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

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ADANA 0101 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU IZ ADANA
SUBJECT:  SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY, 
          APRIL 09, 2003 
 
 
¶1.  This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary 
for April 09, 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. 
 
 
POLITICAL, SECURITY, HUMAN RIGHTS 
 
 
¶2.  Cumhuriyet: It is reported that KDP leader 
Mesut Barzani has been directing Turkomen 
refugees to Turkey, in an effort to influence 
northern Iraq's demographics in favor of the 
Kurds. It is claimed that Barzani, in order not 
to give Turkey a chance to penetrate into 
Northern Iraq, has been keeping the Kurds who 
would like pass into Turkey in northern Iraq by 
force of arms. 
 
 
¶3.  Bolge: Adana affiliates of the Turkish 
Transportation-Union left a black wreath at US 
Consulate Adana yesterday. Around 20 
demonstrators holding flags and banners gathered 
across from the Consulate, where police had taken 
stringent security measures. The crowd shouted 
slogans such as "Oil is magnificent; Saddam is a 
pretext," "No to war," and "Damn America." 
Holding a press conference at the scene, the 
President of the Adana chapter of the union, 
Orhan Yavuz, said that the US was testing out its 
weaponry on the people of Iraq. He urged 
consumers and shopkeepers not to buy US and 
Jewish products, because each penny they 
(Americans and Jews) made from such trade 
returned to them as bullets, tanks, missiles, 
bombs, and chemical weapons. 
 
 
¶4.  Evrensel: Adana DEHAP will hold its 3rd 
Ordinary Convention on April 19, 2003. DEHAP's 
Provincial Chairman, Mehmet Cancelik, said 
priority should be given to resolving the Kurdish 
and Palestinian issues in a fair, democratic, and 
peaceful manner in order to bring lasting peace 
and order to the Middle East. 
 
 
¶5.  Cumhuriyet: The "Coordination Center" planned 
to be established between Turkey, the US, and 
northern Iraqi groups has not become operational 
yet. It is reported that the Kurdish groups and 
the Turkomen have each reported to Washington and 
Ankara two names designated for the unit, and 
Turkey has been considering "a retired soldier" 
and a diplomat for the slots. Should Washington 
give the nod to formation of the "Coordination 
Center" this week, then the representatives will 
be able to congregate in Silopi next week. Their 
activities will be restricted to migration, 
humanitarian relief, and resolution of possible 
disputes between factions. 
 
 
¶6.  Milliyet: With completion of the mission of 
ONW, which was first set up at Incirlik AFB right 
after the 1991 Gulf War, all of the planes 
deployed at the base for that purpose have now 
left Turkey. 
 
 
¶7.  Milliyet: The port of Mersin is being 
evacuated by the US. A Spanish flag-carrier 
freighter docked at Mersin port to take back 
military and medical equipment, as well as some 
86 containers of humanitarian relief, all of 
which had been unloaded at the port some time 
ago. 
 
 
¶8.  Cumhuriyet/Evrensel: The Americans are 
continuing to send the equipment at bases in 
Mardin to Iskenderun port and Incirlik AFB. The 
lease term for Iskenderun port has been extended 
until April 18 for an additional USD 2 million. 
Facilities rented in Kiziltepe by the US were 
turned over to the owners. In Nusaybin, the 
President of Merchants and Craftsmen Association 
said they were trying to complete the 
construction of the Industrial Zone with the 
money they earned from the US for rent; the US 
left the bases in Nusaybin some time ago. In 
Sirnak, 47 reporters from various news agencies - 
- including TRT, Star, IHA, Show-TV, Channel 7, 
Channel D, Yeni Safak, NTV, CHA, STV, and BBC -- 
filed petitions through the Press Center set up 
in Cizre with the Sirnak Governorate and the 
Cizre Sub-Governorate to facilitate working 
conditions in the region. In their petitions, the 
reporters demanded to be allowed to work without 
hindrance along the Sirnak-Hakkari line that 
forms the border with northern Iraq, as well as 
to be allowed to cross into northern Iraq via the 
Habur Border Gate in order to observe the 
humanitarian relief and refugee conditions in 
northern Iraq. Currently Habur Border gate has 
been sealed off and some regions have been 
declared a "special military zone." 
 
 
¶9.  Cumhuriyet: Because of increased military 
activity in northern Iraq, Turkey has put out the 
alarm for a possible wave of refugees. Following 
the accord made with Secretary of State Powell 
concerning relief assistance to Iraq, some 500 
tons of foodstuffs were brought to Dohuk by 20 
Turkish trucks. The UN also purchased 6,244 tons 
of flour from Turkey. Foodstuffs for 25,000 
people -- along with tents, blankets, and mobile 
kitchens for 50,000 people -- were dispatched to 
Silopi, which has been designated as the 
Humanitarian Assistance Coordination Center in 
Turkey. Foodstuffs that would suffice for 100,000 
people are being kept in Turkish Red 
Crescent(Kizilay) warehouses.  Some 30 Turkish 
deputy governors who have been trained in 
humanitarian relief issues are stationed in 
Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, and Silopi. 
 
 
¶10.  Turkiye: It was announced by the Diyarbakir 
Security Directorate that three alleged PKK 
members were arrested on charges of transferring 
materiel to PKK militants in rural areas and 
harboring them. The three members of the 
organization were ordered held by the court 
following conclusion of their interrogation at 
the security directorate. 
 
 
¶11.  Turkiye: Based on a tip, jandarma arrested 
three persons in possession of historical items 
from the Urartian period (9th century BCE) in 
Malazgirt (Mus). It is reported that the market 
value of the items was somewhere between USD 150- 
180,000. The interrogation of the detainees is 
ongoing. 
¶12.  Evrensel: Distribution of magazines 
published by student organizations at Cukurova 
University (Adana) is being blocked on minor 
pretexts by the university rector, who claims 
that there should be only one publication at the 
university. Magazines freely sold in town are 
prohibited at the university. Two seniors at the 
Faculty of Philosophy who are members of the 
"Gara Writing Club" -- Nurhan Ozgun and Mustafa 
Esme -- said they probably would face 
interrogation for publishing the 2nd issue of the 
magazine titled "Gara." 
 
 
ECONOMIC AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS 
 
 
¶13.  Bolge/Turkiye/Hurriyet: A trade delegation 
from Adana set off for a four-day trip to Greece. 
The President of the Adana Chamber of Industry, 
Umit Ozgumus, said they would make every effort 
to promote cooperation between businessmen in 
both countries, and added that they benefited 
greatly from a similar visit to Syria last year. 
18 representatives from the metal-machinery 
sector, 13 from food processing, 10 from 
textiles, 10 from forest products and furniture, 
9 from cotton-ginning, 7 from construction, and 5 
from various other sectors are taking the trip, 
which is headed by the Governor of Adana, Kemal 
Onal. 
HOLTZ