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 000017 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR JANUARY 19, 2006 
 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for January 19, 
¶2006.  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 
 
CUMHURIYET / RADIKAL / ZAMAN / HURRIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM / YENI 
SAFAK:  The Hakkari Heavy Penalty Court that held its first 
hearing yesterday in the case of Sergeant Tanju Cavus, who was 
accused of killing one person when he allegedly opened fire at a 
demonstrating crowd following the November 9 Semdinli incident 
in 2005 (see press summary 01/18), overturned the plea demanding 
that the case should be linked to the case of the November 9 
Semdinli bombing.  The court decided to release Cavus while he 
stood trial. Ozgur Gundem daily brands this court decision as an 
attempt to cover the alleged "organized crime network" rooted in 
the state structure. 
 
ZAMAN / CUMHURIYET / RADIKAL:   According to Cumhuriyet daily, 
Selim Akyildiz, Head of the Anti-Terror Branch, provided very 
little information to the Turkish Parliamentary Commission 
Probing the Semdinli Case.  Akyildiz told the commission that 
their presence in Semdinli during the November 9 incident was a 
mere coincidence.  Akyildiz had reportedly been in Semdinli 
between November 8 and 12 as part of a trip to study the 
situation in various districts including Semdinli, Yuksekova and 
Hakkari; however, they were stuck in their location in Semdinli 
following the outbreak of the incident.  Radikal daily quoted 
the statements of the Deputy Head of the National Security 
Directorate's Intelligence Office to the commission as saying 
that it would be illogical for a terrorist organization to carry 
out those bombings in Semdinli and Yuksekova. 
 
YENI SAFAK / RADIKAL / ZAMAN / OZGUR GUNDEM:    A two-year-old 
daughter of a family in Mus's Kiyibasi village reportedly died 
fifteen days ago and the family now suspects that the girl died 
because of the rooster the family cooked and ate before the 
death of their daughter.  The family members have been 
hospitalized in Mus's State Hospital and Diyarbakir's Dicle 
University Hospital. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   The daily reported that many dead birds in Van 
have not been properly collected by the officials and the local 
people are improperly putting the carcasses in plastic bags and 
burying them under snow; a method that would reportedly cause 
more serious problems. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Co-chairpersons of Democratic Society Party 
(DTP) made a press announcement together with 56 mayors of the 
southeastern region in Turkey about confinement of Abdullah 
Ocalan in a cell in prison for 20 days (see press summary 
01/18).  DTP made a call to the government and urged it not to 
further strain the already tense situation in the region.  The 
daily separately noted that attorneys of Ocalan went to the 
Imrali Island, where Ocalan's solitary prison is located, to 
meet with their client.  Hoewever, it is not yet known whether 
the attorneys were able to see him or not.  Meanwhile, a 
26-year-old inmate in a prison in Adana, who burned himself to 
protest the confinement of Ocalan five days ago, received severe 
burns and was hospitalized. 
 
ZAMAN:  The daily reported that confinement of Abdullah 
Ocalan to his cell ended today. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Higher Election Board announced the names of 
the political parties which are currently eligible to compete in 
a national election contest.  Reportedly, DTP and a few other 
parties have still not met the requirements to become qualified 
as a political party; therefore, DTP would not be able to take 
part in an election if an election was held today.  DTP Deputy 
Co-Chairperson said that their party was a brand new one, and it 
would be able to complete all the required processes until fall 
¶2006. 
 
ZAMAN / CUMHURIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM:      A large-scale operation has 
been started by the Turkish military forces against 350 PKK 
terrorists in Tunceli.  The operation is reportedly being 
supported by air forces as well. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Police and security officers from Riot Police 
and Jandarma conducted raids on the houses of four DTP members 
in Siirt.  Police reportedly said that these raids came as a 
result of police suspecting these people. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Human Rights Association (HRA) and Mazlum-Der 
(Association for Solidarity for Human Rights and Oppressed 
People) decided to form a joint delegation that would set off 
before weekend arrives to save Hakan Acil, a police officer who 
was kidnapped on December 9, 2005 by the PKK/Kongra-Gel members 
(see press summary 12/09 of 2005). 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   According to the daily, the European Court of 
Human Rights' decision to refer cases concerning damages 
incurred by people due to terror activities and counter-terror 
measures on grounds that internal judicial mechanisms to resolve 
such cases have been established in Turkey, have been met with 
skepticism by NGO's in southeastern Turkey. 
REID