Cablegate: Update On Pkk Violence (August 1-7, 2007)

VZCZCXRO6920
RR RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHAK #2043/01 2220917
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 100917Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3333
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 002043

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV TU IZ
SUBJECT: Update on PKK Violence (August 1-7, 2007)

REF: ANKARA 2001 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) During the August 1-7, 2007 reporting period, seven GOT
security officials were killed, six during clashes with PKK
terrorists and one when a land mine exploded. An additional eight
security officials were wounded in land mine explosions.

3. (U) In the same period, 14 PKK terrorists were killed in action
and three were captured.

4. (U) The TGS website reported five clashes between security forces
and PKK terrorists in Turkey's southeastern region during the
reporting period. Security forces discovered seven PKK
shelters/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.

5. (U) On August 4, a villager was kidnapped by the PKK and then
killed in Gurpinar, Van Province.

6. (U) On August 6, the PKK released eight villagers that it had
kidnapped on July 31 in Baskale, Van Province.

7. (U) Activity as reported by TGS website:

CLASHES NUMBER

May 2007 40

June 2007 40

July 2007 15

August 1-7, 2007 5

CASUALTIES

Security Forces

May 2007 15 KIA, 52 WIA

June 2007 23 KIA, 51 WIA

July 2007 10 KIA, 14 WIA

August 1-7, 2007 7 KIA, 8 WIA

PKK

May 2007 20 KIA, 31 captured, 3 surrendered

June 2007 34 KIA, 16 captured, 17 surrendered

July 2007 11 KIA, 10 captured,13 surrendered

August 1-7, 2007 14 KIA, 3 captured, 0 surrendered

CACHES RECOVERED

May 2007 113

ANKARA 00002043 002 OF 002

June 2007 50

July 2007 28

August 1-7, 2007 7

8. (U) Following are the casualty figures for the 2007.

TURKISH SECURITY FORCES
KIA WIA

JANUARY 1 2

FEBRUARY 1 0

MARCH 5 4

APRIL 18 16

MAY 15 42

JUNE 24 51

JULY 10 14

AUGUST 1-7, 2007 7 8

TOTAL 81 147

PKK
KIA Captured Surrendered

JANUARY 0 5 3

FEBRUARY 0 14 0

MARCH 16 15 7

APRIL 16 8 4

MAY 20* 31 3

JUNE 34 16 17

JULY 11 10 13

AUGUST 1-7, 2007 14 3 0

TOTAL 111 102 47

* Includes PKK suicide bomber from May 22 attack in Ankara

CIVILIANS
KIA WIA

JANUARY 0 0

FEBRUARY 1 0

MARCH 0 0

APRIL 1 0

MAY 14* 108*

JUNE 1 1

JULY 1 3

AUGUST 1-7, 2007 1 (by the PKK) 0

TOTAL 19 114

* Includes 9 KIA and 100 WIA from May 22 Ankara bombing.

MCELDOWNEY

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