of war.  Soldiers and village guards, together with 
Red Crescent Society officials, have begun to set 
up tents in Silopi (Sirnak) two kilometers away 
from the Iraqi border.  Some military units have 
also been transferred to open fields along the 
border, with soldiers settling in tents and 
barracks hidden among trees.  Leaves of public 
employees likely to be used in the event of a war 
have been suspended.  Tents were set up on January 
31 in Silopi, where the number of these tents is 
expected to reach 1,000 in the upcoming days.  The 
tents reportedly accommodate 5-6 people each.  An 
exercise is also scheduled for February 5 in 
preparation for a possible wave of refugees. 
 
 
¶6.  CHP LEADER BAYKAL IN PULUMUR (TUNCELI) 
(Turkiye)  Deniz Baykal, leader of the Republican 
People's Party (CHP), traveled to Pulumur (Tunceli) 
on January 31 for inspections in the earthquake 
area.  Answering journalists' questions on Cyprus 
and Iraq, Baykal criticized government policies. 
Cumhuriyet cited Baykal as saying that Turkey would 
suffer due to a possible Iraq war.  "There is 
neither a legal, nor political nor ethical basis 
for this war," Baykal argued. 
 
 
¶7.  GOVERNORS' CIRCULAR 
(Turkiye/Hurriyet/Milliyet/Sabah)  President Ahmet 
Necdet Sezer approved a circular regarding the 
appointment of 88 governors across the country. 
Under the circular, the State of Emergency (OHAL) 
Regional Governor, Gokhan Aydiner, was appointed 
the National Security Director, while National 
Security Director Kemal Onal was appointed Adana 
Governor.  Nusret Miroglu is the new Diyarbakir 
Governor.  The outgoing Governors of Adiyaman, 
Bingol, Bitlis, Diyarbakir, Mersin, Kahramanmaras, 
Malatya, Mus, Tunceli, Van, Sirnak, and Kilis have 
been transferred to Ankara. 
 
 
¶8.  EIGHTEEN ARRESTEES RELEASED IN IDIL (SIRNAK) 
(Evrensel)  Eighteen of the 33 people arrested 
following the January 27 attack on the Idil 
(Sirnak) district Infantry Border Battalion were 
arraigned in a local court after four days of 
interrogation.  The court released the 18 
arrestees; the other 15 are still in custody. 
Also, the Diyarbakir chapter of the Human Rights 
Association (HRA) issued its report regarding 
operations launched after the attack.  The report 
referred to such rights abuses as torture, home 
searches without permission, prolonged detention of 
arrestees, as well as refusal of permission for 
arrestees to sleep or meet with their relatives and 
attorneys, and refusal of food and drinks. 
 
 
¶9.  AK PARTY MARDIN DISTRICT OFFICE BOMBED 
(Evrensel)  A Molotov cocktail was thrown at the 
Kiziltepe (Mardin) chapter of the Justice and 
Development Party (AKP).  The explosion resulted in 
a fire that caused damage amounting to TL 15 
billion (approx. USD 9,100).  Firemen put out the 
fire, while an operation is underway to find the 
assailants. 
 
 
¶10.  MERSIN MHP DISTRICT CHAPTER PRESIDENT WOUNDED 
(Turkiye/Bolge)  A man named Recep Ermis shot 
Gursel Aydin, President of the Nationalist Movement 
Party (MHP) district chapter in Mut (Mersin).  The 
assailant shot Aydin in the leg, for an unknown 
reason, in front of the MHP building on January 31. 
Following the incident, Ermis was arrested. 
 
 
¶11.  PRO-OCALAN HUNGER STRIKES CONTINUE 
Evrensel reported continued hunger strikes in 
protest of the isolation of jailed KADEK/PKK leader 
Abdullah Ocalan over the past nine weeks.  Van 
police intervened to disperse a group of 300 high 
school students protesting Ocalan's isolation and 
arrested many of them.  Pro-Ocalan protests were 
also held in Batman, Diyarbakir, Sanliurfa, Siirt 
and Hakkari.  Attorney Sezgin Tanrikulu, President 
of the Diyarbakir Bar Association, issued a joint 
statement by the presidents of Bar Associations in 
the East and Southeast.  The statement 
characterized isolation of prisoners and inmates 
and refusal for them to meet with their attorneys 
and relatives as "unlawful."  Amnesty Internation 
demanded the removal of isolation imposed on 
Ocalan. 
 
 
¶12.  RADIO OFFICIAL UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR KURDISH 
     BROADCASTING 
(Evrensel)  Sabri Ejder Ozic, Director of Adana's 
Radio Dunya, was summoned to the Adana Prosecutor's 
Office for his station's airing of Kurdish-language 
programs.  Ozic said the radio had broadcast the 
programming due to local demand but then ended it 
out of its own accord.  Ozic added that the station 
had been previously closed for having aired 
Kurdish-language music. 
 
