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DE RUEHDA #0138/01 1641028
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R 131028Z JUN 06
FM AMCONSUL ADANA
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INFO RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 0787
RUEUITH/AFOSI DET 521 ANKARA TU
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0736
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0637
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000138 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR JUNE 12, 2006 
 
 
¶1.      This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for June 12, 
¶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.      RADIKAL / EVRENSEL:     RTUK (Higher Board of Radio and 
Television) has decided that time restrictions it has imposed on 
broadcasts in different languages and dialects are removed for 
cultural programs, such as movies and music programs.   Radio 
and TV stations are still to use Turkish subtitles during such 
programs.  (Note: RTUK had initially imposed that radio stations 
could broadcast maximum one hour a day and a total of five hours 
a week in different languages, and TV stations could broadcast 
maximum 45 minutes a day and a total of four hours a week.   End 
Note.) 
 
¶3.      EVRENSEL / YENI SAFAK:  During the conference held in 
Diyarbakir on June 11 by the Diyarbakir Initiative for Peace, 
some speakers including the Diyarbakir Bar Association 
Chairperson Sezgin Tanrikulu, expressed views demanding that the 
PKK to lay down arms unilaterally and relinquish using arms for 
its strategic pursuits.  No businessmen reportedly appeared in 
the conference, which was organized by local businessmen (see 
press summaries 06/05 and 09). 
 
¶4.      OZGUR GUNDEM:   The daily reported that businessmen, 
intelligentsia, representatives of civil society, politicians 
and academicians attended the conference in Diyarbakir. 
Chairperson of Diyarbakir chapter of Human Rights Association 
said that a strong initiative for peace should be established 
through joining those efforts undertaken for peace. 
 
¶5.      OZGUR GUNDEM:   A person called Yasar Akikol has been 
arrested in connection with the killing of Selahattin Aksu and 
his seven-year-old child in Mardin's Kiziltepe district (see 
press summaries 06/08 and 09).  Kiziltepe Jandarma Command 
officials reportedly found a gun, a hand grenade and two 
thousand roots of Cannabis plant, and a cigarette butt stained 
with blood in the field which belonged to Akikol. The field was 
next to the area where the father and daughter were killed. 
 
¶6.      ZAMAN:  The daily claims that for the first time DTP 
and Human Rights Association (HRA) held different opinions on an 
issue.  Concerning the killing of Aksu and his daughter on June 
3 in Kiziltepe, an HRA report said that paramilitary forces 
engaged in illegal drug business might have committed the crime, 
whereas the report of DTP said the event might have been an act 
of (illegal) gangs which embedded themselves in the state 
structure. 
 
¶7.      ZAMAN / SABAH / RADIKAL / HURRIYET / EVRENSEL / YENI 
SAFAK:  Two soldiers were killed in an attack on an armed 
group targeting a military convoy in Tunceli, said Evrensel 
daily.  The other dailies reported that PKK terrorists attacked 
a military vehicle carrying two detainees accused of harboring 
PKK members to the Tunceli Jandarma Command.  Two soldiers were 
killed; two detainees and five soldiers have been wounded. 
Radikal daily separately noted that, as the military deployments 
in the border area had continued for two months, Kayseri 
Commando Brigade and Yuksekova Jandarma Command had recently 
dispatched a 150-vehicle military convoy, part of which has been 
sent to Semdinli.  The rest of the convoy arrived at the border 
area with Iraq. 
 
¶8.      ZAMAN:  Aydin Budak, Mayor of Sirnak's Cizre district, 
has been sentenced to one year and three months in prison for 
praising the terrorist organization (PKK) and its leader on 
January 14 during an event held by the municipality which was 
also broadcast by Roj TV. (This summary is from 06/10 edition) 
 
 
¶9.      HURRIYET:       Ersan Nazlier, who joined the ranks of the PKK 
in 2004, was reportedly heavily tortured when he attempted to 
run away from the PKK.  Nazlier, who was left unconscious in 
Sirnak's Idil district, and who has lost his left arm because of 
gangrene that resulted from alleged torture, was found by 
security officers and hospitalized. 
 
¶10.     SABAH (GUNEY):  Siirt Jandarma Command officials 
searched a car in Siirt's Kurtalan district and seized two 
undocumented shotguns and 865 grams of hashish. 
 
¶11.     EVRENSEL:       A group of young people from Diyarbakir's 
Dicle district stood one night on guard in Batman's Hasankeyf 
district to protest the Ilisu Dam Project which will submerge 
part of the ancient Hasankeyf city. 
 
 
ADANA 00000138  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶12.     SABAH (GUNEY):  A ceremony has been held in Bitlis's 
Tatvan district to commemorate the anniversary of the killing of 
13 villagers by PKK members 14 years ago.  Goevrnor, Mayor and 
Security Director of Bitlis and 6th Armored Brigade Commander 
attended the ceremony. 
 
¶13.     OZGUR GUNDEM:   Trucks carrying LPG are piling up at the 
Habur border gate in Sirnak to form a five-kilometer-queue as 
they wait for procedures to be completed to enter Iraq.  This 
has been creating an environment under high risk of explosion. 
The weather temperature in Sirnak is currently 45 degrees 
Celsius. 
 
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS 
 
¶1.      BOLGE / YENI SAFAK:     It is envisaged that the Regional 
Development Agencies will initially be established in Izmir, 
Adana and Mersin.  DPT (State Planning Authority) is planning to 
establish development agencies in 12 different regions in 
Turkey.  The mission of the agencies will be to decrease the 
gaps between development rates of different regions. 
 
¶2.      HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):    The ready-to-wear industrialists 
in Adana, who attended Gaziantep's Iraq Fair, claimed that no 
Iraqis participated in the fair. 06/10 edition of Sabah's Guney 
supplement reported that Deputy Chairperson of Iraqi Industrial 
Federations and Iraqi Commerce Minister separately paid a visit 
to the chairperson of Gaziantep Chamber of Commerce and stressed 
the importance of the fair.  Yeni Safak daily described the fair 
as a very successful organization which has been attended by a 
range of countries from Far East to Africa.  1000 companies from 
35 countries have reportedly attended the event. 
 
¶3.      SABAH (GUNEY):  Gaziantep's Chamber of Commerce (GCC) 
and Chamber of Commerce in Hama city of Syria have signed a 
protocol to be sister chambers.  GCC chairperson said that Free 
Trade Agreement that became effective between Turkey and Syria 
would boost commercial relationships.  GCC has also signed 
protocol agreements with chambers of commerce and trade in 
Suleymaniyah, Dahuk and Arbil provinces in Iraq. 
 
¶4.      SABAH (GUNEY):  Yuksekova Subgovernor has reportedly 
embarked upon efforts to coordinate people in the district in 
order to revive agricultural production through offering 
trainings and technical supplies to farmers. 
 
 
¶5.      EVRENSEL:       Farmers in Diyarbakir's Lice district started 
cultivating capers. 
REID