INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Southeast Turkey Press Summary,

Published: Tue 9 Sep 2003 06:09 PM
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS ADANA 0236
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU IZ ADANA
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY,
SEPTEMBER 9, 2003
1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary
for September 9, 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.
POLITICAL, SECURITY, HUMAN RIGHTS
2. Evrensel / World Peace Day celebrations in
Adana ended with a final gathering in the open-
air theatre. About 2000 people participated in
the final celebrations. Invited speakers spoke
in three languages: Kurdish, Turkish and
Arabic.
3. Evrensel / Ilyas Turan, Head of Adana ESM,
claims that Necati Hancerlioglu, Head of Mersin
Turkish Electric Distribution Company (TEDAS),
accuses the members of the State Employees'
Union Confederation (KESK) of being PKK/KADEK
supporters. (Editor's note: We do not have
more information about the organization "ESM").
4. Evrensel / In Van province, police visited a
wedding ceremony without being invited and
warned people who were singing songs in
Kurdish.
5. Evrensel / In Pervari, Van province, village
guards continue to create problems. Suleyman
Kocak, a village guard, allegedly possessed the
fields of Izedin Elinc and has been using his
land for 8 years. He has also built a house on
the same land. Kocak stated that he started to
use Elinc's land when the Turkish Authorities
evacuated the villages. When Elinc returned to
the village Kocak offered Elinc money but he
wouldn't accept it.
6. Evrensel / In Cukurca, Hakkari province,
Turkish villagers are waiting at the Iraqi
Border to get refugee status from the Iraqi
Government, to escape from torture by Turkish
soldiers.
ECONOMIC
7. Milli Gazete / A Mardin Cement Factory
spokesman announced that the factory has worked
at full capacity since the Iraq war and
sometimes has difficulty supplying all the
orders.
CULTURE and TOURISM
8. Turkiye / Due to the lack of rain in the
Elazig region this year, the water level of Hazar
Lake dropped, revealing 300-year-old historical
stone buildings in the lake.
REID
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