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 000035 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR FEBRUARY 14, 2006 
 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for February 14, 
¶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 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Iran government administration reportedly took 
health precautions against bird flu in its border area with 
Turkey. 
 
CUMHURIYET / ZAMAN / OZGUR GUNDEM / SABAH / RADIKAL:    Following 
Forensic Medicine Authority's (FMA) confirmation that some of 
the bones found in the mass graves in Diyarbakir's Kulp district 
(see press summary 02/13) belonged to two of the 11 villagers 
who disappeared during the military operations of 1994, Sezgin 
Tanrikulu, Chairperson of Diyarbakir Bar Association, said that 
an effective investigation process should be reopened to probe 
the case and the prosecutor must file a complaint against Bolu 
Commando Brigade.  Ozgur Gundem clarified the fact that DNA 
tests on the bones of (only) two of the 11 people have been 
confirmed by FMA as matching with the samples taken from their 
families (see press summary 02/13).  Reyahan Yalcindag, Deputy 
National Chairperson of the Human Rights Association, noted 
that, despite families of the villagers having received 
compensation from the Euopean Court (on an unspecified date), 
the perpetrators of the incident have not been found yet.  Sabah 
daily reported Sezgin Tanrikulu's claims that separately 11 
people also disappeared in the same area. 
 
ZAMAN / CUMHURIYET:     Van Yuzuncu Yil University Rector Yucel 
Askin paid a visit to the national headquarters of the IP 
(Worker's Party) and met the General Secretary, Ferit Ilsever, 
to extend his appreciation to the party administrators for their 
interest in his case. 
 
ZAMAN / HURRIYET / SABAH:       Funeral of Kani Yilmaz, who was 
killed in a car bomb in Iraq's Suleymaniyah province (see press 
summary 02/13), has been held at Sanliurfa's Ceylanpinar 
district in Turkey. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   The daily reported that, as February 15 drew 
close (see press summary 02/13), tanks of the Sirnak Cannon 
Battalion have started cruising in the streets of Sirnak's Cizre 
district following yesterday's protest activities reportedly to 
"intimidate" people.  Meanwhile, PKK's chief headquarters 
denounced February 15 which marked the 7th anniversary of 
Abdullah Ocalan's arrest and his bringing back to Turkey by 
authorities.  PKK reportedly made a call to the people to 
"boycott a life that was going on without Abdullah Ocalan." 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Abdullah Ocalan's hand-written petition asking 
for opening of his retrial process has been received by Ankara's 
11th Heavy Penalty Court. 
 
HURRIYET / SABAH:       Fourteen people have been wounded as a result 
of a blast caused by a bomb left in an Istanbul supermarket 
which belonged to an AKP (Justice and Development Party) deputy. 
 PKK claimed responsibility for the incident. 
 
HURRIYET / SABAH:       An avalanche took place on a road between 
Tunceli and Erzincan provinces.  Teams have started efforts to 
clear the snow covered road.  The authorities announced that no 
information has been received as to whether any car has been 
buried under the huge avalanche which reportedly caused a 
20-meter-high wall of snow. 
 
SABAH:  PM Erdogan, bothered by the crisis triggered by his 
uttering slang words to a protesting farmer during a chance 
meeting in Mersin with the angry farmer, reportedly told the 
ministers in a council meeting, "I was taken unawares and could 
not control my nerves when the farmer spoke in an arrogant 
manner despite that I was the one to let him (the farmer) come 
near and speak his mind." 
 
SABAH:  Osman Ocalan, brother of Abdullah Ocalan, reportedly 
had a heart attack in the northern Iraq.  Ocalan was 
hospitalized in Iraq's Arbil province. 
 
SABAH:  Istanbul's Bilgi University will hold a conference 
between March 11 and 12 under the following topic: "Turkey's 
Kurdish Issue, and Exploring Ways to Solve the Issue through 
Civil and Democratic Means." 
 
SABAH:  Istanbul's Beyoglu First Instance Court solicited 
counseling from the Istanbul Kurdish Institute in a January 
2006-dated letter about the meaning of a Kurdish word, which 
meant "Revolution" in English.  Reportedly, a person applied to 
the court to change his name as "Sores" in Kurdish. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Serious shortage of teachers in southeastern 
Turkey has reportedly been gravely affecting children's school 
life.  1,300 teachers are needed only for schools in the Mus 
province. 
REID