VZCZCXRO2482
RR RUEHDA
DE RUEHDA #0043/01 0811356
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 221356Z MAR 07
FM AMCONSUL ADANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4475
INFO RUEUITH/AFOSI DET 521 ANKARA TU
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1021
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0878
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 1078

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000043 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR MARCH 22, 2007 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for March 22, 
¶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:        Newroz celebrations started early in the morning in 
many southeastern provinces. More than 300,000 people reportedly 
participated in the celebrations in Diyarbakir.  The tradesmen 
did not open their businesses on the day and people clad in 
traditional attire poured to the area where celebrations would 
be held.  DTP leaders, now-dissolved DEP's former deputy Leyla 
Zana, EMEP (Party of Labor) national leader, SDP (Socialist 
Democracy Party) national leader, president of KESK 
(Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions), president of 
TMMOB (Turkish Union of Engineers' and Architects' Chambers), 
European parliamentarian Feleknaz Uca, Diyarbakir Mayor Osman 
Baydemir, a Japanese diplomatic delegation, several union and 
political party representatives were among the attendees of the 
event in Diyarbakir.  Thousands of people reportedly attended 
celebrations in Mardin, Batman, Van, Tunceli, Malatya, Adiyaman, 
Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Siirt, and several other cities.  Contrary 
to expectations, Newroz was held in a peaceful and festive 
environment, reported the daily.  People burned fires, danced 
folkloric dances, and sang songs in Kurdish, Turkish, Zaza, Laz 
and Armenian languages. A giant banner which quoted the remarks 
of well-known author Yasar Kemal, which were uttered during 
opening remarks at a former conference, was hung in the venue 
for the event.  It read: "Be it a true democracy, or no 
democracy at all."  Some banners read:  "The solidarity of Turks 
is possible via the solidarity of Kurds."  Ms. Leyla Zana 
delivered a speech most of which was in Kurdish, and said that 
there were three leaders of the Kurds: Iraqi President Jalal 
Talabani, Head of the Kurdistan Regional Authority Massoud 
Barzani, and Abdullah Ocalan.  The daily further reported that 
50,000 people in Batman, 30,000 in Gaziantep and 3000 people in 
Adiyaman attended Newroz.  The figures in other provinces were 
given as "thousands of people."  Aysel Tugluk, DTP deputy 
chairperson, went to Van for Newroz.  People in Van read aloud 
the Newroz greeting sent by Ibrahim Sunkur, DTP Van Provincial 
Chairperson, from jail.  Sunkur was arrested towards the end of 
February after police announced grounds for suspecting his 
involvement with the PKK.  People cheered and applauded after 
Sunkur's message was read.  In Batman, Selim Sadak, DTP 
administrator of the national headquarters, EMEP deputy 
chairperson and Batman Mayor were the prominent figures that 
attended the local Newroz event.  Metin Tekce, Hakkari Mayor, 
who was recently sentenced to seven years in prison for making 
propaganda for a terrorist organization, attended Newroz in Van. 
 Selim Sadak reportedly delivered harsh criticism against recent 
arrests and detentions of DTP officials and obstructions placed 
against Kurdish people to hinder them from getting involved in 
Turkey's political arena.  (Translator's Note: A one-month ban 
was issued against Ozgur Gundem daily at the onset of March, 
and, access to the internet site of the daily has been banned 
recently by a court order. End Note.) 
 
BOLGE / SABAH (GUNEY) / ZAMAN / RADIKAL / HURRIYET:     The 
dailies reported that the people's interest in the Newroz 
celebrations in Diyarbakir were less than expected, and, 68 
people were detained in Diyarbakir on grounds that they carried 
posters in support for the terrorist organization.  Hurriyet 
daily noted that people read the Newroz greeting Abdullah Ocalan 
sent through his attorneys to the public at the onset of the 
celebrations in Diyarbakir. Also, children wearing peshmerga 
attire reportedly waved PDD flags in the arena.  Mick Jagger's 
former wife Bianca Jagger attended Newroz in Diyarbakir. 
Radikal daily notes that over 200 hundred people were detained 
nationwide in minor scuffles that took place during 
celebrations.  Sabah Guney daily reported 20,000 people attended 
Newroz in Mersin.  Three women were wounded during scuffles in 
Siirt.  Hamza Gul, an NTV journalist, and a Dogan News Agency 
journalist in Adana incurred minor wounds when struck by stones 
thrown by the audience in the Newroz celebrations held in 
Adana's Mimar Sinan Open Air Theater.  Meanwhile, the fire of 
the Newroz festivity held by Adana Governor's Office was set by 
one of the deputy governors at a cultural center of Adana. 
Meanwhile, Afgahnistan's Ambassador to Turkey attended Newroz 
celebrations at Mustafa Kemal University in Hatay and planted 
trees to symbolize the concept of peace. 
 
BOLGE / EKSPRES:        Some civil society organizations held a 
protest march as they carried torches against the anniversary of 
 
ADANA 00000043  002 OF 002 
 
 
the start of war in Iraq, in Adana yesterday evening. 
Spokesperson of the Adana Platform of KESK's branches said in a 
press declaration that the U.S. was shedding more blood each day 
in Iraq. 
 
CRIME / LAW ENFORCEMENT 
 
BOLGE / EKSPRES:        Seyhan Municipality Police carried out a 
crackdown on bootleg wine producers in Adana in coordination 
with the Adana police.  In several operations, 200 bottles of 
bootleg wine were seized from merchants.  The seized wine will 
reportedly be destroyed. 
 
BOLGE:  Police detained one person in Adana who was carrying 
in a bag of eight so-called PKK flags.  It is reported that the 
detainee intended to use the flags during the Newroz 
festivities. 
 
BOLGE / ZAMAN:  Mustafa Attaroglu, Chairperson of AKP's Adana 
chapter, announced that a law faculty would be founded at 
Cukurova University. 
 
CULTURE / SOCIETY / ENVIRONMENT 
 
HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):    A 21-year-old private serving at one of 
Silopi's Jandarma Border Commands committed suicide with his 
gun. 
GREEN