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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000030 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR 6 MARCH, 2007 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for March 06, 
¶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 
 
SABAH:  Reactions to allegations that Ocalan is being slowly 
poisoned by state authorities, the Ministry of Justice sent 
three faculty members from the Uludag University to Imrali 
Prison to take hair and skin samples from Ocalan for further 
analysis to probe the allegations.  Government Spokesperson 
Cemil Cicek said that they will have refuted the lies about 
Abdullah Ocalan's alleged poisoning by the end of the week. 
 
 
SABAH:  The Ankara Prosecutor's Office started an 
investigation against Aysel Tugluk, deputy chairperson of DTP, 
for her statements over the alleged poisoning of Ocalan. 
 
GUNDEM / EVRENSEL:      Gundem daily has launched a campaign 
since Saturday (March 3) and has been carrying on its front page 
the following statement: "They are poisoning Ocalan.  Please 
open the doors of Imrali Prison to a commission of independent 
doctors."  The daily further reports public meetings and 
festivities initially intended for March 8 Women's Day in 
Sirnak's Cizre district as turning into protests upon 
circulation of allegations about the health condition of 
Abdullah Ocalan.  Police detained 150 of the 200 women holding a 
march in Cizre.  Activities marking the March 8 Women's Day were 
also held in Mardin's Nusaybin and Kiziltepe districts.  6000 
people reportedly attended a march that started from Freedom 
Avenue and ended in front of the DTP provincial building. 
Slogans were as follows: "Turkey is being poisoned," "The 
antidote of the poison is the PKK," "Ocalan is the guarantee of 
our lives." Some students at Dicle University in Diyarbakir 
boycotted classes and meals. 
 
EVRENSEL:       When asked about his opinion on DTP- suggested 
commission of independent doctors to investigate allegations 
about Ocalan's poisoning, SHP national chairperson Karayalcin 
said that that suggestion was meaningless.  Karayalcin further 
stated that the (Turkish) state must protect lives of all the 
inmates including Ocalan. 
 
GUNDEM: Ministry of Interior started an investigation 
against the Newroz Committee, which is comprised of Diyarbakir 
Mayor Osman Baydemir, other DTP mayors and civil society 
organizations, allegedly for sending an invitation in Kurdish 
for Newroz celebrations to President Sezer, PM Erdogan and Iraqi 
President Talabani. 
 
GUNDEM: DTP National Headquarters issued a press release 
saying that pressure on the party administrators at national 
headquarters, at party organizations in provinces and districts 
has intensified nowadays and they had been made target of 
hostile intentions. 
 
GUNDEM: The news stories about Ocalan alleging that the 
state authorities were poisoning him, the Kurds from different 
parts of the world were infuriated.  People in Europe reportedly 
held protests.  Fifty-four mayors (from DTP) and Diyarbakir 
Peace Platform made a press announcement yesterday at Diyarbakir 
Southeastern Journalists' Association and claimed that the 
(Turkish) state was carrying out a slow murder.   (This summary 
is from March 5 edition.) 
 
GUNDEM: Over 5000 people reportedly attended the activities 
carried out in a place at the outer edge of the Mountain Cudi in 
Sirnak's Silopi district to mark the March 8 World Women's Day. 
Women hit the streets with slogans shouting "Down with racism, 
militarism and violence." (This summary is from March 5 edition.) 
 
GUNDEM:          The daily noted that women particularly 
emphasized their worries over the health condition of Abdullah 
Ocalan.  The daily reports further women's activities going on 
in Gaziantep, Mardin's Kiziltepe and Nusaybin districts, 
Sanli?urfa, Siirt and Van.  The daily also claimed that 
thousands of people held a protest in Mersin's Gunesli quarter 
and shouted slogans saying 'Our health is Ocalan's health.' 
(This summary is from March 5 edition.) 
 
GUNDEM: Despite that the population of Nusaybin reached to 
100,000, there is only one high school in the district. People 
 
ADANA 00000030  002 OF 002 
 
 
demanded that a second school be built and they protested the 
authorities for not undertaking that effort.  (This summary is 
from March 5 edition.) 
 
GUNDEM: Police conducted an unannounced raid at the premise 
of Democratic Youth Association in Diyarbakir and seized a 
computer, CDs, books and journals.  An official from the 
association said he will file a complaint with the prosecutor 
against the authorities that conducted the raid. (This summary 
is from March 5 edition.) 
 
GUNDEM: A personnel from the Gundem daily, who was detained 
in Sanliurfa for allegedly shouting illegal slogans in a public 
meeting called 'Invitation for Peace at the City of Prophets', 
has recently been arraigned and arrested.  (This summary is from 
March 5 edition.) 
 
GUNDEM: It is reported that heated negotiations between the 
U.S. and Turkey is going on over the use of Incirlik Airbase. 
The U.S. is reportedly seeking an expanded use of the base and 
the topic of the discussions reportedly also is also related 
with the military operations against the PKK and survey flights 
into Iran.   (This summary is from March 5 edition.) 
 
GUNDEM: Police conducted a raid at six houses of students at 
Van Centennial University who are reportedly members of the 
university's student association.  Thirty students were 
reportedly detained on grounds that were not announced by 
police.  Meanwhile, a Molotov cocktail was left at the door of 
the provincial party building of DTP Elazig chapter and the wick 
of the device was in a condition ready to be burned. 
 
EVRENSEL:       Some mayors, political parties, and organizations 
paid a visit to Zulkuf Karatekin, Kayapinar Mayor in Diyarbakir, 
who was sentenced to five months in prison for allocating a 
municipality vehicle for the use of women's branch of the former 
DEHAP (Democratic People's Party), to extend support to him. 
ECONOMY 
 
RADIKAL / HURRIYET (CUKUROVA) / ZAMAN:  Agricultural season 
started in Adana.  Seasonal workers brought their children along 
with them from their hometowns in the southeastern region to 
work in the fields in Mersin and Adana. 
 
CRIME / LAW ENFORCEMENT 
 
HURRIYET (CUKUROVA) / ZAMAN:    Police found eight Glock brand 
pistols in hidden sections of a private car in Sanliurfa. 
Separately, Van police conducted a raid at a house in a village 
of Van's Baskale district and found an assassination rifle 
during the searches made at the stable and garden of the house. 
 
 
CULTURE / SOCIETY / ENVIRONMENT 
 
HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):    Ulrich Zachau, Turkey Director of the 
World Bank, paid a visit to Business Development Center in 
Adana. 
 
SABAH (GUNEY):  With support from Social Solidarity and 
Cooperation Foundation, Diyarbakir Governor's Office has been 
training 200 women to read and write and in Yenikoy quarter's 
Women and Children Training Center.  The trainees are learning 
Turkish as well.  In a total of four other centers, a total of 
2000 people are being trained. 
 
RADIKAL:        At the same school, where boiler of a heating system 
exploded and killed two students and wounded 7 people two weeks 
ago (see press summary for February 23) in Kilis's Musabeyli 
district, this time a teacher and 17 students were poisoned 
because of the carbon monoxide gas release from a stove they 
were using to heat the classroom. 
GREEN