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UNCLAS ADANA 000188 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR AUGUST 21, 2006 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for August 21, 
¶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:   Although the Agri Governor's Office announced 
that the explosion on the natural gas pipeline of BOTAS (Turkish 
Pipeline Corporation) in Agri's Taslicay Township on Saturday 
(08/19) was sabotage of the PKK, the daily reported that the PKK 
had not claimed responsibility yet. 
 
RADIKAL / ZAMAN:        The PKK reportedly carried out the attack on 
the BOTAS pipeline in Agri by placing C-4 and A-4 plastic 
explosives on four points which are two meters away from each 
other.  The explosion blew up a 200-meter section of the 
pipeline, and 8 million cubic meters of natural gas worth 3.5 
million YTL was burned out.  The repair work will be completed 
and shipment of natural gas reportedly will resume tomorrow. 
Zaman daily pointed out that six sabotage attempts targeting 
pipelines had occured in seven months. 
 
ZAMAN:   A captain was seriously wounded during a conflict 
that broke out between security forces and PKK terrorists in 
Mardin's Nusaybin district. 
 
HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):    Ten thousand Syriacs, who went from 
Turkey to Germany for different reasons and who sought asylum 
there, are now facing the risk of being deported.   A Syriac 
clergyman reportedly said that Syriacs were given residence 
permits in Germany on the condition that they would return when 
peaceful conditions prevail in Turkey.   For that reason, the 
German government is now considering sending back the Syriacs to 
their country. 
 
EVRENSEL /  OZGUR GUNDEM:       Chief Prosecutor's Office in 
Sanliurfa started an investigation against eight people who 
denounced in a July 14 press announcement the alleged execution 
of a PKK member by the Turkish security forces after catching 
the militant in Batman's Besiri district (see press summary 
).   Those eight people are members of civil society 
organizations such as local chapter of Human Rights Association, 
Mazlum-Der (Solidarity Association for Oppressed People), DTP 
(Democratic Society Party), and Egitim-Sen (Teacher's Union). 
The Prosecutor reportedly started the investigation because of 
the title of the press announcement, which said, 'Turkey's point 
of view: Kurds deserve all kinds of violence.' 
 
EVRENSEL:       During a festival held in Tunceli's Pulumur 
district, Sinan Yerlikaya, Tunceli deputy from CHP (Republican 
People's Party), made a call to the PKK to lay down arms. 
Yerlikaya said that unless the PKK laid down arms in the first 
place, a general amnesty for the PKK militants would never be 
declared. 
 
EVRENSEL:       German authorities arrested two Kurdish politicians 
in Germany on grounds that those people were members of 
Kongra-Gel.  Federation of Kurdish Associations, in order to 
protest that new development, decided to shut down 65 Kurdish 
associations in Germany for one week starting from today. 
 
RADIKAL:        The allegations that the waste material of Incirlik 
Airbase, such as jet fuel wastes, some chamical and solid 
wastes, were being discharged to the Seyhan and Ceyhan rivers in 
Adana have been dismissed by American officials. (This summary 
is from 08/18 edition.) 
 
REID