VZCZCXRO8015
RR RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHAK #2184/01 2351243
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 231243Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3522
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 03 ANKARA 002184
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV TU IZ
SUBJECT: Update on PKK Violence (August 8-15, 2007)
REF: ANKARA 2043 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) From August 8-15, 2007, 16 security officials were wounded,
including one in a firefight with PKK terrorists. The remaining 15
were wounded in landmine explosions.
3. (U) From August 8-15, 2007, one PKK terrorist was killed, ten
were captured, and one surrendered.
4. (U) The TGS website reported one clash between security forces
and PKK terrorists in southeastern Turkey during the reporting
period. Security forces unearthed at least ten 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 10, a civilian was injured when a mine exploded on
a road in Hakkari Province.
6. (U) On August 13, PKK set a minibus on fire at a private rock
mine in Lice, Diyarbakir Province, and took away the cell phones of
workers.
7. (U) On August 13, the PKK set three privately-owned roadworking
machines on fire at a road construction site near Refahiye, Erzincan
Province.
8. (U) Activity as reported by TGS website:
CLASHES NUMBER
May 2007 40
June 2007 40
July 2007 15
August 1-7, 2007 5
August 8-15, 2007 1
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
August 8-15, 2007 0 KIA, 16 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
ANKARA 00002184 002 OF 003
August 1-7, 2007 14 KIA, 3 captured, 0 surrendered
August 8-15, 2007 1 KIA, 10 captured, 1 surrendered
CACHES RECOVERED
May 2007 113
June 2007 50
July 2007 28
August 1-7, 2007 7
August 8-15, 2007 10
9. (U) Following are the cumulative casualty figures for 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
AUGUST 8-15, 2007 0 16
TOTAL 81 163
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
AUGUST 8-15, 2007 1 10 1
TOTAL 112 112 48
* Includes PKK suicide bomber in May 22 attack in Ankara
CIVILIANS
KIA WIA
JANUARY 0 0
FEBRUARY 1 0
MARCH 0 0
ANKARA 00002184 003 OF 003
APRIL 1 0
MAY 14* 108*
JUNE 1 1
JULY 1 3
AUGUST 1-7, 2007 1 (by the PKK) 0
AUGUST 8-15, 2007 0 1
TOTAL 19 115
* Includes 9 KIA and 100 WIA in May 22 Ankara bombing.
MCELDOWNEY