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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000084
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR JUNE 20, 2007
1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for June 20,
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. BOLGE / EKSPRES: MHP Adana party organization has
reportedly been pursuing a vigorous election campaign. An MHP
delegation went to Kozan district in Adana to meet with the
people and to hear about local issues bothering them. A
Gaziantep candidate from MHP solicited votes and pledged to
clean the mined areas on the Syrian border and reintroduce them
to people for cultivation. State Minister Kursat Tuzmen met
with the journalists at a dinner in Mersin, the province where
Tuzmen will be running, and talked about the missions he
envisaged for the Mersin province. Meanwhile, Dengir Mir Mehmet
Firat, the former AKP deputy national chairperson and AKP's
candidate from Adana, who had run in the Mersin province in the
former elections, has also been campaigning and knocking the
doors in several different districts of Adana to canvass people.
Omer Celik, another Adana candidate from AKP and political
adviser to the premier, paid visits to AKP's district party
organizations together with the provincial chairman Mr.
Attaroglu. Separately, CHP's Seyhan district party organization
went to Kucukdikili, a township of Seyhan district in Adana, to
introduce its candidates to the local people.
3. BOLGE / HURRIYET: Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan opened a
food processing facility during his trip to Agri province,
addressed people in a rally held there, and paid a visit to the
Agri Governor's Office later. The next destination of Erdogan's
ongoing trip is the Igdir province, reports the daily.
4. GUNDEM: Representatives of the women's organizations
said the twenty-one women's organizations in south-eastern
Turkey will reportedly endorse independent female candidates.
5. EVRENSEL / GUNDEM: Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir
paid a visit to a settlement area of Diyarbakir which is
populated by people who had to migrate from the villages of the
province. Women and children, who welcomed him with great
enthusiasm, reportedly told the issues they had been suffering
from to the mayor.
6. GUNDEM: Tunceli Municipality introduced into service
an asphalt plant, and, held an opening ceremony for it. DTP
Vice-Chariperson, who delivered a speech during the event, said
they were being deliberately targeted at, like in the case of
the Sur District Mayor Abdullah Demirbas who was removed from
office when he attempted recently to launch a "multi-language
municipality service" (see press summary for June 15),
reportedly because they were providing good public services
without engaging in fraudulent businesses. The daily separately
noted that the Chamber of Doctors in Diyarbakir issued a written
announcement protesting removal of the Sur Mayor and
Municipality assembly members from office.
7. GUNDEM: News chief and a reporter of the Diyarbakir's
local Soz TV station have been arrested on charges that they
broadcast news about a judge who allegedly was exiled to the
office in Diyarbakir from another province on charges of
bribery.
8. EVRENSEL: The daily examines the election trends in Van
and reminds that six deputies from AKP won parliamentary seats
from Van in 2002 elections. While the daily points out to
rumors that votes for AKP will decrease in Van in July 22
elections since AKP's ticket in Van excluded the leaders of the
local clans of Van. However, AKP could work hard until the
election day and win back the support of the frustrated clan
leaders. DTP supports three independent candidates in Van where
DTP will campaign in three separate election constituencies.
CHP's ticket in Van gave the first ranking position to a former
ANAP (Motherland Party) member and the second ranking position
to a former DYP member.
9. EVRENSEL: As expiry date of the use of the Incirlik
Airbase by the U.S. draws near, the daily quotes Abdullah
Caliskan, Adana Deputy from AKP; Cebrail Daghan, Adana Branch
Secretary of the Union of General Services Workers; and Mustafa
SIPDIS
Bagcicek, Adana Branch Secretary of the Human Rights Association
as objecting to any further extending of the use of the air base
ADANA 00000084 002 OF 002
by the U.S.
SECURITY
10. ZAMAN: As the "Sledgehammer" military operation is
going on in the south-eastern region of Turkey, the terrorists
trapped in the region are shifting their locations to northern
Black Sea region's provinces, reports the daily. During a
shootout with the terrorists that erupted in the northern
Gumushane province, one private was killed and another soldier
was wounded.
11. ZAMAN / HURRIYET: The terrorists in a van loaded with arms
and explosives opened fire at jandarma the previous day at 11.30
p.m. in Erzincan as the car, which was entering the city center,
was stopped by jandarma. Five security personnel, including two
non-commissioned officers, were wounded in the fire. Two
terrorists in the car were caught, and, American-brand M16s, 8
hand grenades, 1.5 kilograms of explosives, two Kalashnikov
guns, food and supplies were found in the car. The security
forces launched an operation in the area and encountered the
terrorists who were able to flee from the van. Four of the
terrorists were killed.
CRIME AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
12. ZAMAN: Police in Hakkari found and seized 74
kilograms of heroin during an anti-drug operation conducted in
the Yuksekova district.
CULTURE / SOCIETY / ENVIRONMENT
13. GUNDEM: The daily reports that a jail's administration
in Van required the inmates to pay the fees of the translation
services when the inmates demanded from the jail administration
to buy the Kurdish Azadiya Welat newspaper.
14. SABAH (GUNEY) / BOLGE / EKSRPES / GUNDEM: Twenty-four year
old niece of Ahmet Turk, former national chairperson of DTP, was
drowned in the water canal he was swimming in in Adana. Turk's
niece was a student of the medical faculty in the Cukurova
University.
GREEN