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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000228 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR OCTOBER 18, 2006 
 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for October 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 
 
OZGUR GUNDEM:   It was stated at the Third Kurdish Conference 
of the European Parliament that the European Union should also 
appoint a Kurdish envoy for resolving the Kurdish issue, and 
that this envoy should be included in the tripartite mechanism 
established between the US, Turkey, and Iraq. 
 
¶3.      OZGUR GUNDEM / CUMHURIYET:      Iraqi Foreign Minister 
Hosyar Zebari told a newspaper published in northern Iraq that 
the Maxmur Camp on Mount Qandil would not be closed, and that 
the Iraqi government would not deport any refugee living there. 
 
¶4.      EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM:         One of the attorneys in the 
Semdinli case said that the Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme 
Court of Appeals was allegedly trying to acquit members of an 
illegal network by objecting to the June 16 verdict of the local 
court that had sentenced two non-commissioned officers to 
long-term prison sentences (see press summary for October 17). 
The Mayor of Yuksekova in Hakkari found the recent move of the 
Supreme Court to be dubious, and the Mayor of Semdinli in 
Hakkari alleged that the authorities were trying to cover up the 
defendants' guilt. 
 
¶5.      RADIKAL / HURRIYET / CUMHURIYET:        Mersin's Fourth Court 
of First Instance sentenced two of the nine defendants accused 
of hurling eggs at PM Erdogan during an opening ceremony held on 
February 11 in Mersin, to a year and two months of prison apiece 
for "insulting the prime minister because of his profession." 
The other defendants were each sentenced to 11 months and twenty 
days in prison.  The court then delayed the effective date for 
the prison sentence of the convicts. 
 
¶6.      BOLGE / EVRENSEL:       A twenty-five vehicle convoy carrying 
materiel for Lebanon-bound troops arrived at the port of Mersin. 
 Turkish Land Forces' Units which will also join the UNIFIL in 
Lebanon have arrived at Mersin (see press summary for October 
17) as well.  The units will depart Turkey for Lebanon on 
October 19. 
 
¶7.      BOLGE:  Seyhan Municipality Assembly condemned the 
recent passing of a bill in France that made it a crime to deny 
the "Armenian genocide." 
 
¶8.      ZAMAN:  The daily claimed that 15 members had deserted 
from terrorist organizations over the last 20 days.  The last 
two terrorists surrendered to the authorities in Van and Mus 
provinces separately. 
 
¶9.      ZAMAN:  CHP National Leader Deniz Baykal extended a 
strongly worded criticism to DYP Leader Mehmet Agar for Agar's 
recent remark, which was as follows: "They [PKK members] should 
carry out political activities in plain land, instead of going 
up to the mountains to take up arms."  According to Baykal, 
Agar's remark was reminiscent of something Abdullah Ocalan might 
have said. 
 
¶10.     CUMHURIYET:     The Diyarbakir Prosecutor's Office initiated 
an investigation against the Newruz celebrations held in 
Diyarbakir on March 21 under the leadership of the DTP.  The 
investigation was initiated on the grounds that photographs of 
Abdullah Ocalan and PKK militants were carried and shown during 
the celebrations, despite a ban against such action issued by 
the Ministry of the Interior. 
 
SECURITY 
 
¶11.     BOLGE / EVRENSEL:       Adana police safely detonated a 
suspicious plastic bag left in front of a furniture shop in 
downtown Adana.  The bag turned out to have contained wood 
chips. 
 
HUMAN RIGHTS 
 
¶12.     OZGUR GUNDEM:   Relatives of the PKK guerilla who was 
buried in an area near Siirt's Eruh district after dying in an 
October 11 clash between the Turkish Armed Forces, applied to 
Prosecutor's Office in Eruh to claim possession of the body. 
The Prosecutor's Office told the relatives that they should 
 
ADANA 00000228  002 OF 002 
 
 
apply to the Subgovernor's Office, if the grave of the terrorist 
would be opened, to bury him in his hometown.  The subgovernor 
allegedly told the relatives of the terrorist that he would 
issue a permit to open the grave whenever he felt like it--no 
sooner. 
 
ECONOMY 
 
¶13.     HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):    Ten women in Sanliurfa began 
operating greenhouses that had been built using funds provided 
by the European Union. 
 
¶14.     SABAH (GUNEY):  Diyarbakir's Chamber of Commerce and 
Industry launched efforts to prepare for the 2007 Middle Eastern 
Agricultural Fair, which will be held between May 23 and 27 in 
2007 in Diyarbakir. 
 
CRIME / LAW ENFORCEMENT 
 
¶15.     HURRIYET (CUKUROVA) / ZAMAN:    Van police found 40 
kilograms of heroin hidden in balloons loaded in a private car 
which had been stopped at a checkpoint in Van's Gurpinar 
district.  Van's Security Director announced that the police 
have seized two tons of illegal drugs during operations within 
this year. 
 
¶16.     SABAH (GUNEY):  Members of the Provincial Jandarma 
Command in Gaziantep caught a person who had illegally smuggled 
five Glock handguns into the country from northern Iraq. 
 
¶17.     ZAMAN:  Diyarbakir police discovered and dissolved an 
illegal gang selling synthetic pills to young people in front of 
schools in Diyarbakir.  Twenty-six kilograms of hashish-based 
ingredients, 2078 ecstasy pills, and 300 grams of heroin-based 
ingredients were seized.  Seventeen people have been arrested 
and arraigned. 
 
CULTURE / SOCIETY 
 
¶18.     OZGUR GUNDEM:   TZPKurdi (The Movement for Kurdish 
Language and Its Teaching) will be offering Kurdish courses at 
various levels and will engage in efforts to make Kurdish the 
language of daily life.  The Kurdish Democracy Forum will also 
be offering a Kurdish course in Ankara. 
 
¶19.     BOLGE:  A project submitted by a student from the 
International Relations Department of Cag University in Mersin 
has been accepted by the EU Youth Programs.  Twenty students 
from Romania, Estonia, Belgium, and Lithuania attended a seminar 
on the EU at the University. 
GREEN