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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000229 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR OCTOBER 19, 2006 
 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for October 19, 
¶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 
 
RADIKAL / HURRIYET:     Mardin Governor rejected the appointment 
request of a U.S. delegation including the U.S. Air and Defense 
Attachi Col. Charles J. Schneider, Deputy Military Attachi 
Lieutenant Colonel Randy J. Smith, and Political Military 
Attachi Carl R. Seibentritt, who are employed in Iraq.  The 
delegation met with the Mardin Mayor on issues concerning 
southeastern region and the PKK.  The delegation headed towards 
the Habur Border Gate in S?rnak following their visits. 
 
¶3.      SABAH / HURRIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM:        Office of the Chief of 
General Staff filed a complaint about DTP Kars provincial 
chairman Mahmut Alinak who previously filed a complaint on 
September 5 against Chief of General Staff General Yasar 
Buyukanit, Land Forces Commander Ilker Basbug and PM Erdogan for 
"not undertaking their responsibilities duely as state officials 
which causes the death of many soldiers and guerillas".  Chief 
of Staff blamed Alinak for making propaganda for a terrorist 
organization. 
 
¶4.      EVRENSEL:       Batman Prosecutor's Office initiated an 
investigation against the delegation set up to probe the killing 
of an 11-year-old in an alleged crossfire between security 
forces and PKK members on September 5.  Prosecutor's Office 
claims that the delegation's probe is violating the 
confidentiality of the official investigation.  The delegation 
 
SIPDIS 
is made up of members from Batman Bar Association and Batman's 
Human Rights Association. 
 
¶5.      OZGUR GUNDEM:   People in Mardin and its districts were 
told that they were not able to watch Roj TV broadcast which is 
allegedly being jammed. 
 
¶6.      SABAH : Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir and mayors 
from DTP participated in a live TV program on Roj TV.  Baydemir 
reportedly said that nobody should yield to the provocations 
during the PKK's cease-fire process. 
 
¶7.      EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM:        The conclusive statement of 
the Third International Kurdish Conference held at the European 
Parliament reportedly urged Turkey to evaluate the cease-fire 
process well, urged EU Commission and its Council to set up 
committees to foster democratic dialogue that would help include 
Kurds in the discussions in Turkey about the government and the 
constitution, and finally pointed out that resolving the Kurdish 
issue was vital for the stability of Turkey. 
 
¶8.      SABAH (GUNEY):  The action that was brought at the 
Second Administrative Court in Adana to cancel the assembly 
membership of Karatas Mayor Metin Catalbas has been dropped. 
Karatas Mayor will keep his mayorship position despite his 
assembly membership status was in suspension when he was elected 
as the new mayor.   This development reportedly caused a 
controversy among legal circles. 
 
¶9.      BOLGE:  DYP Leader Mehmet Agar will arrive at Adana 
airport today, will briefly address the people welcoming him, 
and will then head towards Iskenderun district. 
 
¶10.     BOLGE:  MHP party organization in Hatay paid a visit 
to Vakifli, the only Armenian village in Turkey, and met with 
the headman Berc Kartun.  Berc Kartun reportedly once again 
condemned the bill in France that made it a crime to deny the 
"Armenian genocide." 
 
SECURITY 
 
¶11.     OZGUR GUNDEM:   Turkish Armed Forces launched fresh 
military operations in rural sections of Diyarbakir and Bingol. 
 
 
HUMAN RIGHTS 
 
¶12.     OZGUR GUNDEM:   The strike of Mardin's municipal 
cleaning services employees is continuing and the workers are 
demanding the salaries the municipality owed to them. 
 
¶13.     OZGUR GUNDEM:   Twelfth Heavy Penalty Court in Istanbul 
 
ADANA 00000229  002 OF 002 
 
 
sentenced two members of a Kurdish music group called Koma Gulen 
Xerzan and a baglama player to ten months in prison on grounds 
that their songs were making propaganda for the the PKK.  (Note: 
Baglama is a type of Turkish musical instrument. End Note.) 
 
ECONOMY 
 
¶14.     OZGUR GUNDEM:   The hail that poured the previous day in 
Diyarbakir did great damage to lettuce crops. 
 
CULTURE / SOCIETY 
 
¶15.     YENI SAFAK:     Two people died and 16 people have been 
wounded during a fight that broke out between two families in 
Sanliurfa. 
 
¶16.     HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):    Hatay Governor Ahmet Kayhan said 
that 14,000 Syrians would come to Turkey to meet with their 
relatives during celebrations marking the end of the Ramadan. 
GREEN