VZCZCXRO0423
RR RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHAK #1571/01 1711006
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 201006Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2661
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEHAK/USDAO ANKARA TU
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC//USDP:PDUSDP/ISA:EUR/ISA:NESA//
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J-3/J-5//
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFIUU/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFIUU/425ABS IZMIR TU//CC//
RHMFIUU/39ABG INCIRLIK AB TU
RUEPGAB/MNF-I C2X BAGHDAD IZ
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001571
SIPDIS
QENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV TU IZ
SUBJECT: Update on PKK Violence (June 1-15, 2007)
REF: ANKARA 1427 and previous
(U) Sensitive but unclassified - please protect accordingly.
1. (SBU) This is another in a series of periodic reports on PKK
violence in Turkey. Our primary sources for these reports are
mainstream Turkish press services, such as the Anatolian News
Agency, and international wire services. While these are more
reliable than most Turkish press sources, they are not necessarily
unimpeachable. A major source is the Turkish General Staff (TGS)
website which documents contacts/clashes with the PKK. Press
services sympathetic to the PKK, such as Neu-Isenburg People's
Defense Forces and Firat News Agency, tend to report higher numbers
of the Turkish Security Forces casualties and are often otherwise
unreliable.
2. (U) In the first half of June 2007, 17 security personnel died in
PKK-related violence. During the same period 37 security officials
were wounded in action (WIA). This reflects a significant increase
so far in June: In the entire month of May, 15 security forces were
KIA, 52 wQded. A civilian was injured when he stepped on a land
mine.
3. (U) In the first half of June the body of a PKK terrorist was
found in the field during counterinsurgency operations and 22 PKK
terrorists were arrested, including six who surrendered. On two
occasions, June 11 and 14, the PKK intimidated groups of civilians.
One incident involved forest workers in Bitlis and the second group
was marble workers in Diyarbakir. On both occasions the PKK robbed
the workers but did not hurt them.
4. (U) The PKK denied responsibility for a June 15 bomb blast that
wounded seven people in Turkey's largest Kurdish city, Diyarbakir.
The bomb, hidden in a bicycle seat, exploded near a bus stop often
used by military personnel; one of those injured was a soldier. "The
way the incident happened and the type of explosive used indicates
who did it," Interior Minister Osman Gunes said, in an apparent
reference to the PKK. He said a detailed statement would be made
after the police completed their investigation.
5. (U) The TGS website reported 20 clashes between security forces
and PKK terrorists in the region. Security forces unearthed dozens
of PKK shelters and caves and seized booby-trapped land mines; other
explosives, including A-4 and TNT; Kalashnikov rifles; cartridges;
hand grenades; pistols; night vision binoculars; TV sets; satellite
antennas; and radios.
6. (U) Activity as reported by TGS website:
CLASHES NUMBER
May 2007 (one month) 40
June (first half) 20
CASUALTIES
Security Forces
May 2007 (one month) 15 KIA, 52 WIA
June (first half) 17 KIA, 37 WIA
PKK
May 2007 (one month) 1 KIA, 53 captured/arrested
June (first half) 1 KIA, 22 captured/arrested
CACHES RECOVERED
May 2007 (one month) 113
June (first half) 30
7. (U) Following are statistics for 2007 to date:
TURKISH SECURITY FORCES
KIA WIA
JANUARY 1 2
FEBRUARY 1 0
MARCH 5 4
ANKARA 00001571 002 OF 002
APRIL 18 16
MAY 15 42
JUNE (first half) 17 37
TOTAL 57 111
CIVILIANS
KIA WIA
JANUARY 0 0
FEBRUARY 1 0
MARCH 0 0
APRIL 1 0
MAY 11* 18*
JUNE (first half) 0 8
TOTAL 13 26
* Includes 6 KIA and 100 WIA from May 22 Ankara bombing.
PKK
KIA Captured
JANUARY 5 11
FEBRUARY 0 8
MARCH 9 18
APRIL 2 47
MAY 2* 53
JUNE (first half) 1 22
TOTAL 18 159
* Includes PKK suicide bomber from May 22 attack in Ankara
WILSON