VZCZCXRO6449
RR RUEHDA
DE RUEHDA #0179/01 2220638
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 100638Z AUG 06
FM AMCONSUL ADANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4253
INFO RUEUITH/AFOSI DET 521 ANKARA TU
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0801
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0696
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEILB/NCTC WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/AFOSI DET 522 INCIRLIK AB TU
RUETIAA/DIRNSA FT MEADE MD
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 0854

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000179 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR AUGUST 9, 2006 
 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for August 09, 
¶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 
 
BOLGE  / EKSPRES:       Coffins of two soldiers, a Jandarma commando 
private and a commando private, who were killed by terrorists in 
a terrorist attack in Gumushane (see press summary 08/07 and 
08/08) on Sunday, were received by people carrying giant Turkish 
flags.  Mersin Governor Huseyin Aksoy and Mediterrenean Regional 
and Garrison Commander attended the funeral ceremonies.  Funeral 
prayer of one of the soldiers was held at the Haci Bektasi Veli 
Cultural Center of the Alevi community. 
 
EKSPRES / EVRENSEL:     Fifteen trucks, which entered the 
Incirlik Airbase in Adana without cargo load, have left the base 
three hours later and allegedly carried war materiel to the NATO 
port in Mersin.  Special operations team escorted the convoy of 
trucks. Trucks reportedly had labels reading 'Explosives' on 
them.  Trucks unloaded their cargo at the port where Jandarma 
teams and NATO forces took high security measures.  A 
Turkish-flagged frigate approached to the port.  Evrensel daily 
carried the story on its front page and asked: 'We are asking 
this to PM Erdogan: Is the source of Israel's bombs Incirlik 
(Airbase)?' 
 
EKSPRES:        A local radio station in Adana called Radio Hayat 
started airing a non-stop 94-hour 5 minute program against 
Israel on August 7 in Adana.  Abdurrahman Dilipak, one of the 
columnists of Vakit newspaper, who joined the program by phone, 
said that small boycotting efforts would turn into bigger 
sanctions. 
 
EVRENSEL:       Egitim-Sen (Teachers' Union) and EMEP (Party of 
Labor) will hold a protest against the 'massacres of Israel' in 
Hatay's Dortyol district on Saturday (08/12). 
 
BOLGE / SABAH (GUNEY):  Members of Chamber of Civil Engineers 
and Chamber of Architects in Adana fired criticism at Adana 
Mayor Aytac Durak who had filed complaint against the Seyhan 
Municipality and the chambers for ignoring the unlicensed 
construction activities and buildings in the province.  Chamber 
representatives said Adana Municipality, which was directly 
answerable for the zoning corruption and growth of unlicensed 
buildings in Adana was striving to find associates to blame for 
their own wrongdoing. 
 
HURRIYET CUKUROVA: A short circuit in a truck travelling on a 
road Sirnak's Silopi district caused the truck to cathch fire 
and the truck was completely burned in the end despite hopeless 
efforts of the driver. 
 
HURRIYET CUKUROVA:      Police conducting raids in three 
districts of Sanliurfa found 42 kilograms of hashish and 223,310 
hemp roots cultivated in the fields.  Five people have been 
detained in the anti-drug operations. 
 
HURRIYET CUKUROVA:      Hatay has become the new touristic spot 
for rich Arab tourists who had to cancel their vacation plans in 
Lebanon's Beirut because of the ongoing war. 
 
EVRENSEL:       Five young persons in Sirnak who wanted to go on a 
picnic were stopped by the security officers and searched later 
to be taken to a police station.  The youth filed a complaint 
with the prosecutor on allegations that that they were 
maltreated at the police station. 
 
EVRENSEL:       Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir dismissed 
allegations published on a website on August 3 that Baydemir met 
with Iraqi President Celal Talabani and Kurdish Regional Chief 
Massoud Barzani.  Never in his life has Baydemir traveled to the 
northern Iraq, said the announcement issued by the Diyarbakir 
Municipality. 
 
EVRENSEL:       Information gathered about journalists, columnists, 
executives and employees of pro-Kurdish media outlets are 
reportedly being published on ultra-nationalist internet 
websites.  The names publicized on the websites are reportedly 
putting the people in a sensitive and vulnerable position. 
 
EVRENSEL:       A Financial Times columnist compared the death toll 
caused by Israel's offensive on Lebanon with civilian losses 
 
ADANA 00000179  002 OF 002 
 
 
"Turkey's operations in Kurdistan" caused and reportedly 
complained that Turkey's operations did not attract as much 
public notice as Israeli strikes. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GREEN 
REID