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 000053 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR MARCH 17, 2006 
 
 
¶1.      This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for March 
17, 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 
 
¶2.      ZAMAN:  A bomb attack took place in front of the HSBC 
bank in Diyarbakir.  Separately, four terrorists were reportedly 
caught as they were attempting to launch activities in Batman. 
According to the daily, security measures have been heightened 
in the provinces and city centers.  Anti-terror branch directors 
of thirty provinces gathered in Sanliurfa to discuss the death 
commando teams of the PKK.  Meanwhile, Minister of Interior, 
Abdulkadir Aksu, went to Batman to conduct local studies.  Aksu 
met with the Batman Governor and the Security Director and 
extended condolences to the family members of the victims of the 
March 6 bomb attack in Batman. 
 
¶3.      BOLGE / EKSPRES:        Jean Dunn, Australian Ambassador to 
Ankara, paid a courtesy visit to the Municipality of Adana and 
met with deputy mayor Aytac Bilgen. 
 
¶4.      CUMHURIYET / YENI SAFAK / OZGUR GUNDEM: As Newruz 
celebrations drew near, NGOs and business associations in 
Diyarbakir made a joint press announcement in the conference 
hall of the Diyarbakir Chamber of Commerce (COC).  Kutbettin 
Arzu, Chairperson of Diyarbakir COC, expressed on behalf of the 
civil society members their concern over the increasing violence 
that has been hindering investments in the region, and causing 
further unemployment and impoverishment. 
 
¶5.      OZGUR GUNDEM / YENI SAFAK / ZAMAN:      DTP Siirt provincial 
party organization invited PM Erdogan to the Newruz celebrations 
that will be held in the hometown of Mr. Erdogan's wife in Siirt 
on March 19.  Siirt is also the province where Erdogan emerged 
as the winner of 2003 by-elections which paved the way for him 
to become the Prime Minister of Turkey. A Kars court overturned 
an appeal of a prosecutor to seize Kurdish invitations involving 
the letters "w" and "o" and using a non-Turkish word for the 
"Newruz" event.  The invitations were prepared by Mahmut Alinak, 
DTP Kars Provincial Chairperson.  Ozgur Gundem daily reported 
that court's decision will serve as an example for similar cases 
that may come up.  Meanwhile, Kars Governor's Office has 
reportedly not yet responded to Newruz Committee's application 
to hold the Newruz celebrations.  A Newruz fire has been lit in 
Sanliurfa Eyubiye quarter and 200 people reportedly participated 
in this event. 
 
¶6.      OZGUR GUNDEM:   Turkish military has reportedly been 
extending the scope of the military operation it launched in 
Siirt's Pervari district which has been going on for about one 
week.  115 military vehicles will reportedly be deployed in the 
operation area.  Meanwhile military units have reportedly been 
establishing temporary military points in a section of Pervari 
district. 
 
¶7.      CUMHURIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM:      Despite reported past 
remarks of PM Erdogan saying "Semdinli people cannot be held 
witnesses of the incidents (since they were reportedly being 
oppressed by the PKK)," Van Third Heavy Penalty Court decided to 
take statements of the witnesses at the site of the Semdinli 
incident.  A delegation of the jurors will go to Semdinli to 
hear statements from 44 witnesses.  Cumhuriyet daily noted that 
the court will also hear statements of Mehmet Ali Altindag, 
owner of Soz TV, who previously made statements to the 
parliamentary commission where he made charges against Land 
Force Commander Yasar Buyukanit.  The daily notes that Altindag 
has been awarded many public tenders in the past in the 
provinces in southeastern region and in the Bolu province. 
 
¶8.      OZGUR GUNDEM:    Tunceli Mayor Songul Erol Abdil filed a 
complaint with the prosecutor's office because of a letter she 
received that made threatening remarks against Abdil and the 
Kurdish people.  The letter was reportedly sent from a post 
office in Elazig and expressed intolerbly insulting remarks and 
threatening statements, said Abdil. 
 
