VZCZCXRO7755
RR RUEHDA
DE RUEHDA #0112 2690528
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 260528Z SEP 07
FM AMCONSUL ADANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4609
INFO RUEUITH/AFOSI DET 521 ANKARA TU
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1154
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 1000
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 1212
UNCLAS ADANA 000112
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR SEPTEMBER 25, 2007
1. This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for
September 25, 2007. Please note Turkish press reports often
contain errors or exaggerations; AmConsulate Adana does not
vouch for the accuracy of the reports summarized herein.
POLITICAL:
2. BOLGE: Selahattin Demirtas, Deputy of the Chairperson
of the DTP Group at Parliament, harshly criticized AKP Deputy
National Chairperson Dengir Mir Mehmet Firat, claiming Firat was
pursuing policies in favor of keeping the terrorists fighting in
the mountains instead of trying to bring them back to the fold
of ordinary civilian life.
3. EKSPRES: A controversial proposal to build a hotel in a
forested area of was ultimately turned down by Adana Mayor Aytac
Durak after local media campaigned against it for environmental
reasons.
4. EVRENSEL: Members of the BAK group (Global Peace and
Justice Commission) in western Izmir province filed a suit with
the Council of State demanding closure of Incirlik Airbase in
Adana, a reported logistic support staging area for the Iraq
war.
5. ZAMAN / EVRENSEL: Sixth Heavy Penalty Court of Diyarbakir
sentenced two clergymen to ten months in prison for writing and
publicly reading a poem lauding the PKK on the eve of Ramazan
last year. The poem also called on the PKK to issue a
ceasefire, reports the daily.
SECURITY
6. BOLGE: Security personnel killed a terrorist in a
conflict that erupted in Sirnak's Beytussebap district.
7. ZAMAN: Terrorists detonated a mine as a cargo train
was traveling on the railroad between Elazig and Bitlis's Tatvan
district. Four personnel sustained minor injuries.
CULTURE / SOCIETY / ENVIRONMENT
8. HURRIYET (CUKUROVA) / SABAH (GUNEY): A 130-centimeter
relief sculpture was excavated on Duluk (Doliche), Gaziantep.
The relief depicts Jupiter Dolichenus, god of the heavens in
Asia Minor, together with his wife Iuno Regina as they are
offering gifts to the gods.
9. HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Well-known U.S. action star Chuck
Norris visited the Incirlik Air Base in Adana, speaking with
airmen at the base and signing autographs.
10. HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): AKP Diyarbakir Provincial party
organization hosted an iftaar dinner for a group of successful
students in the province. The party will give iftaar dinners to
a total of 80 primary school students throughout the month of
Ramazan.
11. SABAH (GUNEY): Mustafa Attaroglu, AKP Adana Provincial
Chairman, held an iftaar dinner with members of the youth branch
of the party organization. Attaroglu said during the dinner
young people were the driving force of the party during the
elections.
12. HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Erhan Ekinci, Rector of the newly
built university in Kilis (7 Aralik University), solicited
support from local businessmen for the university.
GREEN