VZCZCXRO8857
RR RUEHDA
DE RUEHDA #0084 1101024
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 201024Z APR 06
FM AMCONSUL ADANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4099
INFO RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 0696
RUEUITH/AFOSI DET 521 ANKARA TU
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0648
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0562

UNCLAS ADANA 000084 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR APRIL 13, 2006 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for April 13, 
¶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 / YENI SAFAK:   Feridun Yazar, Chairperson of Kurdish 
Democracy Platform, made a call to the PKK to lay down arms. 
Yazar also made a call to political leaders to end engaging in 
abortive discussions. 
 
HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):    Chairperson of a woman's association in 
Van stated that, since the day the law that envisages life 
sentence in prison for honor killings became effective, suicide 
rates among women in Van have increased because men are 
reportedly convincing women to kill themselves in the name of 
family honor. 
 
EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM:        Delegation of human rights 
associations which conducted a two-day study in Diyarbakir (see 
press summary 04/13) made a press announcement at Diyarbakir 
Human Rights Association.  Members of the delegation, who 
deplored that civilian people were killed in Diyarbakir during 
the protests in the aftermath of death of 14 PKK terrorists, and 
disproportionate force has been applied by the security forces, 
demanded that public officials deliberately targeting civilians 
be prosecuted.  Delegation members also criticized bad treatment 
of public officers towards children who were detained and 
arrested. 
 
EVRENSEL:       The daily branded the conclusions arrived at in the 
draft report prepared by the parliamentary commission probing 
Semdinli case as "refraining from meddling in some matters." 
 
ZAMAN / BOLGE / EKSPRES:        The dailies noted that two 
soldiers killed during military operation in northern Sirnak 
(see press summary 04/12) were form Osmaniye and Adana 
provinces. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Two university students in Kars have been 
arraigned at the entrance of Van province as they were traveling 
from Kars to Van on charges of "recruiting new members for the 
terrorist organization." 
 
ZAMAN / OZGUR GUNDEM:   Jonathan Sugden, a researcher from Human 
Rights Watch (HRW), who came to Turkey with a visa for tourist 
purposes and who did not provide information about studies he 
would be conducting in Turkey, has been detained in Bingol's 
Karliova district and will reportedly be deported. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Families of six foreign national PKK 
terrorists killed in Mus together with another 8 Turkish 
national terrorists on March 25, submitted a petition to the 
Turkish Parliament and demanded handing over of the bodies of 
their kin held at Malatya State Hospital. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Cukurova University Rector Prof. Alper 
Akinoglu (see press summary 04/12) condemned the attack by 
students at an art exhibition held at the university. The rector 
said that the incident was sparked upon incitement of five or 
ten PKK supporters.  The rector further stated that all of the 
assailants have been identified and they will be punished 
severely for their acts according to the disciplinary 
regulations of the university. 
 
SABAH:  Claudia Roth, Germany's Green Party Co-Chairperson, 
who will pay a visit to Diyarbakir, arrived at Ankara.  Roth 
will meet with PM Erdogan before setting off for Diyarbakir. 
Roth will reportedly visit Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir and 
former DEP deputy Leyla Zana. 
 
REID