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 000054 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR MARCH 21, 2006 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for March 21, 
¶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 
 
HURRIYET / RADIKAL:     President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, President 
of the Turkish Parliament, PM Tayyip Erdogan, CHP National 
Leader Deniz Baykal, Motherland Party National Leader Erkan 
Mumcu, DYP National Leader Mehmet Agar, separately extended 
Newroz greetings and gave messages supporting unity and 
solidarity. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM / EVRENSEL:        Final round of Newroz celebrations 
will be held in Diyarbakir. (Note: The daily refers to 
Diyarbakir as "Amed", its Kurdish name. End Note.) It is 
reportedly expected that one million people will be attending 
the event.  Kars and Van provinces will also be celebrating 
Newroz today. Celebrations in Van and in its Dogubeyazit 
district were held until late the previous night. Police 
intervened and opened fire in the air when a group of people 
danced around fire and chanted pro-Ocalan slogans in a quarter 
of Van.  Police reportedly had to retreat because of its 
disadvantaged physical position in the place.  A big place in 
the main square of Diyarbakir has been reserved for the Newroz 
fire in Diyarbakir.  Hundreds of delegations and 
parliamentarians from abroad will reportedly attend the event. 
Hundreds of transportation vehicles will carry people to the 
site of the celebrations.  Meanwhile, Hege Reinskou, a Norwegian 
delegation member, has reportedly been detained by the Turkish 
police as she was crossing the Habur border gate in Sirnak to 
attend Newroz celebrations held at the Qandil Mountain in Iraq 
on charges of making terrorist propaganda and shouting unlawful 
slogans in last year's Newroz celebrations. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM / EVRENSEL:        The daily Ozgur Gundem points out 
to the frustrations of people in Semdinli regarding attempts by 
the local authorities in Hakkari's Semdinli district to ban 
Newroz celebrations.  Authorities are blamed for trying to 
cancel in the first place the celebrations, and then trying to 
postpone celebration day to March 21st.  People of Semdinli 
reportedly decided not to hold celebrations in their district as 
a result of that, and traveled to Cukurca district to celebrate 
Newroz there.  The daily reports that more than 30,000 people 
attended the event in Hakkari's Yuksekova district.  The daily 
further reports details from celebrations in Mardin's Derik and 
Nusaybin, Diyarbakir's Silvan, Adiyaman's Kahta, Siirt's 
Kurtalan and Hatay's Erzin districts.  An 8-person Italian 
delegation will attend the events that will be held in Nusaybin. 
 The delegation will be visiting DTP branches, municipalities, 
civil society members, and unions in the region. 
 
YENI SAFAK:     Yeni Safak daily reported that two German nationals 
attending Newruz celebrations in Hakkari's Yuksekova district 
carried and wore fabric that had colors signifying the PKK. 
Following deciphering of footage from the festivities, police 
will file complaints against foreign nationals if they make 
terrorist propaganda and shout pro-PKK slogans.  Meanwhile, the 
daily reported that three delegations comprised of 22 citizens 
from assorted countries took part in the festival in Hakkari. 
 
BOLGE / RADIKAL:        Security measures have also been heightened in 
Adana province ahead of Newruz celebrations.  Provincial Culture 
and Tourism Directorate will be holding an alternative festival 
today near the Sabanci Mosque and Adana Governor will also 
participate in the event.  Radikal daily reported that tension 
developed during Newruz celebrations in Adana. In some sections 
of the province, youth burned tires and stopped traffic flow the 
previous night.  Police dispersed the crowd using teargas.  Some 
of the demonstrators were detained.  Meanwhile, 18 of 26 
demonstrators detained during an unauthorized demonstration in 
Sanliurfa, whose ages are under 18, have been released and will 
stand trial without being arrested. 
 
YENI SAFAK / HURRIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM / EVRENSEL / BOLGE / 
CUMHURIYET / RADIKAL:   General Staff rejected recent 
accusations placed against Land Forces Commander Yasar Buyukanit 
in the Semdinli indictment prepared by Prosecutor Ferhat 
Sarikaya.  General Staff severely dismissed any demands to open 
an investigation against the Commander, and filed a complaint 
against Sarikaya.  Meanwhile, two inspectors from Ministry of 
Justice, conducting a probe against Ferhat Sarikaya in the Van 
Court Hall for ten days, have returned to Ankara and will start 
working on a report on that. 
 
HURRIYET / RADIKAL:     A lawsuit has been brought against the 
farmer (43) who protested PM Erdogan in a February 10-dated 
visit Erdogan made to Mersin.  The indictment claims that the 
defendant made insulting and disrespectful remarks to the PM 
that denigrated PM as an individual. 
 
HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):    Adana was portrayed as a region having 
the best economic potential for investments in Foreign Direct 
Investment journal of the Financial Times newspaper. 
HURRIYET (CUKUROVA) / BOLGE / RADIKAL:  Ambassador Hansjorg 
Kretschmer, President of European Commission Delegation to 
Turkey, participated in the EU Communication Network Seminar in 
Adana and advised European Corner staff members to extend 
information to people about Europe. 
 
HURRIYET ONLINE:        Reportedly, at least 10,000 people attended 
the Newruz celebrations in Diyarbakir today.  Demonstrators in 
the venue of the festival carried flags of the PKK and Abdullah 
Ocalan.  When some of the demonstrators objected to being 
searched by the police before entering the venue of the 
festival, tension developed and demonstrators hurled stones at 
the police.  Six police officers were reportedly wounded as a 
result of the incident. One police officer has reportedly been 
wounded during the demonstrations in Sirnak's Silopi district 
today.  Meanwhile, Hurriyet's online newspaper reported that 
foreign press including German's ARD, Japan's NHK, and Britain's 
BBC has also been watching the festival activities. 
REID