Cablegate: Southeast Turkey Press Summary for December 25, 2006
VZCZCXRO3717
RR RUEHDA
DE RUEHDA #0266/01 3601158
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 261158Z DEC 06
FM AMCONSUL ADANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4398
INFO RUEUITH/AFOSI DET 521 ANKARA TU
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0944
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0813
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 1000
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000266
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: SOUTHEAST TURKEY PRESS SUMMARY FOR DECEMBER 25, 2006
This is the Southeastern Turkey press summary for December 25,
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
ZAMAN / RADIKAL / TOPLUMSAL DEMOKRASI: According to the first
two dailies, DTP Chairperson Ahmet Turk told a DTP congress held
in Diyarbakir that he was disappointed with the small number of
Diyarbakir participants in last week's convoy that traveled to
Ankara in order to extend support to the cease-fire and to
request an appointment from the parliament spokesperson Bulent
Arinc regarding the issue (see press summary for December 18).
Toplumsal Demokrasi daily, on the other hand, reported that Turk
asked Diyarbakir AKP and CHP deputies: "Will you not feel guilty
or ashamed when you will solicit votes from the Diyarbakir
electorate in the next elections?"
EVRENSEL / TOPLUMSAL DEMOKRASI / CUMHURIYET: The
twenty-eighth anniversary of the "(Kahraman)Maras Massacre",
which was reportedly carried out in Kahramanmaras province
between December 21 and 24 in 1978, was commemorated by Alevi
organizations in Diyarbakir, Istanbul and Adana. Nearly 110
people were killed in the reported Massacre, and many Alevis had
to leave the province during the incident. This Massacre
reportedly marked the origination of martial law in many cities
that eventually led to a coup in 1980. The dailies pointed out
the role of the ultra-nationalist fascist circles in the MIT
intelligence organization that initiated the massacre, in
particular MIT members who were allegedly in the ranks of the
MHP (Nationalist Movement Party). According to the chairperson
of one of the Alevi organizations in Adana, the Turkish state,
by covering up the perpetrators of the incident to date, has
been tacitly supporting the people who perpetrated the incident.
In separate news the KKK, the political wing of the PKK, made
an announcement condemning the "massacre" and calling for the
democratic forces to come together.
TOPLUMSAL DEMOKRASI: Hatice Adibelli, one of the three senior
officials of DTP in Van, who were detained by Van police as they
were returning from a party congress in one of the districts of
Van, was arrested after being arraigned with her colleagues.
Ms. Adibelli was arrested reportedly because of a tip-off given
by a defector.
EVRENSEL / TOPLUMSAL DEMOKRASI: Panels were held in several
provinces in Turkey, namely in Antalya, Izmir and Denizli, to
discuss the Kurdish issue and the cease-fire process. One of
the key points made was that the cease-fire was a landmark
opportunity that should be seized and that the Turkish
government should take steps to resolve the Kurdish issue
peacefully.
BOLGE / EKSPRES: The dailies highlight the discussions going on
in Adana between AKP deputies and Cukurova University circles
and civil society organizations, regarding a TOKI (Mass Housing
Administration) project. This project envisages the construction
of a 400-bed hospital, a mosque, and a hotel on the land
belonging to Cukurova University.
SECURITY
TOPLUMSAL DEMOKRASI: The spouse of a former village guard
claimed that police replaced blank cartridge cases with other
casings at the site of an alleged December 19 incident. In this
incident, a village guard had died under mysterious
circumstances in Sanliurfa's Beytussebap district in front of
his house. The wife of the slain man added that authorities
seized the gun they had issued to the guard on grounds that he
was attending illicit meetings of the former DEHAP party. The
authorities reportedly also put pressure later on the village
guard to take up arms again to fight terrorists.
CRIME / LAW ENFORCEMENT
ZAMAN / HURRIYET / EVRENSEL / TOPLUMSAL DEMOKRASI / CUMHURIYET /
RADIKAL: Three male students, who were all 13 years old, were
arrested on child sexual abuse charges. They had allegedly
assaulted four younger male children in the first, second and
third grades of the primary school in one of the public boarding
schools of Tunceli's Mazgirt district. The arrested students
claimed, in their statements, that they had also been victims of
sexual abuse in the school. The principal of the school, the
ADANA 00000266 002 OF 002
psychological guidance teacher, and another administrator have
been suspended. The Governor's Office has asked inspectors from
the Ministry of Education to look into the incident.
TOPLUMSAL DEMOKRASI: Unidentified persons tore apart the
Turkish flag that was hanging on a mast in the yard of a primary
school in Mus. The torn flag was later put in a coffin that was
placed in the yard of a mosque standing next to the school.
Police are currently investigating the incident.
BOLGE / ZAMAN: Adana police conducted simultaneous operations
in several sections of the province, and apprehended seven
alleged members of an illegal organization called the "Selefi
Organization." Police launched the operations upon receiving a
tip-off that the organization had established links with
Al-Qaeda terrorist organization. Two of the detainees, who were
arraigned, were formally arrested. The others were released to
stand trial later.
ECONOMY
ZAMAN / RADIKAL: The Free Trade Agreement, which was signed
after long discussions and deliberations between Turkey and
Syria, will take effect as of January 1, 2007. Gaziantep
province has already increased its exports to Syria by 79
percent as compared to the previous year's figures. Those
developments have greatly benefited a shopping mall company
named Metro Grup whose investors are German-based. Metro Grup
opened its 10th branch in Gaziantep, and has reportedly received
an influx of customers from Aleppo to date.
CULTURE / SOCIETY / ENVIRONMENT
EVRENSEL / TOPLUMSAL DEMOKRASI: The Kurdish Music Conference
was held between December 23 and 24 in the conference hall of
the Baglar district's municipality in Diyarbakir. The article
criticizes the fact that Turkish was mostly used as a medium of
language during the sessions and presentations held throughout
the two-day conference. Academicians pointed out that despite
the fact that people use Kurdish in daily life, academic
discussions were not held in Kurdish.
ZAMAN: The Ministry of Tourism and Culture allocated 4.5
million YTL to support a restoration project aimed at preserving
the historical Suleyman Sah Tomb located in Syria.
GREEN