 
¶13.  COURT APPROVAL FOR PERFORMANCE OF CHILDREN'S 
     THEATER 
(Cumhuriyet)  The children's play "Bookworms," 
which had been banned due to a lack of Installation 
Security Certificate, was performed in Gaziantep 
with permission from the Administrative Court. 
Ankara Unity Theater Director Gun Goker announced 
having staged the play previously in 19 other 
provinces.  He added that his theater was staging 
children's plays in nearly all Eastern and 
Southeastern provinces every year.  The Gaziantep 
ban had stemmed from a lack of a closed-circuit 
camera system in the hall. 
 
 
¶14.  BATMAN INMATES MIGHT BE TRANSFERRED TO OTHER 
     PROVINCES 
(Evrensel)  In an effort to decrease the number of 
inmates in the Batman Prison, prison officials 
circulated an announcement foreseeing the transfer 
of some of the inmates to other provinces. 
Presently, there are over 500 inmates in the 250- 
person prison.  Thus far, only four of the inmates 
have agreed to be transferred to other provinces. 
Officials noted that inmates were reluctant to move 
because their families are all in Batman. 
 
 
¶15.  FOUR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED IN RURAL 
     HAKKARI 
(Turkiye)  According to the Hakkari Governor's 
Office, security forces acting on a tip arrested 
four Afghans who had illegally crossed into Turkey. 
The arrests were made during a search of several 
homes in Yuksekova (Hakkari).  Two Turks in whose 
homes the illegal immigrants were arrested were 
also arrested. 
¶16.  VAN GOGH PAINTING IN ADANA 
(Bolge/Hurriyet)  According to the Adana Security 
Directorate, during a sting operation, Anti- 
Smuggling and Organized Crime teams arrested three 
people looking for customers for a stolen Van Gogh 
painting smuggled into Turkey through Iraq.  The 
painting was confiscated.  The painting bears seals 
from Paris and Moscow art museums. 
ECONOMIC AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS 
-------------------------------------- 
 
 
¶17.  SE BUSINESS LEADERS CALL FOR SOLUTION TO 
     ECONOMIC PROBLEMS 
Evrensel reported that the economic crisis, which 
reached a peak during the government of Bulent 
Ecevit, continues to affect merchants, farmers, and 
the public.  Hakkari residents call for measures to 
help reduce unemployment and expedite village 
returns.  Mersin businessmen want due importance 
attached to the province's marine transportation. 
Gaziantep-based Sanko Holding Company President 
Abdulkadir Konukoglu characterized 2002 as a year 
of stagnation due to the economic crisis and 
parliamentary elections, with industries declining 
for the past three-four months.  Unemployment 
remains Turkey's major problem, he added. 
 
 
¶18.  "POSSIBILITY OF WAR HAS NEGATIVELY AFFECTED 
      INVESTMENTS" 
(Turkiye/Milli Gazete)  Saban Bas, President of the 
Adana Chamber of Commerce (ACOC), voiced opposition 
to a possible U.S.-led war in Iraq, saying, "The 
possibility of a war has negatively impacted 
investments in the region."  When he looked up in 
the sky, he wanted to see cargo planes with export 
products and factories whose chimneys are smoking, 
not war planes, he said.  Bas, together with ACOC 
members, went to the province's Organized 
Industrial Zone to inspect developments there and 
receive information from officials.  Currently, 167 
factories are operational and 85 others are under 
construction at the zone.  Another 110 new 
factories are at the planning stage. 
 
 
¶19.  GIZERLER CORPORATION INAUGURATES SHOPPING 
     CENTER 
(Sabah/Hurriyet)  Adana's Gizerler Corporation 
inaugurated  a multi-storey shopping center on 
Turhan Cemal Beriker Boulevard in Adana.  Adana 
Governor Oguz Kagan Koksal, Seyhan (Adana) Mayor 
Yildiray Arikan, Security Director Huseyin Capkin, 
Adana Chamber of Commerce President Saban Bas 
attended the inauguration. 
 
 
¶20.  LAY-OFFS IN ADANA 
(Bolge)  Yusuf Yurekli, Regional Representative of 
the Confederation of the Revolutionary Workers' 
Unions (DISK), said a total of 12,286 private 
sector employees, all members of DISK, TURK-IS and 
HAK-IS labor unions, were laid off in 2002 due to 
the economic crisis.  TURK-IS Regional 
Representative Huseyin Elbek said lay-offs mostly 
took place in the textile, metal, food and public 
service sectors. 
HOLTZ