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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000076 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR JUNE 05, 2007 
 
 
¶1.      This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for June 05, 
¶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: 
 
¶2.      EVRENSEL / GUNDEM:      The Gundem daily reports that 
independent candidates of DTP (Democratic Society Party), SDP 
(Socialist Democracy Party), EMEP (Labor Party), ODP (Freedom 
and Solidarity Party) submitted their applications to provincial 
election boards in Van, Mus, Sirnak, Siirt, Sanliurfa, Adiyaman, 
Elazig, Malatya, Tunceli, Bingol, Adana, Mersin, Izmir and 
Mardin.  Ahmet Turk, the former DTP National Chairperson, who 
will be running as candidate from Mardin, was reportedly 
welcomed by hundreds of people in Mardin yesterday evening. 
Turk addressed the crowd and said that their struggle would not 
be only for the Kurds, but for all of Turkey.  The candidates 
started their election campaigns in their respective provinces. 
 
¶3.      GUNDEM / EVRENSEL:      Diyarbakir Prosecutor's Office 
prepared an indictment against Ahmet Turk, for 'praising the 
crime and the criminals' under Turkish Penalty Law's Article 
215/1.  Turk allegedly committed this crime in a speech he 
delivered during Newroz celebrations in March in Diyarbakir. 
The daily further claims that the prosecutor also prepared a 
summary against Turk allegedly to prevent discontinuation of a 
prosecution process that might ensue from the indictment, in 
case Turk gets elected as a lawmaker from Mardin and becomes 
entitled to immunity. 
 
¶4.      GUNDEM: Policemen clad in civilian attire allegedly 
did not allow distribution of Gundem daily in Gaziantep and they 
seized 55 editions.  Gaziantep representative of the daily said 
they would file a complaint with the Human Rights Association. 
 
SECURITY 
 
¶5.      CUMHURIYET / YENI SAFAK / HURRIYET / BOLGE / GUNDEM / 
EKSPRES / EVRENSEL:     PKK terrorists attacked a Jandarma 
station in Tunceli's Pulumur district at 12:45 pm yesterday. 
Eight soldiers were killed and six soldiers were wounded. The 
Tunceli Governor said the terrorists could have attacked as a 
suicide bomb attack at the onset.  Turkish Armed Forces launched 
an extensive military operation following the attack.  Gundem 
daily claims that eight soldiers were wounded. Separately, 
terrorists attacked with rocket propelled grenades at a jandarma 
station in Hakkari's Semdinli district the previous day at 5 
p.m.  The papers reported no casualties.  Gundem daily claims 
that, following the remarks of head of the Turkish General Staff 
concerning cross-border operations, Turkish Armed Forces' cannon 
fire against northern Iraq increased. 
 
¶6.      GUNDEM: The coffin of a PKK member, who was killed 
during a military operation in Van's Muradiye district on an 
unspecified date, has been brought to Adana. Hundreds of people 
attended the funeral ceremony and people held PKK flags. 
Separately, the daily notes that the coffins of two of the 7 
terrorists, who were killed in the rural sections of Siirt, have 
been claimed by their family.  The funerals will be held 
separately in Hakkari's Yuksekova district and Van.  Four 
coffins are still at the mortuary of Eruh district's state 
hospital in Siirt. 
 
CRIME AND LAW ENFORCEMENT 
 
¶7.      HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):    Diyarbakir Jandarma conducted an 
anti-drug operation in a farm house located near a road between 
Diyarbakir and Elazig.  Ten kilograms of heroin was found hidden 
in sections of the farm's field.  Jandarma detained 3 people in 
connection with the illegal drug. 
 
ECONOMY 
 
¶8.      SABAH (GUNEY):  On the June 4 anniversary of the first 
loading of petroleum to a vessel called The British Hawthorne at 
the terminal of BTC (Baku-Tibilisi-Ceyhan) at Ceyhan district of 
Adana, BTC Turkish Director said that the revenues from the 
pipeline reached 620 million USD.  The total number of vessels 
loaded to date is reported as 172 and the total amount of 
petroleum exported is 137,940 million barrels.  (This summary is 
from June 4 editions.) 
 
¶9.      SABAH (GUNEY):  The surveys the Turkish Mineral Research 
 
ADANA 00000076  002 OF 002 
 
 
and Exploration Authority (MTA) have been conducting in Nigde's 
Bor district revealed oil reserves in the area.  (This summary 
is from June 4 editions.) 
 
¶10.     HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):    Chairmen of the Board of the 
Exporters' Unions in Southeastern Turkey announced exports 
figures for the first five months of 2007 from the southeastern 
region.  He said they were pleased about the figures which 
showed an increasing trend. 
 
CULTURE / SOCIETY / ENVIRONMENT 
 
¶11.     HURRIYET (CUKUROVA):    23rd Motorized Infantry Brigade 
Command delivered apparel and stationary aid to people in a 
village of Sirnak's Silopi district. 
 
¶12.     SABAH (GUNEY):  Primary school and high school students 
held a march under "Fesivity for Education, Culture, Arts and 
Love" in Malatya.  Wife and children of Tilman Geske, a German 
national, who was slain with other two people at a publishing 
house for bibles in Malatya in mid-April, attended the march and 
freed doves of peace.  The festival will last three days. 
 
¶13.     BOLGE:  The hydrofoil trips between Mersin and Syria's 
port of Lazkiye will start again on June 21.  Two trips will be 
held per week. 
 
¶14.     EVRENSEL:       Seventh Diyarbakir Culture and Arts Festival 
ended. Thousands of people reportedly attended concert held on 
the last day of the festival. 
GREEN