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 000051 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR 20 MARCH, 2006 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for March 20, 
¶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 
 
ZAMAN/SABAH/HURRIYET/CUMHURIYET/RADIKAL: The Newroz celebrations 
organized in the East and Southeast Turkey by the Democratic 
Society Party and the Organizing Committee turned into pro-PKK 
and Ocalan demonstrations. Demonstrators chanting pro-Ocalan 
slogans in Izmir threw stones at the police intervening in the 
celebrations and broke the windows of the businesses in the 
surrounding. Police used tear gas to disburse the crowd. Police 
in Sanliurfa apprehended 35 persons, and while no incidents 
broke out in Hakkari, where permission to celebrate the Newroz 
had been granted for the first time, Molotov cocktails were 
seized in various places in the town. 
Istanbul: 150 thousand people who gathered in Zeytinburnu 
Kazlicesme Square asked for a referendum focused on accepting 
Abdullah Ocalan as their political willpower. Abdullah Ocalan's 
siter, Fatma Ocalan, also participated in the celebrations held 
under tight ground and aerial control by 4,500 police and 500 
soldiers. The Asrin Hukuk Burosu, the law firm representing 
Abdullah Ocalan, read Abdullah Ocalan's Newroz message saying 
that the Kurdish problem did not come onto the scene with PKK, 
but there had been 28 Kurdish uprisings to date and that the 
last uprising had been undertaken by PKK. The message said that 
the Kurdish issue had been kept the agenda of Turkey for eighty 
years, and that if one tenth of the initiative undertaken for 
HAMAS had been shown to this issue, it would have been resolved. 
The message said that an amnesty general should be declared and 
the terms allowing a limited political activity should be 
created and the cultural rights of the Kurds should be 
recognized. Ocalan had expressed that he would do whatever falls 
on his shoulders to ensure peoples' freedom and that he did not 
want war. The demonstrators frequently chanted slogans such as: 
"Long live leader APO" and "Tooth for tooth, Blood for blood, We 
are with you Ocalan" and "We die for your freedom." Newroz 
celebrations started with burning of the Newroz fire under very 
tight security measures in Hakkari, Batman, Sirnak, Sanliurfa, 
Hatay, Elazig, Mardin, Bursa, Kayseri, Malatya, and Sivas 
provinces. The Viransehir Mayor; Abdullah Ocalan's brother, 
Mehmet Ocalan; the PKK's military commander Murat Karayilan's 
sisters and a large group of people attended the celebrations in 
Sanliurfa. Approximately ten thousand people attended the 
celebrations in Hakkari where DTP's (Democratic Society Party) 
Co-chairman, Ahmet Turk, called for a general amnesty and truce. 
The celebrations in Mersin were peaceful but the police had to 
intervene in the unauthorized celebrations at night. 
 
ZAMAN: It is reported that many PKK militants, who have not been 
involved in criminal acts, have been trying to desert the PKK 
ranks and approximately 75 persons, mainly from the Mahmur Camp 
in Northern Iraq, have sought sanctuary with KDP and have 
voluntarily surrendered to the Turkish security officials at 
Habur border gate in the past year. According to the surrendered 
militants' depositions, there is a significant internal dispute 
between Cemil Bayik and Murat Karayilan over establishing their 
dominance in the organization. The deserters are hosted in the 
Barzani-controlled region of Suleymaniye. It is reported that 
the militants who have not been involved in criminal acts and 
surrendering to the Turkish forces voluntarily are being tried 
under article 221/2, without being detained. 
 
ZAMAN: In a written response to the CHP Kirklareli Lawmaker 
Mehmet Kesimoglu's resolution, the Interior Minister Abdulkadir 
Aksu said 1,350 terrorists had been captured either dead, 
wounded or had surrendered themselves to the security forces 
since 2003. Interior Minister Aksu said 116 outlawed 
organization members had been extradited to Turkey under the 
international security and cooperation agreements. Minister Aksu 
added that 60 militants, who had enjoyed special training, had 
been arrested in the 2004-2005 security operations and that 
5,750 organization members involved in domestic terrorist 
activities or had committed crimes in the past had been arrested 
and brought to justice. 
 
