VZCZCXRO0252
RR RUEHDA
DE RUEHDA #0078/01 1020636
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 120636Z APR 06
FM AMCONSUL ADANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4090
INFO RUEUITH/AFOSI DET 521 ANKARA TU
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0639
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0554
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 0687

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000078 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR APRIL 10, 2006 
 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for April 10, 
¶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 
 
RADIKAL / OZGUR GUNDEM: A scuffle took place over the weekend 
when a 15-person group, who were members of Erzincan Youth 
Organization, attempted to hold a sit-in protest in Erzincan 
against isolation of inmates in the prisons and another 
100-person rightist oriented group, angered by the protest 
activity, attacked the protestors.  Police detained three 
association members.  Huseyin Sahin, DTP Erzincan Deputy 
Provincial Chairperson, has been taken into custody as he was 
passing by the incident site. He was released later.  Police 
officers blockaded the DTP provincial building.  Tension 
reportedly continued when police used pepper gas against 
protestors who attempted to hold a press announcement yesterday. 
 Radikal daily reported that 8 people have been wounded during 
the clash of the two groups. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   The daily reported allegations that the U.S. 
provided intelligence information to Turkey for the military 
operation Turkey carried out in Mus province which resulted in 
killing of 14 PKK militants on March 24. The daily pointed to 
Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Peter Pace's visit to Ankara 
taking place ahead of the military operation, a situation 
strengthening the rationale behind such allegations. 
 
RADIKAL:        The daily reported in its front page coverage that 
Diyarbakir people have started showing their unwelcome attitude 
towards the PKK without fear.  People, who have kept their 
businesses open during the violent demonstrations in Diyarbakir, 
are reportedly no longer afraid to disclose their names 
publicly.  Two students from Dicle University reportedly said 
that there was no boycott of classes during the incidents; 
mainly, the students were made to get out of the classes 
forcibly, said the students.  The daily reported tradesmen in 
Diyarbakir expressing their objection to such incidents taking 
place in the province.  Meanwhile, Deputy Governor of Diyarbakir 
announced tentative damage assessment results:  Damage was done 
on 612 buildings, which are comprised of 342 businesses, 35 
public offices, and 145 homes.  20 businesses were plundered. 
22 ATMs have been badly damaged 
 
ZAMAN / HURRIYET / RADIKAL / BOLGE / OZGUR GUNDEM:      Because of 
a remotely controlled mine blast that took place on Saturday 
(04/08) at 1.30 pm, Elazig Provincial Jandarma Command Ali 
Ergulmez was wounded, and Lieutenant Colonel Ali Yilmaz and the 
driver (a Jandarma private) of the car they had been driving in 
have been killed.  8th Army Corps Commander went to the site 
immediately after the incident to conduct studies there.  A 
large scale operation has been started in the area. (This press 
summary is from 04/09 edition.) 
 
ZAMAN:  The daily reported that 9 PKK members, who were 
caught with 7 kilograms of A-4 explosives in Istanbul, were 
making preparations to launch terrorist activities in the city. 
Meanwhile, police unveiled links between those PKK members and a 
recently caught man called M.S.F., who had reportedly carried 
out the bombing in the Kusadasi seaside resort which killed 5 
people last year. (This press summary is from 04/09 edition.) 
 
HURRIYET:       The daily cited written statements of a PKK militant 
who was caught making preparations to launch terrorist 
activities in Istanbul.  According to the PKK defector, the PKK 
sacrificed 14 militants and victimized them to abuse the 
situation that would develop following their funerals. 
 
 
ZAMAN:  Deputy Prime Minister and State Minister Abdullatif 
Sener arrived at the Adana Airport and set off for Osmaniye 
province to attend several ground-breaking ceremonies there. 
Sener pointed out in Adana that recent developments in the 
southeastern region should not deter anybody from making 
investments in the region. (This press summary is from 04/09 
edition.) 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   A new women's association has been founded in 
Hakkari province. The association aims to win women, whose 
villages were evacuated and who have lost their production 
capabilities, back into the chain of economic production. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Cizre Mayor dismissed allegations of Cizre 
Subgovernor's Office and Provincial Education Directorate 
claiming that sanitary quality of the city water was poor and 
coli form bacteria was found in it. 
 
 
ADANA 00000078  002 OF 002 
 
 
RADIKAL:        Four people, who were detained in connection with 
the incident of people tearing down a bust of Mustafa Kemal 
Ataturk and hanging it on a bridge in Mardin's Nusaybin 
district, have been arrested to stand trial later. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   PKK reportedly dismissed any connection with 
the blasts that took place in Ordu and Diyarbakir.  (Note: An 
explosion took place in a municipality car in Diyarbakir on 
Friday. A child and a municipality staff member have been 
wounded.  A person was killed during another blast that took 
place in the northern Ordu province. Three people have been 
wounded. End Note.) (This summary is from 04/09 edition.) 
 
EVRENSEL:       Van Security Directorate seized 227,500 packets of 
smuggled cigarettes in a car traveling from Hakkari to Van. 
(This summary is from 04/09 edition.) 
 
BOLGE: Quarantine has been imposed in a village of Kurkculer 
township of Yuregir district in Adana because of rabies detected 
in dogs. (This summary is from 04/09 edition.) 
 
SABAH (GUNEY): PM Erdogan attended the opening ceremony of a new 
building of the Gaziantep Airport.  During the opening ceremony, 
Erdogan expressed his frustration over why the airport has not 
been finished since 1998 and attributed the blame to the former 
governments. 
REID