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R 021243Z AUG 06
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INFO RUEUITH/AFOSI DET 521 ANKARA TU
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0793
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000174
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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR AUGUST 2, 2006
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for August 02,
2006. 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
HURRIYET / OZGUR GUNDEM / RADIKAL / ZAMAN: Six police
officers and one person were wounded as a result of gunfire that
targeted police residences in Agri's Dogubeyazit district.
Military operations have been started in the area following the
incident.
BOLGE / EKSPRES / HURRIYET (CUKUROVA) / SABAH (GUNEY) / ZAMAN:
A total of 6087 foreign nationals have gone to their homeland
from the Adana airport, announced the deputy governor of Adana.
Meanwhile, Yves Brodeur, Canadian Ambassador in Ankara, held a
reception in Adana to extend thanks for the reported valuable
assistance the Adana Red Crescent provided during the evacuation
of 10,000 Canadian nationals from Lebanon through Adana.
Separately, Mersin Governor Huseyin Aksoy held a press
announcement and briefed journalists about ongoing efforts at
the port of Mersin concerning incoming foreign nationals from
Lebanon.
BOLGE / SABAH (GUNEY) / ZAMAN: Adana Police found 84
kilograms of heroin worth 1.5 million YTL in hidden sections of
a truck on the road between Adana and Gaziantep. Separately,
Gaziantep police seized material used in producing Captagon
pills during an operation against drug-trafficking which has
been simultaneously conducted in Gaziantep, Kilis and Istanbul
provinces.
BOLGE / SABAH (GUNEY) / ZAMAN: Adana Bar Association
members made a press announcement in front of the Court Hall and
reportedly condemned the Israeli attacks in Lebanon. Meanwhile,
Gabriel Akyuz, spokesperson of the Syriac community in Mardin,
also condemned the Israeli strikes.
OZGUR GUNDEM: Turkish military reportedly sent hundreds of
military vehicles, weapons and supplies to the Semdinli district
to deploy them in the border area.
EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM: Batman branch of Human Rights
Association condemned arresting of two relatives of a dead
person for carrying fabric having the colors of the PKK flag
during the July 28 funeral.
RADIKAL: Human Rights Association made a call to the PKK to
be more sincere about its commitment declared in an agreement
reportedly signed with a Swiss diplomat about not using mines.
EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM / ZAMAN: A hundred and three of the
132 people arrested the previous day following a police raid at
a meeting held by the Free Citizens' Movement in Sanliurfa have
been released. 29 people have been arraigned on charges that
they were members of terrorist organizations. Sanliurfa chapter
of the Human Rights Association condemned the raid and arrests.
RADIKAL / EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM / YENI SAFAK: Diyarbakir
Chief Prosecutor's Office initiated a probe following recent
remarks of a retired lieutenant general who said that "to train
and caution people" they were placing bombs close to residences
of the public officers in the southeastern region in the past.
EVRENSEL / RADIKAL / YENI SAFAK / ZAMAN: It is reported that
meetings on border area security and PKK issues between Iraqi
and Turkish officials in Baghdad have been continuing. Evrensel
daily pointed out that recent remarks of the Iraqi Deputy Prime
Minister Salih reportedly followed recent media reports that
Turkey launched new attempts to enforce PKK's laying down of
arms through the help of Kurdish leaders in northern Iraq.
Salih reportedly said that Iraqi territory cannot be used as a
source of threat against any neighboring countries. Meanwhile,
Turkish General Chief of Staff dismissed any attempts launched
in that regard.
OZGUR GUNDEM: Thirty eight members of intelligentsia issued
a declaration to caution people against rising of nationalist
tendencies. The first of those declarations reportedly came on
April 11, 2005 as a reaction to the escalating tension in the
southeastern region.
HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Thousands of seasonal laborers from
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Batman, Diyarbakir and Mardin arrived at the train station of
Diyarbakir to travel to north-western coastal cities to work in
the fields where nuts are being cultivated.
REID