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Cablegate: Southeast Turkey Press Summary for June 05, 2007

Published: Thu 7 Jun 2007 05:25 AM
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SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR JUNE 05, 2007
1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for June 05,
2007. 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:
2. EVRENSEL / GUNDEM: The Gundem daily reports that
independent candidates of DTP (Democratic Society Party), SDP
(Socialist Democracy Party), EMEP (Labor Party), ODP (Freedom
and Solidarity Party) submitted their applications to provincial
election boards in Van, Mus, Sirnak, Siirt, Sanliurfa, Adiyaman,
Elazig, Malatya, Tunceli, Bingol, Adana, Mersin, Izmir and
Mardin. Ahmet Turk, the former DTP National Chairperson, who
will be running as candidate from Mardin, was reportedly
welcomed by hundreds of people in Mardin yesterday evening.
Turk addressed the crowd and said that their struggle would not
be only for the Kurds, but for all of Turkey. The candidates
started their election campaigns in their respective provinces.
3. GUNDEM / EVRENSEL: Diyarbakir Prosecutor's Office
prepared an indictment against Ahmet Turk, for 'praising the
crime and the criminals' under Turkish Penalty Law's Article
215/1. Turk allegedly committed this crime in a speech he
delivered during Newroz celebrations in March in Diyarbakir.
The daily further claims that the prosecutor also prepared a
summary against Turk allegedly to prevent discontinuation of a
prosecution process that might ensue from the indictment, in
case Turk gets elected as a lawmaker from Mardin and becomes
entitled to immunity.
4. GUNDEM: Policemen clad in civilian attire allegedly
did not allow distribution of Gundem daily in Gaziantep and they
seized 55 editions. Gaziantep representative of the daily said
they would file a complaint with the Human Rights Association.
SECURITY
5. CUMHURIYET / YENI SAFAK / HURRIYET / BOLGE / GUNDEM /
EKSPRES / EVRENSEL: PKK terrorists attacked a Jandarma
station in Tunceli's Pulumur district at 12:45 pm yesterday.
Eight soldiers were killed and six soldiers were wounded. The
Tunceli Governor said the terrorists could have attacked as a
suicide bomb attack at the onset. Turkish Armed Forces launched
an extensive military operation following the attack. Gundem
daily claims that eight soldiers were wounded. Separately,
terrorists attacked with rocket propelled grenades at a jandarma
station in Hakkari's Semdinli district the previous day at 5
p.m. The papers reported no casualties. Gundem daily claims
that, following the remarks of head of the Turkish General Staff
concerning cross-border operations, Turkish Armed Forces' cannon
fire against northern Iraq increased.
6. GUNDEM: The coffin of a PKK member, who was killed
during a military operation in Van's Muradiye district on an
unspecified date, has been brought to Adana. Hundreds of people
attended the funeral ceremony and people held PKK flags.
Separately, the daily notes that the coffins of two of the 7
terrorists, who were killed in the rural sections of Siirt, have
been claimed by their family. The funerals will be held
separately in Hakkari's Yuksekova district and Van. Four
coffins are still at the mortuary of Eruh district's state
hospital in Siirt.
CRIME AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
7. HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Diyarbakir Jandarma conducted an
anti-drug operation in a farm house located near a road between
Diyarbakir and Elazig. Ten kilograms of heroin was found hidden
in sections of the farm's field. Jandarma detained 3 people in
connection with the illegal drug.
ECONOMY
8. SABAH (GUNEY): On the June 4 anniversary of the first
loading of petroleum to a vessel called The British Hawthorne at
the terminal of BTC (Baku-Tibilisi-Ceyhan) at Ceyhan district of
Adana, BTC Turkish Director said that the revenues from the
pipeline reached 620 million USD. The total number of vessels
loaded to date is reported as 172 and the total amount of
petroleum exported is 137,940 million barrels. (This summary is
from June 4 editions.)
9. SABAH (GUNEY): The surveys the Turkish Mineral Research
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and Exploration Authority (MTA) have been conducting in Nigde's
Bor district revealed oil reserves in the area. (This summary
is from June 4 editions.)
10. HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Chairmen of the Board of the
Exporters' Unions in Southeastern Turkey announced exports
figures for the first five months of 2007 from the southeastern
region. He said they were pleased about the figures which
showed an increasing trend.
CULTURE / SOCIETY / ENVIRONMENT
11. HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): 23rd Motorized Infantry Brigade
Command delivered apparel and stationary aid to people in a
village of Sirnak's Silopi district.
12. SABAH (GUNEY): Primary school and high school students
held a march under "Fesivity for Education, Culture, Arts and
Love" in Malatya. Wife and children of Tilman Geske, a German
national, who was slain with other two people at a publishing
house for bibles in Malatya in mid-April, attended the march and
freed doves of peace. The festival will last three days.
13. BOLGE: The hydrofoil trips between Mersin and Syria's
port of Lazkiye will start again on June 21. Two trips will be
held per week.
14. EVRENSEL: Seventh Diyarbakir Culture and Arts Festival
ended. Thousands of people reportedly attended concert held on
the last day of the festival.
GREEN
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