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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000204 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR 18 SEPTEMBER, 2006 
 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for September 18, 
¶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 
 
ZAMAN ONLINE    Land Forces Commander General Ilker Basbug 
took the pulse of public sentiment in the Hakkari province. 
Basbug, who paid a visit to the Hakkari Governor's Office, 
walked around the city center and chatted with the people in the 
street.  In addition to listening to what people in the street 
had to say, Basbug stated that "traitors" had caused the death 
of 10 children in Diyarbakir.   Basbug condemned the bomb attack 
and expressed his strong desire to track down the perpetrators. 
 
EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM:        One week after the Diyarbakir 
bombing, the Evrensel daily asked in today's edition whether the 
bombing's perpetrators were being pursued or not.  The daily 
pointed out that during a period when the DTP and civil society 
were calling for the PKK to cease fire, and the PKK was 
preparing to respond positively to the call, authorities had 
ignored the PKK's recent condemnation of the bombing and had not 
paid any attention to the Turkish Revenge Brigade, which claimed 
responsibility for the attack on its website.  The authorities 
have reportedly also turned a deaf ear to allegations that the 
"Atabeyler gang" and former retired JITEM members were allegedly 
summoned back for duty in the region a while ago.  According to 
Ozgur Gundem daily, Adil Timurtas, a PKK defector, said that the 
TIT (Turkish Revenge Brigade), which claimed responsibility for 
the bomb attack, was an illegal organization allegedly acting 
under the auspices of the military. 
 
EVRENSEL:       Mass organizations and political parties held a 
demonstration in Tunceli to condemn the Diyarbakir bomb attack. 
DTP's Adiyaman chapter also held a silent demonstration and made 
a press announcement in the province. 
 
BOLGE:  PKK supporters in Mersin carried out unauthorized 
demonstrations in some parts of the province to protest the 
Diyarbakir bombing.  When demonstrators hurled stones and 
Molotov cocktails at the police, the police intervened in light 
armored police vehicles. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Representatives of political parties in 
Batman, including DTP, SHP, ANAP, CHP, AKP and SP, made a press 
announcement to condemn the Diyarbakir bombing and expressed 
messages of solidarity. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   The coffins of six PKK terrorists who were 
killed in an operation in a village in Van's Ercis district (see 
the press summary for September 17) have been brought to the 
Ercis State Hospital.  Some families came to the hospital to see 
whether their family members were among the dead. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Southeastern Journalists' Association held its 
annual journalism awards ceremony.  Kurdish author Mehmet Uzun 
was given the special jury award during the ceremony. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Human Rights Association's Diyarbakir Chapter 
established the European Human Rights Center under a joint 
project with the IFIAS (Institute for International Assistance 
and Solidarity) in order to expand its capabilities for sharing 
information and dialogue. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   A CHP deputy asked the parliament whether the 
government had signed an agreement with the U.S. guaranteeing 
that it would never carry out a cross-border operation targeting 
the Qandil Mountain in the northern Iraq. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   Members of the Human Rights Sub-Committee of 
the European Parliament will come to Turkey to meet with human 
rights representatives in Istanbul and in southeastern Turkey. 
 
BOLGE:  AKP Adana Provincial Chairman Mustafa Attaroglu told 
journalists that he was a peaceful man who dealt with issues 
calmly.  Attaroglu, while discussing current and future 
investments in Adana province, added that the way to overcome 
challenges in the province and to overcome difficulties was to 
foster cooperation and solidarity. 
 
BOLGE:  Six kilograms of hashish, worth approximately 12,000 
YTL, were found by Iskenderun police in an intercity passenger 
coach in Hatay's Iskenderun district during an anti-drug 
 
ADANA 00000204  002 OF 002 
 
 
trafficking search operation. 
 
HURRIYET ONLINE:        A fire broke out yesterday at around 11 p.m. 
in a wooded area in Hatay's Samandag district.  Firefighters 
were not able to reach the fire because of the rough and 
elevated terrain in the area. 
 
EKSPRES:        This daily reported alleged irregularities carried 
out with computer and medicine purchases made by the Provincial 
Health Directorate of Adana. 
 
SABAH (GUNEY):  Turk Harb-Is (Defense Industry and Allied 
Workers Union) held a number of protests against the recent 
laying off of 17 workers who were employed at VBR (Vinnel-Brown 
And Root Co.) and AAFES (Army and Air Force Exchange Service) 
companies at the 39th Wing Air Base in Adana's Incirlik 
district. 
 
EVRENSEL:       As the new school year starts today for millions of 
students in Turkey, the Tunceli chapter of Egitim-Sen (Teacher's 
Union) drew attention to education-related issues in the 
southeastern province.  According to the union, the southeast's 
violent environment has serious adverse effects on education. 
YIBOs (Boarding Schools for Primary School Children) had 
reportedly been employed also as barracks for soldiers. 
Moreover, the shortage of teachers and personnel in the schools 
of the districts of the region had reached serious levels.  The 
schools also lacked facilities such as libraries and 
recreational areas. 
 
SABAH (GUNEY):  The seventh International Mersin Festival has 
ended. 
 
SABAH (GUNEY):  American soldiers working at the Incirlik 
Airbase played a friendship basketball game with one of Adana's 
local teams. 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   The first snow of the year fell in the Ararat 
Mountain in Agri. 
GREEN