Cablegate: Southeast Turkey Press Summary for September 26, 2006
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RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0852
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0743
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC
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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR SEPTEMBER 26, 2006
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for September 26,
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
OZGUR GUNDEM / EVRENSEL / ZAMAN: Ozgur Gundem and Evrensel
dailies carried on their front-cover the military personnel's
recent protest against the Hakkari Municipality for "being
indifferent to the garbage collecting duty and engaging itself
in efforts to divide the country." According to the dailies,
Hakkari people did not give credit to the protest event. Legal
experts allegedly claimed that military personnel are not
allowed to demonstrate against public institutions and that
investigation must be started against them. Meanwhile, Deputy
Mayor of Hakkari Municipality claimed that some of the civilian
demonstrators were actually soldiers from a brigade located
seven kilometers away from the city.
3. EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM: Ahead of tomorrow's court hearing
in Eskisehir on the case of Ahmet and Ugur Kaymaz, the father
and his son, who were allegedly executed by security officers on
November 21, 2004 in Mardin's Kiziltepe district, the daily
published for the first time photos that showed dead bodies of
Ahmet and Ugur Kaymaz lying on the ground at the site of the
event reportedly two hours after the incident.
4. ZAMAN / YENI SAFAK / RADIKAL / EVRENSEL / OZGUR GUNDEM /
CUMHURIYET: Iraqi President Jalal Talabani reportedly claimed
that Iraq has convinced the PKK to lay down arms. PKK will
allegedly implement a ceasefire in the coming days, according to
Talabani. Talabani also expressed a strong desire for the U.S.
soldiers to stay in the country for a long time and for the
construction of permanent U.S. air bases in Iraq.
5. ZAMAN / RADIKAL: The draft constitution the Kurdish
Authority in the northern Iraq prepared, which has been
presented to the regional parliament in Arbil province,
reportedly includes clauses which prevent returning of the PKK
militants to Turkey.
6. YENI SAFAK / OZGUR GUNDEM: PKK claimed responsibility for
the bomb attack that wounded five police officers in a police
residence in Igdir the previous day.
7. RADIKAL / SABAH / YENI SAFAK / ZAMAN / EVRENSEL / OZGUR
GUNDEM / CUMHURIYET: A second lieutenant was killed by PKK
terrorists in Mardin's Dargecit district during a military
operation that had been going on for three days. Two village
guards were wounded. The father of the lieutenant blamed the
U.S. for what was going on in the southeastern region and
described the PKK as a mere pawn.
8. YENI SAFAK / OZGUR GUNDEM: Diyarbakir Prosecutor's Office
started prosecuting 56 mayors from the southeastern region today
because of a letter the mayors sent in December 2005 to
Denmark's President which called on him not to black out pro-PKK
Roj TV. A delegation from the Embassy of Denmark in Ankara is
also observing the trial.
9. SABAH (GUNEY): The police reportedly identified the gunman
who killed the mayor of Adana's Karatas district (from AKP) on
September 22. The person has not been caught yet.
10. SABAH (GUNEY): Hatay police conducted an anti-drug
trafficking operation and detained 24 people as a result of
efforts that lasted eight months. Twenty kilograms of heroin,
460 Captagon pills, hashish and some chemicals were seized
during the operation.
11. ZAMAN: Van police found and seized seventy-five kilograms
of heroin substance in a house where it conducted a raid at.
12. ZAMAN: A minor earthquake with a magnitude of 3 shook
Adana's Tufanbeyli district.
GREEN