VZCZCXRO3416
RR RUEHDA
DE RUEHDA #0087/01 1150640
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 250640Z APR 06
FM AMCONSUL ADANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4103
INFO RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 0700
RUEUITH/AFOSI DET 521 ANKARA TU
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0652
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0566

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ADANA 000087 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR APRIL 24, 2006 
 
 
¶1.      This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for April 
24, 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.      BOLGE / OZGUR GUNDEM:   Turkish Armed Forces has been 
preparing to launch a large-scale military operation against PKK 
at the border area near Yuksekova.  Tanks with long shooting 
range are being located at hills viewing the border area, and 
Bolu Command Brigade and two brigades from Kayseri have been 
deployed in the border area.  Meanwhile, Iraqi President Jalal 
Talabani said that they would not allow Turkey to carry out 
cross-border operations. 
 
¶3.      OZGUR GUNDEM: Reported Commander of Chief Headquarters of 
PKK said that Iran and Turkey was working in coordination in a 
recent attempt to deploy military forces at the borders against 
PKK.  (This summary is from 04/23 editions.) 
 
¶4.      CUMHURIYET / HURRIYET: Land Forces Commander Yasar 
Buyukanit said that the military forces recently deployed in the 
southeastern region were not much different than the deployments 
of former years.  Buyukanit said, "Our operations have been 
going on there, and will continue to go on like that as long as 
PKK existence continues there.  That recent military activity is 
not an extraordinary development." (This summary is from 04/23 
editions.) 
 
¶5.      SABAH (GUNEY) / SABAH:  Chief of General Staff Hilmi Ozkok 
said that increasing military deployment in the southeastern 
region was as a result of widening of area where PKK has been 
launching its activities.  Ozkok further dismissed any alleged 
intervention in the decision process of Higher Board of Judges 
and Prosecutors (HSYK) that dismissed Van prosecutor Ferhat 
Sarikaya from his profession. 
 
¶6.      ZAMAN:  Office of Chief of General Staff denied 
allegations on its internet site that Hilmi Ozkok, Chief of 
General Staff, extended a verbal memorandum to PM Erdogan to 
dismiss some ministers and a prosecutor. 
 
¶7.      OZGUR GUNDEM:   A delegation comprised of attorneys from 
London Bar Association are currently in Mardin's Kiziltepe 
district to conduct local studies about violent demonstrations 
which killed two people and wounded several others in the 
district.  The delegation paid separate visits to the local DTP 
branch, Kiziltepe Municipality, and to the families of the 
people who died during the incidents. 
 
¶8.      SABAH (GUNEY):  Ali Coskun, Minister of Industry and 
Commerce, paid a visit to Diyarbakir.  Diyarbakir Mayor Efkan 
Ala, Mayor Osman Baydemir, and Yenisehir District Mayor welcomed 
the minister at the airport.  The minister paid a visit to 
tradesmen whose businesses have been damaged during the violent 
protests in Diyarbakir at the end of March. Separately, the 
daily noted that the government started compensating for the 
losses incurred by tradesmen during such protests in Diyarbakir. 
 
 
¶9.      OZGUR GUNDEM:   The daily noted that Minister Ali Coskun 
displayed a cold attitude that ignored the presence of Mayor 
Osman Baydemir during his visit to the province.  When the 
Minister invited Baydemir at the last minute to a photo spray at 
Diyarbakir's Commodity of Exchange together with the governor 
and Diyarbakir's employers, the employers at the meeting gave a 
standing ovation reportedly in support for Baydemir. 
 
¶10.     ZAMAN / CUMHURIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM: Following the decision 
of HSYK (Higher Board of Judges and Prosecutors) last week to 
expel Van Prosecutor Ferhat Sarikaya from profession, it may be 
that Sarikaya may apply to European Court claiming that HSYK 
verdict failed to address his case correctly. The daily further 
states that civil society protested debarment of Sarikaya. 
According to Cumhuriyet daily, a Turkish juror of the European 
Court said that debarment of Sarikaya from profession was an 
issue that must be left to state's own sovereign discretion. The 
daily interprets the juror's statement as the path to European 
Court being blocked for Sarikaya. Ozgur Gundem daily reported 
that European Commission reportedly criticized expelling of 
Prosecutor Sarikaya from profession and Istanbul chapter of 
Human Rights Association sent a letter to HSYK to protest 
debarment of Sarikaya. (This summary is from 04/23 editions.) 
 
¶11.     OZGUR GUNDEM:   Mazlum-Der (Association of Human Rights 
and Solidarity for the Oppressed People) National Chairperson 
Cevat Ozkaya branded dismissal of Prosecutor Sarikaya as an act 
of intimidation which breaches rule of law, independence of 
 
ADANA 00000087  002 OF 003 
 
 
judiciary, and equality before law. 
 
