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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000211 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR OCTOBER 02, 2006 
 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for October 02, 
¶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 
 
HURRIYET (CUKUROVA) / EVRENSEL / BOLGE / EKSPRES / SABAH (GUNEY) 
/ RADIKAL / CUMHURIYET: Three people were wounded in a blast 
that took place at 12.20 p.m. in front of the emergency unit of 
the Mersin State Hospital in Mersin.  The bomb was placed on a 
bicycle left on front of the hospital.  Windows of cars and 
buildings in the surrounding area were broken.  The police 
suspect that the bomb was made up of C-4. 
 
¶3.      EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM:        The dailies drew attention 
to three bombs that had exploded at separate times in different 
places last week in Mersin.  Since the last bomb incident 
coincided with the PKK's ceasefire declaration, the dailies 
report that those incidents are raising suspicions in people's 
minds.  The dailies further report the formation of a group in 
the province whose members were reportedly made up of retired 
soldiers and police officers.  This group is reportedly called 
the Union of Patriotic Forces. 
 
¶4.      EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM:        Various circles reportedly 
received October 1 ceasefire declaration of the PKK with 
enthusiasm.  DTP will solicit appointment from the premier for 
the start of a possible ceasefire process and DTP officials are 
planning later to meet with the other parties like DYP, ANAP, 
DSP, etc., as well.  Reportedly, PM Erdogan's first reaction to 
the PKK's ceasefire news as he talked with journalists during 
his travel to the U.S. to meet with the U.S. President Bush was 
that they would see how sincere the intentions were and how 
healthy the situation was.  Ozgur Gundem daily perceives 
premier's first reaction to the ceasefire as moderate.  The 
dailies further list the conditions set by the PKK as follows: 
1- The ceasefire will continue indefinitely, depending on the 
developments that would take place and measures that would be 
taken. 2-Weapons would never be used in the meantime; this 
excludes cases when efforts are launched to destroy the PKK. 
3-Other forces, not linked with the PKK and directly affiliated 
with Abdullah Ocalan should also abide by the ceasefire rules. 
4-All of the organizations, cadres and institutions in the 
region working in the ideological, political, social and 
organizational arenas, should work toward the success of the 
peace process. 5-The three-envoy-structure for resolving the PKK 
issue should not escalate the problems by trying to eradicate 
the PKK, rather it should work towards solving the issue by 
implementing a democratic project.  The PKK reportedly reached 
the ceasefire decision following PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan's 
call for the PKK to issue a ceasefire. 
 
¶5.      EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM:        AKP Diyarbakir Provincial 
Chairperson Abdurrahman Kurt, DYP Diyarbakir Provincial 
Chairperson Galip Ensarioglu, the Chairperson of Diyarbakir's 
Chamber of Industry and Commerce, and the Chairperson of 
Diyarbakir Bar Association, each made similar statements calling 
the ceasefire a historic opportunity that should not be missed. 
The dailies further cite similar comments from Esat Canan, CHP 
deputy from Hakkari; Hayri Kozanoglu, National Chairperson of 
ODP (Freedom and Solidarity Party), Yusuf Alatas, Chairperson of 
Human Rights Association, etc. 
 
¶6.      RADIKAL / CUMHURIYET:   Iraqi President Jalal Talabani 
held an interview with a Greek newspaper and said that Turkey 
should issue a general amnesty for the PKK militants currently 
located in the Mountain Qandil of Iraq.  PKK militants there are 
reportedly anticipating such an amnesty, according to Talabani. 
The daily further cited Talabani as saying that as a regional 
player, the PKK had always upset the sense of trust between 
Turkey and Iraq.  According to Talabani, the PKK had no future. 
 
 
¶7.      EVRENSEL:       The military operation launched in rural 
sections of Sirnak's Beytussebap district continued yesterday. 
Meanwhile, dozens of tanks from the Tank Battalion in Sirnak's 
Cizre district made a "show of force" in the city center 
yesterday. 
 
¶8.      OZGUR GUNDEM / RADIKAL: The military operation that was 
started in the 3,300-meter-high Sat Mountains in Hakkari against 
PKK guerillas reportedly continued yesterday.  It is reported 
that the scale of that operation going on in the border area 
 
ADANA 00000211  002 OF 002 
 
 
with Iraq and Iran was one of the largest of the recent years. 
Radikal daily reports that the operation was initiated against 
250 PKK militants who were discovered in the Sat Mountains. 
 
¶9.      CUMHURIYET / BOLGE / EKSPRES:   A reported PKK terrorist was 
caught in the intercity bus terminal of Adana with six kilograms 
of explosives and four hand grenades.  The person arrived at the 
terminal from a rural part of the country.  The PKK terrorist 
planned on carrying out bomb attacks against urban centers, 
according to the Turkish Police. 
 
¶10.     CUMHURIYET:     Mardin Governor's Office announced that one 
terrorist was killed during an operation which was started in 
Mardin on September 28. 
 
¶11.     OZGUR GUNDEM:   Firat Anli, Mayor of the Yenisehir 
District in Diyarbakir, said that from now on two languages, 
namely Turkish and Kurdish, would be used in official documents 
of the municipalities (from DTP).  This decision was made in a 
conference of municipalities that was held on an unspecified 
date.  Anli announced that decision during the reception held to 
mark the opening of Kurdi-Der (Association for Researching and 
Developing Kurdish Language). 
 
¶12.     HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):    The Mardin Municipality launched a 
campaign to clean up the city's mosques and churches. 
 
¶13.     OZGUR GUNDEM:   Two young persons, both of whom were 20 
years old, separately committed suicide in Batman, a city which 
has become notorious for the increase in its suicide rate (see 
press summary for September 25). 
 
¶14.     EKSPRES / SABAH (GUNEY):        Adana Mayor Aytac Durak 
commented on newspaper reporting on the positive reputation of 
Yusuf Ernkara, AKP-based mayor of Adana's Karatas district, 
after he was killed with his brother on September 22 in Adana 
(see press summary for September 25 and 26).  Mayor Durak said 
that Erenkara had been engaged in irregularities and was not as 
honest a man as the media depicted him after his murder.  Durak 
further dismissed any personal interest in the elections to be 
held at the Karatas municipality to determine the new mayor. 
Durak added that he would not accept any new Karatas Mayor who 
decided to join the ranks of the Adana Municipality, since 
corruption had reportedly tainted the name of the Karatas 
Municipality. (Note: Three candidates will run for mayorship. 
End Note.)  The daily speculates on how people of Karatas 
district, who have been in mourning since Erenkara's death, will 
react to Durak's remarks.  Meanwhile, Adana's regional 
representative for Sabah's Guney supplement asks the following 
questions in his column: Has Karatas district become a center 
for a smuggling business which has been covering itself under 
the fishing trade there?  Are smuggling networks in Karatas, 
whose Syria- and Lebanon-based operations are allegedly being 
ignored by state officials, hindering the development of the 
tourism sector in the Karatas district? 
GREEN