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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000011 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR JANUARY 16, 2007 
 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for January 16, 
¶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 / RADIKAL:     The widely participated conference on 
"Turkey Seeking Peace" held in Ankara outlined tangible draft 
program that could be pursued in efforts to attain peace.  The 
recommendations in the program will be submitted to the Turkish 
Parliament and the government. 
 
SECURITY 
 
SABAH (GUNEY):  It is reported that the increased activities 
observed at the Incirlik Air Base was because of the sixteen 
F-16 planes that arrived at the base for training purposes.  An 
official from the U.S. Air Force said that the trainings were 
conducted under Defense and Economic Cooperation Agreement 
signed between Turkey and the U.S.  The official reportedly 
dismissed charges that the increased activities represented 
pressure put against Iran.  The planes will reportedly return to 
the Spangdahlem Airbase in Germany at the end of the training. 
 
ZAMAN / CUMHURIYET:     Three terrorists were killed in rural 
sections of Diyarbakir's Lice district and Bingol's Genc 
district during the military operations against the PKK.  Two 
terrorists who fled away from the PKK surrendered to authorities 
in Sirnak province. 
 
ECONOMY 
 
BOLGE / EKSPRES / CUMHURIYET / YENI SAFAK:      Prolonged dry 
spell and the Cukurova region receiving no rain for 68 days may 
affect the 2,300,000 cedar seeds planted in the forests and 
affect wheat crops covering over 750,000 acres of land during 
this critical period (see press summary for December 11).  Many 
farmers and growers are resorting to traditional practices of 
praying collectively for rainfall in Mersin's Tarsus district. 
 
SABAH (GUNEY) / ZAMAN:  Omer Sabanci, President of TUSIAD 
(Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association), opened 
the new headquarters of the Mersin Businessmen and 
Industrialists' Association in Mersin. 
 
ZAMAN:  Oil reserves in Adiyaman province, which averaged 
30,000 barrels a day ten years ago, shrunk to 10,000 barrels a 
day. 
 
CRIME / LAW ENFORCEMENT: 
 
BOLGE / RADIKAL:        Diyarbakir police seized 101 kilograms of 
heroin and 3 kilograms of substance used in producing heroin 
hidden in sections of a truck traveling from Van to Istanbul, 
during two narcotics operations in Diyarbakir.  Six people were 
detained in connection with the event.  Separately, Hatay police 
seized 23.5 kilograms of hashish in two separate operations in 
Hatay and apprehended six people. 
 
ZAMAN / EKSPRES:        Police from Organized Crime and Smuggling 
Department of Mersin conducted an operation against an illegal 
criminal ring and detained 16 people. 
 
CULTURE / SOCIETY / ENVIRONMENT 
 
BOLGE / ZAMAN / EKSPRES / EVRENSEL:     Sorrow stricken family 
members of two workers in Adana, who died in last week's plane 
crash in Baghdad, are still waiting anxiously to get hold of the 
coffins of their dead kin. Family members of the victims are 
claiming that if the DNA tests were conducted for all the 
coffins at the onset, coffins would not get mixed with each 
other.  Officials at Prosecutor's Office, who are admitting that 
such crisis came upon them unawares since they were not 
expecting to receive burned and hardly identifiable bodies, 
further state that they did not conduct an initial DNA test for 
all of the corpses: therefore, some bodies might not be matched 
with the families who primarily identified the casualties from 
personal belongings or body parts. Officials are also looking 
for ways to find out about who or what is the cause of the 
crash, in face of legal concerns arising from compensation 
issues.  Separately, AKP Provincial Chairman in Adana is paying 
visits to the families of victims to pay condolences; however, 
Evrensel daily reports a family member as complaining that PM 
 
ADANA 00000011  002 OF 002 
 
 
Erdogan did not extend condolences to the families, but to the 
owner of the Turkish construction company.  Chairperson of 
Turkish Iraqi Businessmen Association said that whereas the 
plane crash raised concerns about safety, the trade activities 
with Iraq would still continue incessantly. 
 
CUMHURIYET:     Adana Mayor Aytac Durak announced that the hospital, 
the mosque and the school that were planned to be built on a 
portion of land belonging to Adana's Cukurova University, which 
is a public university, would be built on a more spacious and 
appropriate plot of land located elsewhere. 
 
YENI SAFAK:     Atilla Koc, Minister of Tourism, opened several 
cultural and tourism related venues in the citadel of Gaziantep 
whose renovation processes have been completed under the GAP 
(Southeastern Region Project) Regional Cultural Heritage 
Development Program. 
GREEN