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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000267 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR DECEMBER 26, 2006 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for December 26, 
¶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 
 
CUMHURIYET / EVRENSEL / TOPLUMSAL DEMOKRASI:    The Diyarbakir 
Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation into a book (in 
Kurdish and Turkish) on plays and handicrafts that the Sur 
Municipality distributed to teachers and parents as a guide on 
October 5th in honor of World Teachers' Day. According to the 
Prosecutor's office, the book violates the law requiring that 
only the Turkish alphabet can be used in educational materials. 
 
 
TOPLUMSAL DEMOKRASI:    The Yuksekova Prosecutor's Office 
initiated a lawsuit against a person who, in an interview with 
Roj TV about the cease-fire, referred to the guerillas who died 
in the clashes as 'martyrs'.  That remark, according to the 
Prosecutor, constituted a breach of law because it "praised 
evildoers." 
 
EVRENSEL:       According to the daily, there was significant local 
interest in the discussion panel entitled "Kurdish issues, 
democracy and peace" which was recently held in the Bursa 
province. 
 
EVRENSEL / TOPLUMSAL DEMOKRASI / RADIKAL:       A group of journalists 
interviewed Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir. Baydemir told the 
journalists that the government should approach resource 
allocation fairly and should implement policies on the basis of 
equality for all of Turkey's provinces. Baydemir added that he 
was currently refraining from extending direct political 
messages lest they cast a shadow over the enormous issues facing 
Diyarbakir province, such as infrastructure problems and 
poverty.  Baydemir said that aside from Istanbul and Ankara, 
Diyarbakir was one of the most important three provinces of 
Turkey. As a result, in Baydemir's words, a developing 
Diyarbakir should be considered synonymous with a developing 
Turkey.  Separately, Radikal highlighted Baydemir's remarks last 
week at the opening of Diyarbakir's new bus terminal.  Baydemir 
reportedly complained that he had not been able to meet with PM 
Erdogan for nearly a year and a half, since the day PM Erdogan 
came to Diyarbakir in August 2005. 
 
TOPLUMSAL DEMOKRASI:    Francis Wurtz, the Leader of the United 
Left party in the European Parliament, said that the Kurdish 
issue could not be resolved by military force and that Turkish 
authorities should seize the historic opportunity presented by 
the PKK's cease-fire.  Wurtz demanded that the EU should put 
pressure on Turkey to resolve the Kurdish issue. 
 
TOPLUMSAL DEMOKRASI:    As a result of growing interest of Dutch 
companies in northern Iraq, Holland announced that it will open 
a consulate in northern Iraq to develop relationships and ties 
in the region. 
 
EVRENSEL / CUMHURIYET:  The CHP's Adana chapter held a ceremony 
in Adana to mark the thirty-third anniversary of the death of 
Ismet Inonu, second president of the Turkish Republic. 
Ceremonies in Ankara, Izmir and Malatya also commemorated 
President Inonu. (Note: Malatya is the hometown of Mr. Inonu. 
End Note.) 
 
TOPLUMSAL DEMOKRASI:    The DTP Provincial party's organization 
in Gaziantep organized a feast to thank the local citizenry for 
their warm welcome as the "Walk for Peace" convoy passed through 
the province last week on its way to Ankara (please see press 
summary for December 18). 
 
SECURITY 
 
 TOPLUMSAL DEMOKRASI:    A 17 year-old boy lost an eye when a 
mortar shell, which he discovered while grazing his cattle, 
exploded.  Soldiers had allegedly left the ordnance in the field 
following a military exercise. 
 
ZAMAN / CUMHURIYET:     The Sirnak Governor's Office announced 
that security personnel caught two PKK members during a road 
check held on December 24 in a section of Sirnak.  Zaman daily 
reported that security personnel found 21 kilograms of heroin in 
a hidden panel in the couriers' car.  Cumhuriyet daily reported 
that two Kalashnikov assault rifles, 68 pistols, one night 
 
ADANA 00000267  002 OF 002 
 
 
vision device, and three mobile phones were found with the two 
suspects. 
 
ECONOMY 
 
HURRIYET (CUKUROVA) / EVRENSEL / ZAMAN / TOPLUMSAL DEMOKRASI: 
Ali Er, Chairperson of Parliamentary Commission for Fresh 
Vegetables, Fruit and Citrus Fruit, said the Commission was 
working to provide a subsidy amounting to 100 USD per ton to 
facilitate citrus fruit exports.  Mr. Er further stated that 
current problems with the citrus fruit export process came from 
errors made during multiple stages to include production, 
packaging and unloading. 
 
CUMHURIYET:     The Free Trade Agreement signed between Syria and 
Turkey, which will take effect as of January 1, reportedly aims 
to reduce the current importance of the Habur Border Gate in 
Sirnak as a hub in transporting goods to Iraq through the 
Kurdish Regional Authority. 
 
CULTURE / SOCIETY / ENVIRONMENT 
 
SABAH (GUNEY):  Catholic Churches of the Antakya and 
Iskenderun districts in Hatay observed Christmas mass.  People 
sung hymns, read the Bible and prayed.  Luigi Padovese, 
Representative of the Anatolian Papacy and Head of the Turkish 
Catholic Bishops Council, extended messages of friendship and 
peace during the talk he delivered at the mass held at Saint 
Pierre Church. 
 
SABAH (GUNEY):  The Dean of the Agricultural Faculty of the 
Cukurova University in Adana said that the university-owned 
proposed site for the construction of a 400-bed hospital, a 
mosque, and a hotel was first class agricultural land.  The Dean 
added that this plot of land had been the subject of numerous 
research initiatives to date (please see press summary for 
December 25).  The land reportedly belongs to the University's 
Cotton Research Center. 
 
HURRIYET (CUKUROVA) / SABAH (GUNEY):    Gaziantep celebrated 
the city's 85th anniversary of its liberation from French 
occupation.  In a public speech marking the event, State 
Minister Kursat Tuzmen stated that the Turkish people had never, 
throughout their history, committed or abetted genocide. 
 
EVRENSEL / TOPLUMSAL DEMOKRASI: Village guards and soldiers 
are allegedly cutting down trees in a 7400 acre forested area in 
Sirnak's Idil district due to security concerns in the area. 
They have reportedly received permission from the Regional 
Directorate of Environment and Forests to do so.  Village guards 
are reportedly selling truckloads of oak trees for 200 to 300 
YTL per truck.  The Mayor of the Idil district reacted strongly 
to this activity, and criticized the Directorate for pursuing 
forestry policies in the southeast that were sharply divergent 
from those followed in western Turkey. 
 
EVRENSEL / TOPLUMSAL DEMOKRASI: One hundred and forty 
delegates attended the Kurdish Music Conference, held December 
23-24 in Diyarbakir's Baglar district (please see press summary 
for December 25).  The concluding statement called for efforts 
to protect and develop Kurdish culture and music, and demanded 
that countries such as Iran, Turkey and Syria stop exerting 
pressure on Kurdish culture.  The report also recommended that 
Culture Ministry abandon its policies allegedly denying the 
presence of Kurdish culture, that it extend financial and 
institutional support to it instead. 
 
ZAMAN / HURRIYET:       The Toroslar Municipality in Mersin used 5 
tons of paint in portraying a giant (1.1 acre) Turkish flag at 
the foot of a hill in Mersin. 
 
ZAMAN:  For the first time after the rain-based flooding 
disaster 41 days ago, rain fell in the province again.  Many 
people expressed their joy that rain had started to fall again, 
since dust had blanketed the region over the six weeks of 
near-drought. 
GREEN