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 ANKARA 004284
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PHUM TU IZ
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY, JULY 24-26,
2004
THIS CABLE IS FROM AMCONSUL ADANA.
1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for
July 24-26, 2004. 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. Ulkede Ozgur Gundem, Evrensel: In Nusaybin, Mardin
province, DEHAP member Naci Cutlu was arrested on July
21, 2004 for attending the funeral ceremony of Ali
Akman, a militant of the Peoples' Defense Forces (HPG),
on May 10, 2004. Cutlu was interrogated at Mardin
Security Directorate. The court imprisoned Cutlu for
violating the "Assembly and Protest Marches Law."
3. Ulkede Ozgur Gundem: In regard to a recently passed
law titled "Compensation for Losses Stemming the From
Anti-Terror Struggle," the Bingol HRA President Ridvan
Kizgin warned that victims should apply to HRA office
before they applied to the courts for indemnities.
Kizgin claimed the purpose of the law was to hinder
people from pressing charges against the government for
the losses they suffered during 15 years of turbulence.
Kizgin said that in Bingol province, 17,113 persons had
been evicted from 2,920 houses in 211 settlement units,
which had been destroyed and burnt. Though some were
afraid to do so, some internally displaced villagers
filed charges with the European Human Rights Court
(EHRC) and the EHRC found in favor of GOT
indemnification of villagers' losses.
4. Evrensel: The Hakkari Province Jandarma team
detonated a landmine they detected on the road between
Yuksekova and Semdinli townships of Hakkari.
5. Hurriyet, Radikal: Mustafa Bayram, a former Van
province lawmaker was released on bail. He had been
arrested for an alleged raid at a police station in Van
to kidnap his son who was involved in drug trafficking.
6. Evrensel, Ulkede Ozgur Gundem: A citizen died in
the Sirnak State Hospital when the defibrillators did
not operate. The NGOs in town tried to present a
petition drawing attention to the health problem to the
Provincial Human Rights Committee (PHRC), but the PHRC
refused to accept it. Citizens then tried to mail
petitions, but police detained the postmen who accepted
the petitions for several hours.
7. Turkiye, Tercuman, Ulkede Ozgur Gundem: A group of
PKK/Kongra Gel militants attacked the police check-
point in the exit of Cukurca township, Hakkari
province. One militant was killed while the others
escaped in the dark. No GOT casualties have been
reported. Police found 3 hand grenades, and 7 RPG-7
bullets at the scene.
8. Yeni Safak: A poll by Pollmark company on Turkey's
foreign policy revealed that 33% of the population
considered the United States to be a threat to peace
while 20% considered terror a threat. 73% of Turkish
people are in favor of EU accession, but are not
hopeful about getting a date for negotiations. 45% do
not think Turkey will get a date from the EU for
discussions. The ratio of people supporting the Prime
Minister's reaction to Israel is 82%. 62% of the people
believe that Israel is supporting a Kurdish State in
Northern Iraq, and 65% believe Israel is supporting the
PKK. 83% opposed the US troop deployment in Northern
Iraq. 30% think an Independent Kurdish State will be
founded in Northern Iraq, while 49% do not think so.
9. Zaman, Radikal, Bolge: The President of Harb-Is
Union's Adana Chapter, Orhan Sener, said an arbitrator
has been appointed to mediate negotiations between the
workers at Incirlik Air Base and their employer.
Collective bargaining between Harb-Is and the US
employer had started on May 12, 2004. The sides
undersigned a "disagreement report" on July 8. Sener
said if an agreement could not be reached through the
arbitrator in two weeks, Harb-Is would go on a strike.
10. Cumhuriyet, Turkiye, Bolge, Tercuman, Yeni Safak,
Ulkede Ozgur Gundem, Hurriyet: Following three
explosions at ATAS Refinery in Mersin, fire broke out
in a tanker holding 12,000 tons of fuel. Fire fighters
from Mersin and Adana extinguished the fire.
11. Cumhuriyet, Turkiye, Ulkede Ozgur Gundem:
PKK/Kongra Gel militants attacked Hel Summer Resort in
Pulumur, Tunceli province. The militants wanted to take
Zeynel Benler (63), along with them, but killed him
when he resisted. Benler's daughter, Sema (19), was
wounded in the incident. GOT forces launched a large-
scale operation in the region.
12. Ulkede Ozgur Gundem: All PRD and PJA (Party of
Free Women) inmates in prisons all over Turkey will
send the Turkish Parliament petitions advocating that
Abdullah Ocalan be recognized as a "Public Leader." The
inmates refused to meet with visitors for one month to
protest the isolation in detainment of Ocalan. In
addition, the inmates will apply for transfers to
Imrali Island, where Ocalan is imprisoned.
13. Ulkede Ozgur Gundem: In Palu, Elazig province, a
fight broke out between Mecit Oztekeli and Hasan
Karabulut, a village guard. Oztekeli's mother was
killed as she tried to protect her son when the guard
opened fire.
14. Hurriyet: Bedri Oz, the Representative for Iraq of
Tefron Oil Import and Export Company based in Dortyol,
Hatay province, said due to Turkey's limitations on the
amount of oil transported to Iraq by overland tankers
and security considerations, his company started
transporting oil to Iraq by railroad tankers. Oz said
that his firm made connections for exporting 100,000
tons two months ago, and added that Efron shipped up to
2500 tons daily to Mosul, from where the distribution
to destinations within Iraq was carried out by overland
tankers.
HEALTH
15. Ulkede Ozgur Gundem: According to a report by
World Health Organization (WHO), among European and
Asian countries, malaria is mostly seen in Turkey. Of
9,222 malaria cases in Turkey, 8,760 are from the GAP
region. Diyarbakir, with 4,140 cases, and Batman, with
3,147 cases, take the lead.
DEUTSCH