Cablegate: Southeast Turkey Press Summary for August 24, 2006

VZCZCXRO0637
RR RUEHDA
DE RUEHDA #0190/01 2370629
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 250629Z AUG 06
FM AMCONSUL ADANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4270
INFO RUEUITH/AFOSI DET 521 ANKARA TU
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0817
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0710
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEILB/NCTC WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/AFOSI DET 522 INCIRLIK AB TU
RUETIAA/DIRNSA FT MEADE MD
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 0871

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000190

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR AUGUST 24, 2006

This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for August 24,
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

SABAH / ZAMAN / EVRENSEL / CUMHURIYET: Terrorist leader
Abdullah Ocalan will be confined to his cell for twenty days
reportedly for making PKK propaganda.

OZGUR GUNDEM: The daily claims that Ocalan was given a
20-day confinement penalty in his cell for recently saying that
he could make a call for PKK to declare cease-fire, reportedly
ahead of September 1 Peace Day celebrations.

CUMHURIYET: The report the MIT intelligence center presented to
the National Security Council claimed that while the U.S.
engaged in efforts to appoint an envoy who would work out a way
for Turkey and the PKK to hold talks and negotiate, the U.S. at
the same time reportedly entered into negotiations with the PKK
on disarmament issue.

HURRIYET: U.S. Ambassador Ross Wilson said that the envoy the
U.S. would appoint to coordinate the tasks with Turkey in the
fight against the PKK was determined. Wilson also said that the
envoy was a person whom Turkey knew very well and everybody
would get surprised when his/her name would be announced.

SABAH: PKK reportedly made a press announcement in the
Qandil Mountain in Iraq as a response to the U.S.'s call to PKK
to lay down arms. PKK reportedly explained the conditions
required for the disarmament of the PKK. AFP, Reuters,
Associated Press, Al-Jazeera TV and Turkish Milliyet newspaper
members attended the conference.

OZGUR GUNDEM: The Turkish war planes allegedly bombed the
area around northern Iraqi territory. Meanwhile, KKK, which is
the political wing of the PKK, reportedly recently issued a
"Democratic Solution Declaration for the Kurdish Issue."

EVRENSEL: The daily finds it interesting that the CDs, which
were sent to the U.S. to be decoded after being discovered
during an operation Turkish authorities were conducting against
Hezbollah six years ago, had been brought back by the FBI to
Turkey's agenda in the days when Turkey is weighing the issue of
contributing troops to the UN force in Lebanon. According to
the daily, this move was aiming to diminish the surge of
sympathy in favor of Hezbollah in the Turkish community through
blurring the differences between the Hezbollah in Turkey and
Hezbollah in Lebanon.

ZAMAN / EVRENSEL: Van's Third Heavy Penalty Court will most
probably issue a verdict today about the case of PKK defector
Veysel Ates for his involvement in the Semdinli bombing on
November 9, 2006. The court had already sentenced in a June 19
trial the non-commissioned officers Ali Kaya and Ozcan Ildeniz
to 39 years and 10 months in prison.

OZGUR GUNDEM: The daily claims that National Directorate of
Forests had been ignoring the fires that have reportedly been
going on since June in the southeastern region. According to
the daily, the fires in the southeastern region were not
included among the recent disastrous fires listed by the
National Directorate of Forests.

ZAMAN: The fire that broke out in a village of Yuregir
district in Adana lasted 17 hours, burned 250 acres of land, and
caused a material loss worth 1.5 million YTL.

EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM: The daily reported alleged
inhumane practices taking place in Kurkculer Jail of Adana. The
visitors of the inmates are allegedly being stamped on their
wrists with a two-word statement in Turkish, "First comes the
fatherland." One victim of this recent practice was reportedly
the mother of a DIHA (Dicle News Agency) journalist who was
arrested on February 15 as she was following in Mersin the
demonstrations marking a pro-PKK anniversary.

SABAH (GUNEY): Seventh Army Corps Commander Lieutenant
General Cahit Sarsilmaz and newly appointed Jandarma Regional
Commander Brigadier Lieutenant Celal Citak paid a courtesy visit
to the Mardin Governor Mehmet Kiliclar.

ADANA 00000190 002 OF 002

YENI SAFAK / SABAH: Sirnak Governor's Office announced that
f?ve PKK terrorists surrendered themselves to security forces in
Sirnak's Silopi district. The number of PKK terrorists who
surrendered this year has reportedly reached 69.

RADIKAL: A military court issued a "non-jurisdiction" ruling
regarding the Turkish planes' alleged bombing of two villages,
and alleged killing of 38 villagers in Sirnak's Gabar Mountain
in March 1994. State Security Courts of Sirnak and Diyarbakir
also issued a non-jurisdiction ruling 12 years ago on the same
case.

SABAH (GUNEY): Midyat Syriac Culture Association held a
football tournament among the Syriac youth in Mardin to promote
friendship among youth of Syriac community. The referees in the
tournament were two Muslims.

EVRENSEL: Young people from Romania, Spain, and from various
parts of Turkey came to visit ancient Hasankeyf district under a
cultural project of Governor's Office of Batman.

RADIKAL: Mardin deputy from Motherland Party argued that two
dams, which will together produce the amount of energy the Il?su
Dam is expected to produce, should be built in Batman to save
ancient Hasankeyf district.

ZAMAN / BOLGE / EVRENSEL / CUMHURIYET: Eleven members of
Global Peace and Justice Commission rode their bicycles to the
Incirlik Base in Adana to protest alleged presence of nuclear
bombs in the base and against recent Turkish deliberations on
sending Turkish troops to Lebanon.

SABAH (GUNEY) / BOLGE / OZGUR GUNDEM: Chamber of Pharmacists
in Adana held a seminar for its members to give information
about measures that could be taken against bird flu since it is
high season for migratory birds and Adana is located on their
migration routes.

YENI SAFAK / CUMHURIYET: Sirnak Governor's Office announced
that an Iraqi national, who was trying to cross the border in
the area near the Habur border gate in Sirnak, was caught with
30 Glock brand smuggled pistols.

SABAH (GUNEY): Because of this year's higher levels of
pistachio harvest, farmers fear that their produce will not get
sold because of lack of pistachio exports capability.

REID
GREEN

© Scoop Media