¶9.      CUMHURIYET / RADIKAL / OZGUR GUNDEM:    The Semdinli 
incident, which has been dominating the Turkish agenda, has been 
discussed in the European Parliament as well.  A Belgian 
parliamentarian pointing out that the Semdinli indictment 
demands that negotiations with Turkey be halted.  Meanwhile, 
Turkish parliamentary commission probing Semdinli case heard 
statements of the MIT intelligence center chiefs.  Two MIT 
officials reportedly submitted a confidential report to the 
commission concerning the case.  Officials reportedly said that 
Semdinli was a sensitive place and people of Semdinli would 
easily get incited, because that section of the southeastern 
region is like a bridge between Iraq and Iran. According to the 
MIT officials, people of Semdinli were under influence of Iraq 
Kurdistan Democratic Party leader Massoud Barzani. Per a 
question asked by the commission whether there existed a "deeper 
criminal structure" embedded in the state mechanism, the MIT 
officials said that they were not obtaining intelligence about 
police or military.  MIT members also reiterated that they did 
not have information about the bombing incidents in Hakkari. 
¶10.     RADIKAL / OZGUR GUNDEM / YENI SAFAK / HURRIYET: Meanwhile, 
the daily reported that a heated debate has been going on 
between AKP and CHP deputies of the commission concerning the 
allegations placed against Land Forces Commander Yasar Buyukanit 
in the Semdinli Case indictment.  A separate public controversy 
was reportedly sparked over Hakkari Mayor Metin Tekce's 10-page 
report submitted to the commission allegedly because Tekce did 
not brand PKK as a terrorist organization in his statements.  An 
investigation has been started against Tekce on grounds that he 
made terrorist propaganda.  Metin Tekce complained that 
commission members have been abusing the situation and 
extracting certain and limited statements from his report to 
leak them to the media.  That's why I am receiving threatening 
letters now, said Tekce. 
 
¶11.     RADIKAL / OZGUR GUNDEM / CUMHURIYET / YENI SAFAK: 
People in Iraq's Halabja province rose against government 
officials who declined to keep their promises to launch a 
rehabilitation project for the victims of the 1998 Halabja 
massacre.  The unrest came on the anniversary of the massacre. 
People burned tires and carried out sit-in protests.  Nearly, 
10,000 people marched towards the monument erected to 
commemorate the event. Police intervened and opened fire which 
killed one person and wounded many. 
 
¶12.     RADIKAL:         Twenty-two NGOs in Istanbul made a call to 
the people and security officers to exhibit common sense and 
wisdom in order not to incite incidents during Newruz 
celebrations.  The NGOs expressed goodwill intentions about 
Newruz and envisaged that celebrations lead to more peaceful 
conditions. 
 
¶13.     RADIKAL:        A reported 17-year-old girl, Yildiz Zaman, and 
her lover were killed by Zaman's brother in Gaziantep's Nizip 
district.  Reportedly, Yildiz Zaman ran away with her lover when 
her family did not consent to their marriage.  However, the 
Zaman family reportedly called the lovers to their house to 
reach a peaceful solution within the family.  During this 
meeting, a quarrel that was sparked between Yildiz Zaman's lover 
and her brother resulted in the brother's opening fire on the 
couple.  Authorities suspect that this was an honor killing 
incident since the family members of Yildiz Zaman did not attend 
the funeral of their daughter. 
 
¶14.     CUMHURIYET / RADIKAL / YENI SAFAK / HURRIYET:   Council of 
State has finally reached a verdict following a two-year trial 
period, and unanimously overturned a request for annulling a 
June 2003-dated bill that permitted Turkey's allies to use 
Turkish bases, ports, airports and facilities for a one-year 
period. 
 
¶15.     YENI SAFAK / HURRIYET / ZAMAN:  A military helicopter 
crashed in the province of Erzincan.  The witnesses reported 
that the helicopter hit high-voltage cables. Five officers died 
in the crash. 
REID