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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000110 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR MAY 17, 2006 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for May 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 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   The daily carried in its front page that the 
records of the telephone calls made by Ali Kaya, a 
non-commissioned officer and one of the three defendants of the 
Semdinli case, has been received by the Van Prosecutor's Office. 
 The record reportedly revealed that Kaya established a network 
of business connections with businessman, contractors, 
transporter company owners, and factory owners in the 
southeastern region.  The records allegedly further reveal that 
"oppresion", "threats" and "expropriation" characterized the 
nature of the relationship Kaya established with such people. 
 
ZAMAN / CUMHURIYET:     The place of the court hearing that 
continued to try the specialized sergeant Tanju Cavus, who has 
been accused of killing one person and wounding five more during 
the unrest that took place following the Semdinli bombing last 
year on November 9 in Hakkari's Semdinli district, was 
transferred from Hakkari to Malatya at the March 17-dated second 
hearing of the case.  The third hearing will be held tomorrow 
(05/18). 
 
BOLGE / EKSPRES:        The dailies have carried the decision of local 
CHP party administration to refer businessman Bulent Ozulku to 
party disciplinary committee with a demand to expel Ozulku from 
party, a news item which has recently shaken CHP's Adana chapter 
and caused controversy in the local political arena.  Ozulku was 
a candidate who had run for Adana mayorship in previous local 
elections in Adana. 
 
EKSPRES:        The daily asks a question on why the Seyhan Mayor 
Azim Ozturk (from AKP) did not choose to have PM Erdogan open 
the newly constructed big facility called "Dream Park" (see 
press summary 05/15) during Erdogan's visit to Adana last week. 
Whether PM Erdogan did not personally favour it, or whether 
Ozturk did not think about it, or whether some people convinced 
Ozturk that the facility was not yet ready to be opened during 
Erdogan's visit were the questions the asked by the paper. 
 
EKSPRES / ZAMAN / RADIKAL / CUMHURIYET: Former President 
Suleyman Demirel, who delivered a speech at Adana's Cukurova 
University, said that authorities should differentiate between 
the people and the terrorist components in Turkey. And the 
people, on their part, should not follow certain circles seeking 
nothing but adventure, and everybody should undertake 
responsibility to work for the unity of the state, according to 
Demirel. 
 
HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):    Agriculture and Animal Breeding Fair of 
Mersin will start today at 11 a.m.  State Minister Kursat Tuzmen 
will open the fair.  Former President Suleyman Demirel, DYP 
(True Path Party) National Leader Mehmet Agar and Minister of 
Agriculture Mehdi Eker will participate in the opening ceremony. 
 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Turkish Supreme Court sent a second letter of 
warning to DTP that required DTP to change some articles of the 
party charter. DTP officials have reportedly not responded to 
the February 20-dated first letter of warning which demanded a 
change in the article that defined the co-chairmanship concept, 
a DTP-initiated first implementation in Turkey which the Supreme 
Court objects to on grounds that co-chairmanship was in 
non-conformity with the Turkish Political Party Act. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   The military operation that was started by the 
soldiers at the rural sections of Siirt one month ago has 
reportedly been continuing.  Demirkaya village of Siirt's Eruh 
district has reportedly been blockaded by a 100-vehicle convoy 
and the road checks between Siirt and Eruh has been intensified. 
 Another military operation has reportedly been started in rural 
sections of Bingol. The area is reportedly being bombarded 
intermittently by Cobra helicopters. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Patrick Cockbur, a journalist from Independent 
newspaper, reportedly interviewed with people in the Qandil 
Mountain in Iraq where PKK headquarters are located.  A news 
article authored by the journalist reportedly read that Kurds 
had no other friends than the mountains. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Many people, who are relatives of disappeared 
people from around the world, came to Diyarbakir to attend the 
5th International Conference on People Disappeared under 
Detention which has been organized by ICAD (International 
Committee against Disappearances) and Turkish Yakay-Der 
 
ADANA 00000110  002 OF 002 
 
 
(Solidarity Association for the Family Members of Forcibly 
Disappeared People) (see press summary 05/15). The major 
organizations to attend the conference are as follows: Iraqi 
Patriots' Union, Iranian Kurdistan Democracy Party, People's 
Liberation Front in Palestine, and Solidarity Committee for 
Political prisoners in Chile, Bulgaria's Labour Party, etc. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   A lawsuit has been brought against the 
organizing committee of the March 21 Newruz celebrations in 
Kars's Ardahan district on charges that unauthorized banners and 
posters were used and illegal slogans were chanted during the 
celebrations. Three senior members of DTP's Ardahan branch 
including the district chairperson will be arraigned next month 
on these charges.  Separately, Sabahattin Suvagci, former DEHAP 
(Democratic People's Party) Hakkari provincial chairperson, who 
was arrested during a March 22 raid on his house and who was 
accused of aiding and abetting the terrorist organization, has 
been released upon second objection submitted by his attorneys 
against his arrest. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   People have reportedly been showing great 
interest in the English language course that has been started by 
the Public Relations Office of the Derik Municipality in Mardin. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   A Kurdish hacker group named "Coldhackers" 
hacked a Turkish bank's and some local media organizations' 
websites.  The group pledged to defend the Kurdish values within 
the virtual environment. 
 
RADIKAL / HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):  Incoming number of tourists 
in Diyarbakir has decreased by 40 per cent, said the Culture and 
Tourism Director of the province.  This was not only an 
aftereffect of terrorist incidents in the region, but also a 
decrease in the cultural and economic events held in the city 
has led to lesser number of foreigners coming to the city. 
 
BOLGE / ZAMAN:  Thirteenth Film, Culture and Arts Festival of 
Adana will be take place between June 5 and 11. 
REID