VZCZCXRO8482
RR RUEHDA
DE RUEHDA #0206/01 2680546
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 250546Z SEP 06
FM AMCONSUL ADANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4300
INFO RUEUITH/AFOSI DET 521 ANKARA TU
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0847
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0739
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 0901

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000206 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR SEPTEMBER 22, 2006 
 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for September 22, 
¶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 
 
HURIYET ONLINE / NTVMSNBC ONLINE:   An explosion took place in 
an allegedly illegally-operated chemical factory in an 
industrial area of Gaziantep yesterday at about 8 p.m.  The 
blazes quickly jumped onto containers having thinner in them at 
the site, and fire started.   Firefighters were able to 
extinguish it in four hours, and 36 people, including some of 
the firefighters, have been wounded so far.  The death toll is 
three persons and their bodies have not been identified yet. 
 
NTVMSNBC ONLINE:   Fire broke out for unknown reasons in one of 
the primary schools in Siirt.   A stampede took place and panic 
started among people, when it took the firefighters to intervene 
because of shortage of water.  During the event, one of the 
firefighting cars had an accident and rolled over wounding one 
of the firefighters.   After two hours of fight, the blazes were 
extinguished.  No casualties were reported. (This article is 
from the September 21 dated edition.) 
 
¶3.      YENI SAFAK:   BOTAS Co. (Petroleum Pipeline Corporation), 
which has been running the Baku-Tibilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline (BTC) 
established Turkey's first team to fight against oil fires. 
 
¶4.      CUMHURIYET:   Diyarbakir Governor's Office announced that 
the government will allocate 15,000 YTL to compensate for losses 
of 60 houses and 11 businesses that incurred material damage 
during September 12 Diyarbakir bomb attack.  The Office further 
clarified that compensation covered only losses caused by 
material damage.  Those people whose family members died or were 
wounded during the event would be covered under the Law on 
Compensating for Losses Incurred Because of Terrorism and During 
the Fight Against Terrorism. 
 
¶5.      HURRIYET: Chief of General Staff General Yasar Buyukanit 
paid a courtesy visit to the newly appointed Third Army 
Commander in Erzincan together with other top-ranking 
commanders.     The Governor and the new commander welcomed 
Buyukanit.  Buyukanit went to Malatya and paid a visit to 
Malatya Governor, as well.  Buyukanit told the journalists that 
the Turkish translation of the "Special Envoy for Countering the 
PKK" was causing misunderstandings, and that Turkey would never 
engage in negotiations with the terrorist organization. 
 
¶6.      ZAMAN:    PM Erdogan reportedly paid a visit to the 
families of martyrs the previous day during his trip to the 
Bursa province in order to extend condolences.  The visit was 
kept secret since PM Erdogan did not want to advertise his 
visit. 
 
¶7.      SABAH (GUNEY): Sanliurfa's Chamber of Commerce and 
Industry, who contributed to the construction of Akcakale Border 
Gate which was completed two years ago, has launched efforts to 
have the General Chief of Staff demine a mined area which has 
been hindering the opening of the Gate.  Officials from Syrian 
side had long ago given consent for opening of that border gate. 
 
¶8.      NTVMSNBC ONLINE:   Fire broke out for unknown reasons in 
one of the primary schools in Siirt.   A stampede took place and 
panic started among people, when it took the firefighters to 
intervene because of shortage of water.  During the event, one 
of the firefighting cars had an accident and rolled over 
wounding one of the firefighters.   After two hours of fight, 
the blazes were extinguished.  No casualties were reported. 
(This article is from the September 21 dated edition.) 
 
¶9.      HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):    Upon receiving a tip-off, Van 
Police searched a vehicle at the city center, and, found 117 
kilograms of heroin worth 10 million YTL, in the car's fuel 
tank.  Security Director of Van said that that was a record 
amount of illegal drugs caught in one single operation. 
Separately, Van Police caught two people having six Glock-brand 
pistols, 150 bullets, 18 clips. 
 
¶10.     HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):    Fifth International Middle East 
Industry Fair and 1st Automotive Fair (see press summary for 
September 19) is going on in Diyarbakir province.   Diyarbakir 
Governor Efkan Ala said during the opening ceremony that 
stability in the region is a prerequisite for economic 
 
ADANA 00000206  002 OF 002 
 
 
development.  380 from Iraqi people reportedly attended the 
fair. 
 
¶11.     OZGUR GUNDEM: Mehmet Demir, who lost his wife, three 
children, two nieces and his sister-in-law in the September 12 
bomb attack in Diyarbakir, is preparing to file a lawsuit 
against the Turkish State because of the incident. 
 
¶12.     OZGUR GUNDEM: Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir gave a 
statement to the Second Court of First Instance because of a 
news article titled "Kurds and Turks cannot Live Together" which 
was published on a well-known journal on an unspecified date. 
 
¶13.     Four bullets wounded a six-year old girl, Serivan Cetin, 
on September 5 allegedly because of fire opened from village 
guards' automatic guns of at the truck of the Cetin family on 
unspecified grounds on a road in Sirnak's Beytussebap district. 
The mother of the girl claims that the village guards opened 
fire and ran away then leaving the girl wounded.  Since then, 
the family has reportedly been trying to cure the girl's wounds 
at hospitals. 
 
¶14.     HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):    Mersin Governor said that Mersin 
submitted its candidacy for hosting 2013 Mediterranean Games. 
GREEN