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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000249 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR NOVEMBER 28, 2006 
 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for November 28, 
¶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 
 
EVRENSEL:       Sinan Yerlikaya, Tunceli deputy from CHP, who said 
that nobody could negotiate with the (Turkish) state on 
terrorism, further stated that only when the PKK lays down its 
arms unconditionally, regulations about a general amnesty could 
be brought to the agenda. 
 
EVRENSEL:       Thirty-six institutions in Diyarbakir including 
mayors, leaders of political parties and civil society 
organizations, convened at the Diyarbakir Municipality's theater 
hall under the name of "Peace Platform" and made a call to the 
authorities to stop the ongoing military operations. 
 
EVRENSEL:       A lawsuit has been brought against Salih Yildiz, 
Mayor of Hakkari's Yuksekova district, for "making propaganda of 
the terrorist organization through utilizing media and press." 
 
YENI SAFAK:     DTP issued a statement that voiced harsh criticism 
against CHP Leader Deniz Baykal.  The statement claimed that the 
military operations had continued intensively following the 
cease-fire the PKK declared, and, despite much bloodshed since 
then, political and military circles, continued to take 
advantage of the environment of conflict and clashes.  The 
statement further said that the CHP leader, instead of behaving 
like a political leader, was actually acting like a commander. 
 
 
BOLGE:  Eric Green, U.S. Consul in Adana, came to Van to 
conduct a series of visits in the province.   Eric Green, who 
came to Van via Sun Express Airlines, paid his first visit to 
the Mayor of Van and held talks with him nearly for an hour. 
 
SECURITY 
 
EVRENSEL / BOLGE:       The troops with 250,000 soldiers that were 
amassed at the border area with northern Iraq are preparing to 
withdraw from the area where they have been deployed since March 
¶2006.  In the first stage, fifteen trucks loaded with cannons 
and tanks and carrying soldiers have returned to Hakkari's 
Yuksekova district. 
 
HUMAN RIGHTS 
 
HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):    Hatay Women's Platform condemned the 
killings in the name of honor in Hatay.  The spokesperson of the 
platform said that a total of 1137 murders were committed in 
2006 in the name of honor. 
 
CRIME / LAW ENFORCEMENT 
 
HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):    A doctor from Cukurova University's 
Balcali Hospital, who was in the center of a scandal, has 
recently been convicted, and will serve three years in prison. 
The doctor caused his patients to get pregnant by sperms taken 
from other men. 
 
HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):    A lawsuit was started against the 
district mufti of Kadirli in Osmaniye for attempted fraud in a 
tender and for insulting persons who had intentions to submit 
bids for a tender. 
 
ECONOMY 
 
HURRIYET (CUKUROVA) / YENI SAFAK:       Kadri Saman, Chairperson of 
Mersin's Chamber of Industry and Commerce, said that, despite 
there being 23 techno park complexes built in Turkey, Mersin's 
Techno-park was one of the 13 techno-parks which has started 
operations.  The techno-park, which was built on 12.3-acres of 
land, is reportedly awaiting to host researchers. 
 
ZAMAN:  Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir, who opened the 
biggest live animal market in Turkey and the Middle East last 
Saturday, met with journalists in charge of economic issues. 
Baydemir said that instability was a great obstacle against the 
development of the province and every bomb exploding in the city 
was taking the city six months backwards in terms of its 
economy. 
 
 
ADANA 00000249  002 OF 002 
 
 
YENI SAFAK:     Members of Association for Women Entrepreneurs in 
Van's Ercis district paid a visit to the Van Governor Niyazi 
Tanilir and gave information about their newly established 
association. 
 
CULTURE / SOCIETY / ENVIRONMENT 
 
HURRIYET (CUKUROVA) / RADIKAL:  The feud that had been going 
on between two clans in Mardin's Kiziltepe district was settled 
amicably during a dinner that aimed to bring the two clans 
together for peaceful end to the drawn-out dispute.  5000 people 
attended the dinner event. 
 
ZAMAN:  The olive oil factories on the Syrian side of the 
Orontes River in Hatay are reportedly polluting the river.  The 
waters of the river have turned into black color nowadays. 
 
ZAMAN:  A fire that broke out in the landfill area of 
Mersin, reportedly is under control, according to the 
authorities; however, people living around the area are 
complaining about the air pollution the fire is causing since it 
has not been extinguished yet. 
 
YENI SAFAK:     A lawsuit has been opened against three persons who 
were part of a group of people that held a protest in front of 
the subgovernor's office in Diyarbakir's Cinar district on 
grounds that they had not been able to receive any aid after the 
flooding that affected the district.  The lawsuit was reportedly 
brought on charges that the group held an unauthorized 
demonstration. 
 
SABAH:  Tunceli Governor Mustafa Erkal said that Return to 
Villages Project was going on successfully, and people in the 
fifty per cent of the villages that were evacuated had returned 
to their villages to date. 
GREEN