Cablegate: Southeast Turkey Press Summary for September 22, 2006
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SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR SEPTEMBER 22, 2006
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for September 22,
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
HURIYET ONLINE / NTVMSNBC ONLINE: An explosion took place in
an allegedly illegally-operated chemical factory in an
industrial area of Gaziantep yesterday at about 8 p.m. The
blazes quickly jumped onto containers having thinner in them at
the site, and fire started. Firefighters were able to
extinguish it in four hours, and 36 people, including some of
the firefighters, have been wounded so far. The death toll is
three persons and their bodies have not been identified yet.
NTVMSNBC ONLINE: Fire broke out for unknown reasons in one of
the primary schools in Siirt. A stampede took place and panic
started among people, when it took the firefighters to intervene
because of shortage of water. During the event, one of the
firefighting cars had an accident and rolled over wounding one
of the firefighters. After two hours of fight, the blazes were
extinguished. No casualties were reported. (This article is
from the September 21 dated edition.)
3. YENI SAFAK: BOTAS Co. (Petroleum Pipeline Corporation),
which has been running the Baku-Tibilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline (BTC)
established Turkey's first team to fight against oil fires.
4. CUMHURIYET: Diyarbakir Governor's Office announced that
the government will allocate 15,000 YTL to compensate for losses
of 60 houses and 11 businesses that incurred material damage
during September 12 Diyarbakir bomb attack. The Office further
clarified that compensation covered only losses caused by
material damage. Those people whose family members died or were
wounded during the event would be covered under the Law on
Compensating for Losses Incurred Because of Terrorism and During
the Fight Against Terrorism.
5. HURRIYET: Chief of General Staff General Yasar Buyukanit
paid a courtesy visit to the newly appointed Third Army
Commander in Erzincan together with other top-ranking
commanders. The Governor and the new commander welcomed
Buyukanit. Buyukanit went to Malatya and paid a visit to
Malatya Governor, as well. Buyukanit told the journalists that
the Turkish translation of the "Special Envoy for Countering the
PKK" was causing misunderstandings, and that Turkey would never
engage in negotiations with the terrorist organization.
6. ZAMAN: PM Erdogan reportedly paid a visit to the
families of martyrs the previous day during his trip to the
Bursa province in order to extend condolences. The visit was
kept secret since PM Erdogan did not want to advertise his
visit.
7. SABAH (GUNEY): Sanliurfa's Chamber of Commerce and
Industry, who contributed to the construction of Akcakale Border
Gate which was completed two years ago, has launched efforts to
have the General Chief of Staff demine a mined area which has
been hindering the opening of the Gate. Officials from Syrian
side had long ago given consent for opening of that border gate.
8. NTVMSNBC ONLINE: Fire broke out for unknown reasons in
one of the primary schools in Siirt. A stampede took place and
panic started among people, when it took the firefighters to
intervene because of shortage of water. During the event, one
of the firefighting cars had an accident and rolled over
wounding one of the firefighters. After two hours of fight,
the blazes were extinguished. No casualties were reported.
(This article is from the September 21 dated edition.)
9. HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Upon receiving a tip-off, Van
Police searched a vehicle at the city center, and, found 117
kilograms of heroin worth 10 million YTL, in the car's fuel
tank. Security Director of Van said that that was a record
amount of illegal drugs caught in one single operation.
Separately, Van Police caught two people having six Glock-brand
pistols, 150 bullets, 18 clips.
10. HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Fifth International Middle East
Industry Fair and 1st Automotive Fair (see press summary for
September 19) is going on in Diyarbakir province. Diyarbakir
Governor Efkan Ala said during the opening ceremony that
stability in the region is a prerequisite for economic
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development. 380 from Iraqi people reportedly attended the
fair.
11. OZGUR GUNDEM: Mehmet Demir, who lost his wife, three
children, two nieces and his sister-in-law in the September 12
bomb attack in Diyarbakir, is preparing to file a lawsuit
against the Turkish State because of the incident.
12. OZGUR GUNDEM: Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir gave a
statement to the Second Court of First Instance because of a
news article titled "Kurds and Turks cannot Live Together" which
was published on a well-known journal on an unspecified date.
13. Four bullets wounded a six-year old girl, Serivan Cetin,
on September 5 allegedly because of fire opened from village
guards' automatic guns of at the truck of the Cetin family on
unspecified grounds on a road in Sirnak's Beytussebap district.
The mother of the girl claims that the village guards opened
fire and ran away then leaving the girl wounded. Since then,
the family has reportedly been trying to cure the girl's wounds
at hospitals.
14. HURRIYET (CUKUROVA): Mersin Governor said that Mersin
submitted its candidacy for hosting 2013 Mediterranean Games.
GREEN