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RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000083
SIPDIS
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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR JUNE 15, 2007
1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for June 15,
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. EKSPRES ONLINE/ HABERLER.COM / HABER3.COM: Eric Green,
the U.S. Consul to Adana, who has recently been to Van, Hakkari
and Sirnak, said in Sirnak's Cizre district, "This issue
(incursion) is being discussed at all levels of our government.
The views of the U.S. about a possible Turkish incursion in Iraq
are clear." Green, who said that the area the Consulate covered
was large and was extending from Mersin to Van province, further
continued that they were routinely paying visits to those areas
and meeting with governmental and non-governmental authorities.
Green told journalists that he was with the Chairperson of
Cizre's Chamber of Commerce and Industry today. Green said
that, since the U.S. government was sending goods to the
coalition forces in Iraq through the Habur Border Gate in
Sirnak, he would visit the Gate tomorrow. Green added that
whenever he comes to this region, he was also paying a visit to
the Gate.
3. RADIKAL / SABAH / NTVMSNBC.COM / GUNDEM / ZAMAN: The
Council of State decreed that Sur District Mayor Abdullah
Demirbas should be suspended from office and the municipality
assembly should be dropped on grounds that the municipality
decided to launch a "multi-language municipality service for the
citizens." The judicial body stated that such a service was not
conforming to the Turkish Constitution and the Turkish laws.
Such an implementation transgressed the boundaries of exercising
basic human rights and liberties, and it displayed a nature that
was in disharmony with such rights. Gundem daily further
reports that attorneys of Demirbas regarded the decision as
against democracy and the rule of law, and, they would appeal
the verdict of the Council of State.
4. HURRIYET ONLINE/ EKSPRES / GUNDEM: The Turkish General
Staff filed a complaint against Alaattin Erdogan, DTP assembly
member, and Erdogan was arrested yesterday in Mersin by
anti-terror branch of the Mersin police on charges of
denigrating the Turkish State and the Turkish General Staff at
the parliament of the U.K. last year. Erdogan was brought to
Adana, was arraigned and arrested.
5. HURRIYET ONLINE / GUNDEM: The title chosen by Hurriyet
online daily reads: "Unfortunate remarks from DTP." DTP
announced the conclusions arrived at its Party Assembly's
meeting held yesterday as follows: 1- DTP argued that army's
recently increasing death toll was a consequence in the first
place of not conforming to the "unilateral ceasefire" (declared
by the PKK). DTP had actually made a call for the cease-fire
which was reportedly supported by many circles. DTP, described
the situation in which many young people were dying each day, as
extremely disappointing, however, DTP expressed a strong
commitment to continue struggling for democratic processes and
not to yield and let despair win. 2- The call of the Turkish
General Staff to Turkish people to show a "collective reaction"
against terrorism was aiming to turn peoples as enemies of each
other. 3- DTP had serious concerns over whether July 22
parliamentary elections would be held in a democratic and
healthy environment. The government, which did nothing in the
past to remove the anti-democratic election threshold, is even
defending today the idea to postpone the elections in an attempt
to block the entrance of its opponents to the parliament. In a
parallel fashion, the Higher Election Board vetoed the candidacy
of former DEP deputies: Hatip Dicle, Orhan Dogan and Selim
Sadak, despite that their prosecution process was still not
ended. (This is openly a stealing of the willpower, writes the
Gundem daily.) 4- DTP demanded that Alaattin Erdogan, DTP
assembly member, who was arrested yesterday in Mersin on charges
of insulting Turkish General Staff at the parliament of the
U.K., should be released. Meanwhile, as Ahmet Turk and Aysel
Tugluk resigned from DTP party chairmanship and deputy
chairmanship, party assembly appointed new names as acting
chairman and acting deputy chairman. Gundem daily, as it points
out that the Kurdish issue and funerals of martyrs were being
abused as ingredients of domestic politics, the authorities
should perceive the internal dynamics, and, the issues should
better be solved through democratic methods instead of resorting
to such anti-democratic ways as cross-border operations.
6. ZAMAN / BOLGE / EKSPRES / SABAH (GUNEY): CHP Adana party
ADANA 00000083 002 OF 002
organization introduced its candidates to the Adana people with
a meeting it held at the Seyhan Hotel.
7. EVRENSEL: The daily claims that the soldiers from the
Provincial Jandarma Command in Diyarbakir allegedly are putting
pressure on some villagers and telling them not to cast votes
for independent candidates. Separately, the daily notes that
Sezgin Tanrikulu, Chairperson of Diyarbakir Bar Association, who
was one of the 37 independent candidates, withdrew his candidacy
in Diyarbakir.
SECURITY
8. RADIKAL / SABAH / HURRIYET / NTVMSNBC.COM / CNNTURK.COM:
A major was killed and two privates were wounded by a mine that
was remotely detonated by the PKK members on a village road in
Hakkari's Yuksekova district the previous day as a military unit
was returning from a patrolling mission on foot at around 4 p.m.
A ceremony was held for the major in Hakkari's Commando Brigade
Command at 9 a.m. today (June 14) and the coffin has been sent
to the hometown of the soldier. Separately, a commissioned
officer was killed in a shootout in Karakocan district of
Elazig.
9. HURRIYET (ONLINE): A blast took place at a bus stop
in Ofis section of Diyarbakir because of an explosive placed on
the seat of a bicycle parked on a street. Seven people were
wounded, one of them seriously. There was a non-commissioned
officer among the wounded. The authorities have not been able to
identify the type of the explosive yet. Minister of Interior
said the way the blast took place reminded them of the methods
the PKK generally used in such attacks, but they would not be
able to tell for certain until the experts completed their
investigation.
CRIME AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
10. HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Police in Ceyhan stopped a car and
searched it. Police found 7.5 kilograms of hashish hidden in the
car. Separately, Hakkari police seized 5 tons of smuggled fuel
oil in Hakkari. 15 people were detained during the
anti-smuggling operation.
GREEN