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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000266 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR DECEMBER 25, 2006 
 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for December 25, 
¶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 
 
ZAMAN / RADIKAL / TOPLUMSAL DEMOKRASI:  According to the first 
two dailies, DTP Chairperson Ahmet Turk told a DTP congress held 
in Diyarbakir that he was disappointed with the small number of 
Diyarbakir participants in last week's convoy that traveled to 
Ankara in order to extend support to the cease-fire and to 
request an appointment from the parliament spokesperson Bulent 
Arinc regarding the issue (see press summary for December 18). 
Toplumsal Demokrasi daily, on the other hand, reported that Turk 
asked Diyarbakir AKP and CHP deputies: "Will you not feel guilty 
or ashamed when you will solicit votes from the Diyarbakir 
electorate in the next elections?" 
 
EVRENSEL / TOPLUMSAL DEMOKRASI / CUMHURIYET:    The 
twenty-eighth anniversary of the "(Kahraman)Maras Massacre", 
which was reportedly carried out in Kahramanmaras province 
between December 21 and 24 in 1978, was commemorated by Alevi 
organizations in Diyarbakir, Istanbul and Adana.  Nearly 110 
people were killed in the reported Massacre, and many Alevis had 
to leave the province during the incident. This Massacre 
reportedly marked the origination of martial law in many cities 
that eventually led to a coup in 1980.  The dailies pointed out 
the role of the ultra-nationalist fascist circles in the MIT 
intelligence organization that initiated the massacre, in 
particular MIT members who were allegedly in the ranks of the 
MHP (Nationalist Movement Party).  According to the chairperson 
of one of the Alevi organizations in Adana, the Turkish state, 
by covering up the perpetrators of the incident to date, has 
been tacitly supporting the people who perpetrated the incident. 
  In separate news the KKK, the political wing of the PKK, made 
an announcement condemning the "massacre" and calling for the 
democratic forces to come together. 
 
TOPLUMSAL DEMOKRASI:    Hatice Adibelli, one of the three senior 
officials of DTP in Van, who were detained by Van police as they 
were returning from a party congress in one of the districts of 
Van, was arrested after being arraigned with her colleagues. 
Ms. Adibelli was arrested reportedly because of a tip-off given 
by a defector. 
 
EVRENSEL / TOPLUMSAL DEMOKRASI: Panels were held in several 
provinces in Turkey, namely in Antalya, Izmir and Denizli, to 
discuss the Kurdish issue and the cease-fire process.  One of 
the key points made was that the cease-fire was a landmark 
opportunity that should be seized and that the Turkish 
government should take steps to resolve the Kurdish issue 
peacefully. 
 
BOLGE / EKSPRES:        The dailies highlight the discussions going on 
in Adana between AKP deputies and Cukurova University circles 
and civil society organizations, regarding a TOKI (Mass Housing 
Administration) project. This project envisages the construction 
of a 400-bed hospital, a mosque, and a hotel on the land 
belonging to Cukurova University. 
 
SECURITY 
 
 TOPLUMSAL DEMOKRASI:   The spouse of a former village guard 
claimed that police replaced blank cartridge cases with other 
casings at the site of an alleged December 19 incident. In this 
incident, a village guard had died under mysterious 
circumstances in Sanliurfa's Beytussebap district in front of 
his house.  The wife of the slain man added that authorities 
seized the gun they had issued to the guard on grounds that he 
was attending illicit meetings of the former DEHAP party.  The 
authorities reportedly also put pressure later on the village 
guard to take up arms again to fight terrorists. 
 
CRIME / LAW ENFORCEMENT 
 
ZAMAN / HURRIYET / EVRENSEL / TOPLUMSAL DEMOKRASI / CUMHURIYET / 
RADIKAL:        Three male students, who were all 13 years old, were 
arrested on child sexual abuse charges. They had allegedly 
assaulted four younger male children in the first, second and 
third grades of the primary school in one of the public boarding 
schools of Tunceli's Mazgirt district.  The arrested students 
claimed, in their statements, that they had also been victims of 
sexual abuse in the school.  The principal of the school, the 
 
ADANA 00000266  002 OF 002 
 
 
psychological guidance teacher, and another administrator have 
been suspended. The Governor's Office has asked inspectors from 
the Ministry of Education to look into the incident. 
 
TOPLUMSAL DEMOKRASI:    Unidentified persons tore apart the 
Turkish flag that was hanging on a mast in the yard of a primary 
school in Mus.  The torn flag was later put in a coffin that was 
placed in the yard of a mosque standing next to the school. 
Police are currently investigating the incident. 
 
BOLGE / ZAMAN:  Adana police conducted simultaneous operations 
in several sections of the province, and apprehended seven 
alleged members of an illegal organization called the "Selefi 
Organization."  Police launched the operations upon receiving a 
tip-off that the organization had established links with 
Al-Qaeda terrorist organization.  Two of the detainees, who were 
arraigned, were formally arrested.  The others were released to 
stand trial later. 
 
ECONOMY 
 
ZAMAN / RADIKAL:        The Free Trade Agreement, which was signed 
after long discussions and deliberations between Turkey and 
Syria, will take effect as of January 1, 2007.  Gaziantep 
province has already increased its exports to Syria by 79 
percent as compared to the previous year's figures.  Those 
developments have greatly benefited a shopping mall company 
named Metro Grup whose investors are German-based.  Metro Grup 
opened its 10th branch in Gaziantep, and has reportedly received 
an influx of customers from Aleppo to date. 
 
CULTURE / SOCIETY / ENVIRONMENT 
 
EVRENSEL / TOPLUMSAL DEMOKRASI: The Kurdish Music Conference 
was held between December 23 and 24 in the conference hall of 
the Baglar district's municipality in Diyarbakir.  The article 
criticizes the fact that Turkish was mostly used as a medium of 
language during the sessions and presentations held throughout 
the two-day conference.  Academicians pointed out that despite 
the fact that people use Kurdish in daily life, academic 
discussions were not held in Kurdish. 
 
ZAMAN:  The Ministry of Tourism and Culture allocated 4.5 
million YTL to support a restoration project aimed at preserving 
the historical Suleyman Sah Tomb located in Syria. 
GREEN