VZCZCXRO9592
RR RUEHDA
DE RUEHDA #0010/01 0170710
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 170710Z JAN 07
FM AMCONSUL ADANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4419
INFO RUEUITH/AFOSI DET 521 ANKARA TU
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0965
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0832
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEILB/NCTC WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/AFOSI DET 522 INCIRLIK AB TU
RUETIAA/DIRNSA FT MEADE MD
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 1022

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000010 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR JANUARY 15, 2007 
 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for January 15, 
¶2007.  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 / SABAH / HURRIYET / CUMHURIYET / ZAMAN:       The 
two-day conference "Turkey is Searching Peace" which was held in 
Ankara by the Democratic Peace Initiative ended yesterday (see 
press summary for December 9).  According to the Evrensel daily, 
many people at the conference tried to "have Ankara hear their 
voices."  The daily further points out that none of the state 
officials or governing bodies, except for the Hakkari deputy 
from CHP and Adiyaman deputy from AKP, showed any interest in 
the event or showed up there.  The opening remarks of the event 
were made by Yasar Kemal, one of the well-known literary figures 
of Turkey.  The words "war" and "guerilla" that Kemal used 
during his address to refer to PKK's activities and terrorists 
sparked controversy among political circles. Many other 
speakers, journalists, academicians reportedly sought for ways 
to achieve a permanent peaceful state for people during their 
speeches in several sessions of the conference.  Diyarbakir 
Mayor Osman Baydemir translated the speech made in Kurdish by 
one member of "Mothers for Peace" into Turkish. The woman called 
on people "to end the pain the mothers were suffering." 
 
SABAH:  Two AKP deputies prepared and submitted a draft law 
to the Turkish Parliament that envisages amendments on the sixth 
clause of Anti-Terror Law.  The amendments call for sanctions on 
attorneys who are publicizing Ocalan's remarks after meeting 
with their client and "reestablishing Ocalan's links with the 
PKK".  Those who publish or divulge the declarations the 
terrorist leaders are making will face 1 to 3 years of 
imprisonment if the draft law gets ratified. 
 
EVRENSEL / CUMHURIYET / ZAMAN:  Reported significant 
discussions are going on within DTP to determine strategies in 
the face of national elections approaching.  As the party 
assembly reportedly recently convened and conducted 
self-criticisms, discussions reportedly mainly focused on the 
frustration that DTP Chairman Ahmet Turk expressed during the 
mid-December "March For Peace" activity in 2006 that started 
from Diyarbakir and ended in Ankara.  Turk, who later reportedly 
complained that the people did not show much interest in the 
activity, sparked intra party discussions.  It is regarded as 
almost definite that the party, which aims to explore ways to 
create a more applicable charter and to give vigor to the party 
administration with new names, will hold an extraordinary 
congress in the upcoming month. 
 
BOLGE / SABAH (GUNEY) / SABAH / HURRIYET / ZAMAN:       DYP leader 
Mehmet Agar came to Adana for the ceremonial celebration held on 
the occasion of a former Adana deputy from ANAP (Motherland 
Party) as he joined the ranks of DYP.  Meanwhile, the dailies 
reported that one of the police officers assigned to the task of 
providing security for Mr. Agar with other police members, 
committed suicide in one of the police vehicles as the event was 
going on. 
 
SABAH:  A news article The Guardian published, which covered 
and examined the new strategy the U.S. launched in Iraq last 
week, also pointed out the increased military activity at 
Incirlik Air Base in Adana. 
 
SECURITY 
 
SABAH / ZAMAN:  One PKK terrorist was killed during an ongoing 
military operation in Bingol's Genc district.  A private        was 
wounded during the operation. 
 
ECONOMY 
 
SABAH (GUNEY):  With Free Trade Agreement that became 
effective on January 1st, Adana's economic activities with Syria 
increased, according to Umit Ozgumus, Chairperson of Adana 
Chamber of Commerce.  Aleppo businessmen reportedly started 
showing interest in the Adana province. 
 
CULTURE / SOCIETY / ENVIRONMENT 
 
SABAH / HURRIYET / CUMHURIYET:  Minister of Transportation 
said that a three-person delegation sent to Iraq to examine and 
study the wreckage of the plane that crashed in Iraq with its 29 
 
ADANA 00000010  002 OF 002 
 
 
Turkish passengers last week, was not able to see and study the 
wreckage because the site of the incident was already cleared by 
the U.S. forces.  Meanwhile, Hurriyet daily reports statements 
of a Turkish engineer working at Anaconda Base in Iraq as being 
told by another Turkish national who reportedly witnessed the 
event that the day was sunny on that day and the plane caught 
fire in the air for an unknown reason as it attempted to land on 
the ground for the second time.  Meanwhile, Cumhuriyet daily 
reports that authorities have still not been able to identify 
seven coffins brought to Turkey after the incident.  People are 
worried that the coffins might have ended up as having body 
parts of other people since bodies of the victims were not 
intact when they arrived. 
 
SABAH (GUNEY):  Since no rain has fallen for 2.5 months in 
Adana and its environs, the farmers started to gather and pray 
for rainfall that would help the wheat they planted grow. 
GREEN