VZCZCXRO8678
RR RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHAK #2853/01 3331026
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 291026Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4478
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/EUCOM POLAD 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 002853
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV TU IZ
SUBJECT: Update on PKK Violence (November 16-23, 2007)
REF: ANKARA 2798 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 source is the Turkish General Staff
(TGS) website, which documents contacts and clashes with the PKK as
well as casualties incurred. The TGS does not account for police
casualties and the Ministry of Interior casualty date is not made
public. As a result, actual numbers for total Turkish law
enforcement casualties are higher than the figures in this cable.
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 November 16-23, 2007 reporting period, no GOT
security official was killed or injured in clashes.
3. (U) In the same period, six PKK terrorists were captured.
4. (U) The TGS website reported two clashes between security forces
and PKK terrorists. Since an October 21 terrorist ambush that
resulted in the deaths of 12 soldiers, the Turkish military has been
continuing non-stop operations in the region. Security forces
discovered at least 11 PKK shelters/caves/caches 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) During the reporting period, security forces detected at
least five PKK explosive devices in SE Turkey, detonating several of
them in controlled fashion before they could explode.
6. (U) Activity as reported by TGS website:
CLASHES (NUMBER)
May 2007, 40
June 2007, 40
July 2007, 15
August 2007, 12
September 2007, 35
October 2007, 24
November 1-7, 5
November 8-15, 2
November 16-23, 2
CASUALTIES
Security Forces
May 2007 15 KIA, 52 WIA
June 2007 23 KIA, 51 WIA
July 2007 10 KIA, 14 WIA
August 2007 12 KIA, 30 WIA
September 2007 12 KIA, 32 WIA
October 2007 34 KIA, 21 WIA
November 1-7 2 KIA, 1 WIA
November 8-15 4 KIA, 2 WIA
November 16-23, 0 KIA, 0 WIA
ANKARA 00002853 002 OF 003
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 2007 38 KIA, 24 captured, 7 surrendered
September 2007 40 KIA, 15 captured, 9 surrendered
October 2007 85 KIA, 18 captured, 4 surrendered
November 1-7 6 KIA, 10 captured, 0 surrendered
November 8-15 0 KIA, 3 captured, 10 surrendered
November 16-23 0 KIA, 6 captured, 0 surrendered
CACHES RECOVERED (NUMBER)
May 2007, 113
June 2007, 50
July 2007, 28
August 2007, 40
September 2007, 119
October 2007, 51
November 1-7 20
November 8-15 15
November 16-23 11
7. (U) Following are the casualty figures for 2007.
TURKISH SECURITY FORCES (KIA or WIA)
JANUARY 1 KIA, 2 WIA
FEBRUARY 1 KIA, 0 WIA
MARCH 5 KIA, 4 WIA
APRIL 18 KIA, 16 WIA
MAY 15 KIA, 43 WIA
JUNE 24 KIA, 51 WIA
JULY 10 KIA, 14 WIA
AUGUST 12 KIA, 30 WIA
SEPTEMBER 12 KIA, 32 WIA
OCTOBER 34 KIA, 21 WIA
November 1-7 2 KIA, 1 WIA
November 8-15 4 KIA, 2 WIA
November 16-23, 0 KIA, 0 WIA
TOTAL 138 KIA, 216 WIA
PKK (KIA, Captured or surrendered)
JANUARY 0 KIA, 5 captured, 3 surrendered
ANKARA 00002853 003 OF 003
FEBRUARY 0 KIA, 14 captured,0 surrendered
MARCH 16 KIA,15 captured, 7 surrendered
APRIL 16 KIA,8 captured,4 surrendered
MAY 20* KIA,31 captured,3 surrendered
JUNE 34 KIA,16 captured,17 surrendered
JULY 11 KIA,10 captured, 13 surrendered
AUGUST 38 KIA,24 captured,7 surrendered
SEPTEMBER 40 KIA, 15 captured,9 surrendered
OCTOBER 85 KIA, 18 captured, 4 surrendered
November 1-7 6 KIA, 10 captured, 0 surrendered
November 8-15 0 KIA, 3 captured, 10 surrendered
November 16-23 0 KIA, 6 captured, 0 surrendered
TOTAL 266 KIA, 175 Captured, 77 surrendered
* Includes PKK suicide bomber from May 22 attack in Ankara
CIVILIANS (KIA or WIA)
JANUARY 0 KIA, 0 WIA
FEBRUARY 1 KIA, 0 WIA
MARCH 0 KIA, 0 WIA
APRIL 1 KIA, 0 WIA
MAY 14*KIA, 108* WIA
JUNE 1 KIA, 1 WIA
JULY 1 KIA, 3 WIA
AUGUST 1 KIA, 1 WIA
SEPTEMBER 7 KIA, 1 WIA
OCTOBER 0 KIA, 19 WIA
November 1-7 0 KIA, 0 WIA
November 8-15 0 KIA, 1 WIA
November 16-23 0 KIA, 0 WIA
TOTAL 26 KIA, 134 WIA
* Includes 9 KIA and 100 WIA from May 22 Ankara bombing.
WILSON