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 000031 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR FEBRUARY 09, 2006 
 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for February 09, 
¶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 
 
BOLGE:  Mustafa Tuncel (from AKP), Deputy Chairperson of the 
Adana Municipality City Council, said that the local press was 
scrutinizing with great attentiveness issues coming up in the 
municipalities, however, according to Tuncel, the press could be 
ignoring what might have been going on in the Governor's Office 
in Adana. 
 
ZAMAN / HURRIYET:       Court action was allegedly brought against two 
Turkish officers of the Incirlik Air Base in Adana's 8th First 
Instance Penalty Court on charges of stealing computer parts 
from a place where U.S. personnel were storing scrap material, 
and selling them to clients outside of the base. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Eleven people, whose statements were taken on 
charges of damaging a public property car during the Semdinli 
incident in November 9, 2005, have been arraigned on Tuesday. 
The court ordered arrest for six of the 11 persons in the course 
of standing trial.  The daily reported that the recent arrest of 
those people was sharply contrasted with the release of Sergeant 
Tanju Cavus who was released while standing trial on charges of 
opening fire on a demonstrating crowd following the Semdinli 
incident. 
 
EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM / ZAMAN:        Reportedly, the owner of the 
Soz TV in Diyarbakir revealed the relationship of officer Ali 
Kaya, one of the defendants of the Semdinli case arrested as he 
stood trial, and Land Forces Commander Yasar Buyukanit, and said 
as he gave his statement to the Turkish Parliamentary Commission 
Probing the Semdinli Case, that the two were allegedly building 
a villa in the Mediterranean region as partners.  Meanwhile, 
Zaman daily claimed that three intelligence offices In Turkey 
gave contradictory information to the Commission about the 
Semdinli incident.  National Security Directorate reportedly 
blamed Jandarma (National Command) in its report submitted to 
the Prime Minister.  The daily reminded remarks of Chief of the 
Security Directorate's Intelligence Office to the commission 
saying that Semdinli incident was caused by the public servants' 
local undisciplined acts.  Chief of the Jandarma Intelligence 
Office reportedly blamed the PKK as the perpetrator of the 
bombings.  And lastly, the daily reminded Hakkari Regional 
Director of MIT intelligence center as telling commission 
members that MIT was not knowledgeable about the bombings in 
Hakkari between June and November in 2005. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   A commemoration ceremony has been held in 
France's Montpellier province to remember Viya Soran, a senior 
commander of the PKK Kongra-Gel who burned herself in February 1 
in northern Iraq to protest policies pursued to "isolate" 
Abdullah Ocalan.  Menawhile, prisoners in a jail in Mus province 
said they will launch a hunger strike on the same grounds. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Police officer Hakan Acil, who was kidnapped 
by the PKK in October 9, 2005 and released towards the end of 
January 2006 (see press summary 01/30), will reportedly return 
to his job as soon as his 20-day-leave ends. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Two soldiers were allegedly killed in a 
Jandarma Battalion Command reportedly by their senior officer(s) 
two days ago.  While the Prosecutor's Office denied such 
allegations, it is alleged that authorities from the 
prosecutor's office went to the place of the battalion to 
conduct an autopsy. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Zuheyir Amber, Hatay deputy and Deputy 
National Chairperson of AKP, said that the policy of giving 
compulsory religious courses to students should be abandoned and 
Cem houses should be accepted as religious worshipping areas of 
the Alawis. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Allegedly, a 14-year-old girl has committed 
suicide in Van's Saray district yesterday evening.  An 
investigation has been started to probe the event.  Meanwhile, 
Derik Municipality of Mardin has launched a survey called "No to 
Suicides" in order to spot the causes of the problems of youth 
and women, and to analyze and address the issue of suicides. 
 
BOLGE:  Pakistan's Ambassador to Ankara came to Gaziantep 
and paid a visit to the representatives of the chambers to show 
appreciation for the chambers' support extended during the 
Pakistan earthquake.  Ambassador Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah paid 
his first visit to the Gaziantep Chamber Of Commerce.  Shah said 
during his visit that they must also explore the great potential 
for commerce between the two countries. 
 
EVRENSEL:       The daily reported that truck drivers have been 
suffering from long queues piling up at the Habur Border gate 
and low temperatures due to bad weather conditions. 
REID