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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000086 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR JUNE 22, 2007 
 
 
¶1.      This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for June 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: 
 
¶2.      BOLGE / EKSPRES:        CHP National Leader Deniz Baykal will 
come to Adana on July 18, a critical day which is four days 
ahead of national parliamentary elections, to attend CHP's Adana 
rally.  CHP invited many celebrities to attend the rally in 
order to draw large public attention in the event.  Baykal will 
hold a rally in Hatay tomorrow (June 23).  A CHP Adana 
delegation paid a visit to the Yumurtalik district to introduce 
CHP's Adana candidates to the local people. The candidates made 
a call to people to say no to the U.S.'s Great Middle East 
Project.  CHP provincial chairperson Serdar Seyhan also opened 
the new CHP party building in the district and CHP candidates 
paid visits to the local tradesmen.  Meanwhile, Dengir Mir 
Mehmet Firat, first ranking Adana candidate from AKP, and, 
Necdet Unuvar, third ranking Adana candidate from AKP, paid a 
visit to the local branch of Ihlas News Agency.   Firat said, 
"Entering other countries' territory is not an easy decision to 
make.  It is very difficult to cross the border into the 
northern Iraq at this point; however, incursion could take place 
if need be, but, I cannot tell you right now when that could 
take place.  Because, I do not have sufficient information 
regarding that issue."  Omer Celik, second ranking Adana 
candidate from AKP and chief adviser to the premier, opened his 
campaign office in the Kozan district.   Separately, the dailies 
note that DP launched its election campaign on June 11 in Adana 
and visited many Adana businessmen.   Meanwhile, Recai Yildirim, 
MHP deputy general secretary and Adana candidate from MHP, 
attended a party meeting in the Sofulu district. 
 
¶3.      GUNDEM: The official car of Abdullah Demirbas, Sur 
District Mayor in Diyarbakir, who was removed from office by the 
Council of State when he attempted to launch a multi-langauge 
municipality service, has been taken from him.  To protest this 
development, Demirbas toured the city with his bicycle and 
inspected some of the municipality worksites. 
 
¶4.      GUNDEM: DTP and representatives of seasonal workers 
will launch efforts together to enable the seasonal workers in 
the Cukurova region and the Amik Plain, who are currently away 
from their cities or hometowns where are they are entitled to 
cast votes, to travel back to these cities a few days before the 
election day.  Meanwhile, the daily continues to give news about 
campaigns of the independent candidates who have been opening 
campaign offices in their constituencies in the southeastern 
provinces. 
 
¶5.      GUNDEM: Six different investigations have been started 
against Goc-Der (Association for Social Solidarity and Culture 
for Migrants) Chairperson Giyasettin Gultepe on charges of 
participating in pro-Ocalan press announcements on different 
dates, and of participating in PKK terrorists' funerals. 
Gultepe gave his statement to the police authorities because of 
these charges. 
 
¶6.      GUNDEM: The court has released eight people who were 
detained and arrested for participating in a pro-Ocalan press 
statement in Adana on March 3.  DTP Van Chairperson was detained 
by the anti-terror branch of the police after he gave a 
statement to the prosecutor's office.  The police have not 
explained the grounds for his detention. 
 
¶7.      GUNDEM: Steve Negus, a reporter of Financial Times 
newspaper, went to the Mountain Qandil in Iraq, and reported his 
observations there and made an interview with a PKK executive 
member called Rustem Cudi. 
 
¶8.      GUNDEM: It is reported that military officers were 
exerting pressure on the family members of Murat Karayilan, the 
PKK chief, who are currently residing at Birecik district of 
Sanliurfa. 
 
SECURITY 
 
¶9.      GUNDEM: The daily claimed that six soldiers were 
killed (even though the media reported only one had died) in the 
attack PKK carried out on a military convoy in Gumushane on June 
19 (see press summaries for June 20 and 21). 
 
 
ADANA 00000086  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶10.     GUNDEM: Planes that took off from Diyarbakir's 
Military Airport surveyed the Gabar Mountain area in Sirnak. 
The planes that flew low over Sirnak city center caused a bit of 
tremor in the city, reports the daily. 
 
CRIME AND LAW ENFORCEMENT 
 
¶11.     GUNDEM: The relatives of a 12-year-old girl claimed 
that the girl committed suicide with a shotgun in Agri's Diyadin 
district.  The police started an investigation into the case. 
 
¶12.     BOLGE:  As a result of joint efforts of Elazig police 
and Bingol police, a PKK terrorist, who is a bomb specialist, 
was caught in Karakocan district of Elazig.  The terrorist was 
recruited by the PKK 9 years ago and reportedly had carried out 
many bomb attacks to date. 
 
¶13.     SABAH (GUNEY) / HURRIYET (CUKUROVA) / BOLGE / EKSPRES: 
Twenty-two drug dealers and people who purchase such drugs were 
caught in an anti-drug operation police conducted in Adana.  The 
suspects were arraigned. 
 
ECONOMY 
 
¶14.     GUNDEM: Mine cleaning studies in the border area with 
Syria have started and the teams have detected the mines located 
at Sanliurfa's Akcakale district and around the border area 
there.  The teams started detonating the mines safely and warned 
the local people not to go out of their houses as the unsafe 
process was going on. 
 
¶15.     BOLGE:  EPDK (Energy Market Regulatory Authority) will 
be holding the tender to award natural gas distribution license 
in Cukurova region on July 20.  The distribution area covers 
the following provinces and districts: Adana, Mersin, Osmaniye, 
Iskenderun, Tarsus, Ceyhan, Dortyol, Payas, Kadirli, Belen and a 
few other districts. 
GREEN