VZCZCXRO1686
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DE RUEHDA #0059 1100927
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 200927Z APR 07
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INFO RUEUITH/AFOSI DET 521 ANKARA TU
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1048
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0903
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 1105

UNCLAS ADANA 000059 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR APRIL 19, 2007 
 
 
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for April 19, 
¶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: 
 
ZAMAN / EVRENSEL / SABAH / HURRIYET / RADIKAL:          Three 
people were killed and two people were wounded in an attack 
carried out at a Bible publication house in Malatya yesterday 
afternoon.  One of the victims was a German national.  At the 
site of the incident, police detained four people they 
suspected.  The publication house manager said that they were 
being threatened, but he said he cannot name any definite 
organization that targeted them.  Malatya Governor Halil Ibrahim 
Dasoz, Security Director and the Chief Prosecutor visited the 
site of the incident.  Ahmet Guvener, the priest of the 
Protestant Church in Diyarbakir, told Sabah daily that they 
themselves had received many threats on allegations that they 
were conducting Christian missionary activities, and, the local 
media in Mardin portrayed them (the Christians) in a manner that 
would spark hostile intentions among circles in the community 
(against Christians.) 
 
BOLGE / ZAMAN:  Under leadership of the Cukurova Journalists' 
Association (CJA), a march was held in Adana by the members of 
the local press to protest the three assailants' attack carried 
out on two journalists during a TV program on Saturday (04/14) 
at the premise of the Akdeniz TV station.  DYP and CHP 
provincial chairmen attended the march, as well.  Adana Governor 
Ilhan Atis paid a visit to the CJA and said that that incident 
did great harm to the image of the province.  The Governor and 
CJA chairperson paid a visit together to the journalist who was 
hospitalized. 
 
EVRENSEL:       People protested the authorities in Agri's Patnos 
district for not reissuing green cards to them after their cards 
expired.  The authorities reportedly set a precondition for 
green card holders to pay a certain municipal tax on 
environmental and cleaning services before they can be reissued 
green cards. (Note: Green cards are issued for people whose 
income level is lower than the minimum income level in Turkey 
and green cards provide free access to certain medical services. 
End Note.) 
 
EVRENSEL:       DTP members in Gaziantep condemned the censure of 
the Gundem, Guncel and (Kurdish) Azadiya Welat newspapers and 
branded such censuring policies as antidemocratic.  Political 
parties and some organizations in Adana and Sirnak's Silopi 
district protested the oppression extered on Kurdish media. 
 
ZAMAN / EVRENSEL / SABAH / RADIKAL:     The court acquitted four 
police officers who were being prosecuted in a heavy penalty 
court in Eskisehir on charges of killing a father and his 
12-year-old son, namely Ahmet and Ugur Kaymaz, in Mardin's 
Kiziltepe district in November 2004.  The court regarded the 
killing as self-defense by the officers.  The Kaymaz family 
members protested the verdict and said that they would take the 
case to the appellate court. 
 
RADIKAL:        PM Erdogan lodged a complaint with the prosecutor's 
office against Gaye Erbatur, Adana deputy from CHP, on grounds 
that Erbatur allegedly sent e-mail messages to faculty members 
of Cukurova University in Adana which described Erdogan "as a 
yokel who is the enemy of secularism and Ataturk." 
 
SECURITY: 
 
ZAMAN / SABAH:  A soldier from Third Commando Brigade Command 
died during a military operation that was going on in Sirnak's 
Guclukonak district against the terrorists. 
 
CULTURE / SOCIETY / ENVIRONMENT 
 
BOLGE:  The daily reports that street dogs in the Cukurova 
University in Adana are posing a rabies threat.  A university 
staff member was recently bitten by a dog with rabies and she 
was only saved from contracting the disease because the dog's 
fangs did not tear the victim's skin.  The dog reportedly died 
because of the disease.  The authorities in the university said 
the necessary precautions concerning stray dogs will be taken. 
 
GREEN