Cablegate: Southeast Turkey Press Summary,

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 0102

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU IZ ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY,
APRIL 10, 2003

1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary
for April 10, 2003. Please note that Turkish
press reports often contain errors or
exaggerations; AmConsulate Adana does not vouch
for the accuracy of the reports summarized here.

2. Hurriyet/Bolge: It is claimed that 150 mayors
nationwide, including Yildiray Arikan of Seyhan
district of Adana, will transfer to CHP. Mayor
Arikan is still a member of YTP. It is reported
that CHP's Central Executive Committee has
approved the transfers. Mayor Arikan verified
that he would transfer to CHP, and that the
developments regarding the issue would become
more definite in coming weeks.

3. Hurriyet: The State Security Court of Erzurum
gave 15 months of imprisonment to three persons
for referring to Abdullah Ocalan as the
"PKK/KADEK Chairman" during a "No To War" meeting
held in front of DEHAP offices in Dogubeyazit
(Igdir). The inmates are charged with
propagandizing for a terrorist organization.
Meanwhile, a court in Tarsus (Mersin) asked 5
years of imprisonment for each of 9 persons who
referred to Ocalan with the customary honorific
form of address "Sayin" ("Honorable" or
"Esteemed") during DEHAP's district convention.

4. Milliyet/Radikal/Evrensel: A US delegation
headed by a Capt. Todd Plotner turned over to
Turkish officials from Ankara the airport at
Gaziantep. US troops had been sent there under
the "modernization program" accord.

5. Bolge: The ban on US soldiers at Incirlik AFB
going off base, which had been in effect since
March 18, was lifted as of yesterday. The
soldiers are now permitted to go off the base
between 09:00-19:00 hours.

6. Milliyet/Tercuman: 14 villagers from
Sanliurfa's Buyuk Murdesi hamlet, where a US
missile had fallen erroneously, asked for legal
assistance from the Bar Association. They are
being arraigned at a court in Sanliurfa for
throwing stones and eggs at the US delegation
that came to the village to recover fragments of
the errant missile.

7. Evrensel: It is claimed that two villagers,
Haci Olmez (37) and Mevlut Olmez (30) from the
village of Andac (Sirnak), who had left their
village the previous evening to look for their
lost sheep, were fired upon by soldiers
affiliated to Andac Jandarma Battalion. It is
further alleged that Haci Olmez was killed in the
incident and that his body was taken to the
Turkish-Iraqi border by soldiers.

8. Evrensel: In response to a lawsuit brought
against soldiers by villagers who back in October
2002 had gone hunting near Baldan village of
Tunceli and were then wounded there by soldiers'
gunfire, the Tunceli Governor did not give
permission to for an investigation to be
conducted. He stated that "the security forces
had not abused their authority, and therefore no
crime had been constituted." The villagers'
attorney said they would appeal the Governor's
decision.

9. Cumhuriyet: The President of the Chamber of
Doctors of Istanbul, Prof. Dr. Gencay Gursoy,
announced at a press conference that physicians
dispatched from Istanbul to Cukurca (Hakkari) by
Health Ministry due to war on Iraq, were unable
to reach their destinations. Roads were still
closed, and the physicians have been staying at a
military facility in Van at their own expense.
The physicians dispatched to Silopi (Sirnak) have
also been staying at military facilities and the
hospital they would work in has not been set up
yet.
HOLTZ

© Scoop Media