¶12.     SABAH:  Children's Court overturned the indictment 
prepared by children branch of the Prosecutor's Office which 
demanded action against 36 children on grounds that those 
children were members of the terrorist organization.  (Note: 
Ninety-one children were detained in Diyarbakir during the 
demonstrations that took place between March 30 and 31. 
Diyarbakir Court released thirty-four of them as they stood 
trial. Fifty-seven of them are still under arrest. End Note.) A 
higher court will rule about the final decision on charges to be 
brought against children in prosecutor's indictment. 
 
¶13.     RADIKAL / OZGUR GUNDEM: An investigation has been started 
against Seferi Yilmaz, owner of the bookstore where a bomb 
attack was carried out last November in Hakkari's Semdinli 
district, for using a new sign in his repaired bookstore with a 
logo depicting an image of a bomb with question Marks 
surrounding it. According to Ozgur Gundem, the image aimed to 
symbolize the attack carried out at the bookstore which has been 
reopened on March 18. But legal authorities claim that the sign 
"has been inciting people to criminal activities." (Ozgur 
Gundem's 04/23 edition has been used for this summary.) 
 
¶14.     OZGUR GUNDEM: Mehmet Sahin, a member of DTP Hakkari 
Administrative Board, has been detained on Friday evening 
(04/21) on grounds that he delivered a speech that attempted to 
disrupt the integrity of the country during an event held at 
Hakkari about November 2005 Semdinli incident.   Sahin has been 
arraigned and arrested. Meanwhile, Nusaybin chapter of DTP, 
which was briefly closed following an April 9 police raid at its 
party building and arrest of eight DTP administrators, will be 
opened today with reported mass participation of people. 
Separately, following detention of chairperson of Batman chapter 
of TUHAY-DER (Association of the Families of Prisoners and 
Detainees) on Saturday (04/22), police conducted a raid at 
Batman TUHAY-DER and seized files of the members and a computer. 
(This summary is from 04/23 edition.) 
 
¶15.     ZAMAN:  PKK is reportedly planning to launch attacks 
against 131 diplomatic Turkish missions abroad, a method which 
was being followed by the Armenian terrorist organization ASALA. 
 Many terrorism specialists in MIT intelligence agency 
reportedly say that ASALA transformed and integrated itself 
within PKK.  Meanwhile, the daily separately noted that Marxist 
terrorist organization Kurtulus (Independence) will revive 
itself again after a period of inactivity to extend support to 
the PKK. 
 
¶16.     OZGUR GUNDEM:   Gaziantep Security Directorate's 
Anti-Terror Branch conducted an operation against Al-Qayda 
members who were reportedly preparing to launch activities 
according to a tip-off received by the Directorate.  Police 
detained seven people one of whom was a foreign national. 
 
¶17.     OZGUR GUNDEM:  Van Chapter of Human Rights Association 
(HRA) held its 4th Congress at the meeting hall of Van Chamber 
of Commerce.  HRA Van Chairperson, pointing out the increasing 
military deployment in the Sirnak province, said that Kurdish 
issues must be resolved through democratic and peaceful methods. 
 
 
¶18.     BOLGE / SABAH (GUNEY):  Ali Olgun, Chairperson of Adana 
chapter of Chamber of Civil Engineers, claimed that there have 
been attempts to turn the port of Iskenderun into a base that 
would serve the U.S.  Olgun made a call to people to protest 
such attempts, and also the base in Incirlik. 
 
¶19.     SABAH (GUNEY):  100,000 new-Turkish-lira-worth of 
smuggled technological equipment has been seized by the Customs 
Protection Directorate at the Habur border gate in Sirnak's 
Silopi district. 
 
¶20.     SABAH (GUNEY):  Organized Crime Branch found 2000 
ecstasy pills in Diyarbakir hidden in boxes which is normally 
used for keeping baklava desserts.   Police reportedly found 
books on PKK along with the pills.  Eight people have been 
detained in connection with illegal drug training.  In 
connection with the gang, police seized 3000 pills in Istanbul. 
 
¶21.     BOLGE / OZGUR GUNDEM:   Orthodox Church in Hatay's 
Iskenderun district celebrated Easter.  Meanwhile, Syriacs in 
Mardin started celebrating Easter as well.  Mardin Governor 
Mehmet Kiliclar, Garrison Commander Fahri Kir, Chief Prosecutor 
and Mardin's Mufti attended ceremonies held for Easter service. 
 
¶22.     OZGUR GUNDEM:   Reportedly, six out of 16 people, who 
attempted to commit suicide in Sanliurfa in the first four 
months of 2006, have died.  Ten of them have reportedly been 
 
ADANA 00000087  003 OF 003 
 
 
rescued as a result of medical treatment. 
REID