SABAH/SABAH GUNEY/YENI SAFAK/BOLGE/ULKEDE OZGUR GUNDEM/EVRENSEL: 
Newroz was celebrated under tight security measures in East and 
Southeast Turkey. While the celebrations were, in general, 
peaceful in East and Southeast, some events broke out in some 
western towns. 
Hakkari: Approximately eight thousand people attended the Newroz 
celebrations in Hakkari. The Hakkari Mayor, Metin Tekce; DTP 
members; and foreign observers from the human rights 
organizations in France and Germany attended the festivities and 
danced the local folk dances. The DTP Co-chairman, Ahmet Turk, 
lit the Newroz fire and stated that they could disarm the PKK if 
a democratic project would be put into effect. A group that 
wanted to undertake an unauthorized march disbursed shortly. In 
his bilingual speech, the Hakkari Mayor, Metin Tekce, said 
"Kurds have woken up now. Nobody should think that they could 
crush the Kurds' heads. I would sacrifice myself for you for 
this end. All over the world, solutions are found for similar 
problems with understanding and tolerance to multiculturalism. I 
hope the year 2006 will be the year of freedom for Kurds." 
Batman: The Newroz fire was lit by the DTP's Co-chairperson, 
Aysel Tugluk, and mayor Huseyin Kalkan. The exuberance of 
approximately ten thousand celebrators (Hurriyet puts the 
figures at 15 thousand) reached to its climax with Kurdish songs 
by Rojin, a Kurdish celebrity. In order not to cause any 
instigation, the police withdrew from the crowd towards the end 
of the program. 
Sanliurfa: Police intervened when the crowd tried to march and 
damage some businesses, and arrested around 27 persons in 
Sanliurfa. 
Bingol: Approximately five thousand people attended the 
festivities that started at 9:00 a.m. at three different 
locations in Bingol. Ulkede Ozgur Gundem reports that the crowd 
in Bingol demanded that Kurdish should be recognized as the 
second official language of Turkey. 
Elazig: Despite heavy rain, the Train Station Square had been 
filled up with celebrators who were entertained with Kurdish 
songs. 
Mersin: Over 25 thousand people (Sabah Guney reports that 30 
thousand people attended the meeting) attended the Newroz 
celebrations in Mersin where the Newroz fire was lit by the 
mother of Umit Gonultas, who had died during the last year's 
celebrations. The crowd frequently chanted pro-Ocalan slogans. 
 
The Diyarbakir Mayor, Osman Baydemir, and some other mayors 
accompanying him, visited the March 9, 2006 explosion-victim 
Enver Tanritanir's house in Van to pay their condolences. 
Following the visit, Mayor Baydemir told the press that a great 
bitterness had been experienced and that they wanted to share 
the family's grief and he hoped that that would be the last 
bitter event this people would suffer. 
 
EKSPRES/BOLGE/EVRENSEL: A group of NGO representatives, led by 
the Adana Human Rights Chapter, protested the Iraq War in front 
of the U.S. Consulate in Adana and demanded that Israel should 
withdraw from Palestine. At his press announcement on behalf of 
the NGOs, the secretary of the Adana HRA Chapter, Ethem 
Acikalin, said following the completion of Afghanistan's 
occupation, the United States put into action its plan to occupy 
Iraq. The group demanded closing down of the Incirlik AB and 
disbursed as they chanted slogans. 
 
ULKEDED OZGUR GUNDEM: Following ousting of Saddam Huseyin's 
regime, students from many European countries, and particularly 
from Southeastern Turkey, have turned their eyes on education 
opportunities in Northern Iraq. As a consequence of talks 
between the Kurdish Regional Authority and Turkish officials, 
despite over 1000 applications, the number of students to enroll 
at universities in Northern Iraq has been limited with 250 for 
this year. The Higher Education Committee (YOK) has determined 
to erect a school either in Suleymania or Erbil that would be 
accredited with Turkish universities. Companies affiliated with 
OYAK (Military Assistance Organization, which owns many cement 
factories, and is also the co-owner of Renault in Turkey) will 
carry out the construction of the university. Turkey has been 
insisting that the Turkomen students should be given priority 
for enrollment at schools. Many students from other Kurdish 
regions are attracted with the scholarships sponsored by the 
Kurdish Regional Authority. 
REID