VZCZCXRO9484
RR RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHAK #1546 2400906
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 270906Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7265
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//
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFISS/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFISS/425ABG IZMIR TU//CC//
RHMFISS/39ABG INCIRLIK AB TU
RUEPGAB/MNF-I C2X BAGHDAD IZ
UNCLAS ANKARA 001546
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV TU IZ
SUBJECT: Update on PKK Violence (August 16-23, 2008)
REF: ANKARA 1490 and previous
(U) Sensitive but unclassified - please protect accordingly.
1. (SBU) This is another in a series of weekly 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.
2. (U) During the August 16-23, 2008 reporting period, one security
official died in a military vehicle targeted by a PKK IED in Sirnak
Province on August 18. Thirty-six security officials were injured,
including three in clashes, ten when targeted by PKK IEDs and 23
when car bombs went off in Mersin and Izmir. Since the TGS website
does not include incidents that occur in city centers (which are
left to Turkish National Police jurisdiction) we should elaborate
that out of those 23 who were injured in PKK car bombs, 13 of them
were policemen injured August 19 in Mersin, and three were soldiers
and another seven of them policemen injured August 21 in Izmir. The
total number of security force casualties for the year through
August 23, 2008, was 80 killed and 142 injured.
3. (U) During the same period, two PKK terrorists were killed in
clashes in Yuksekova, Hakkari Province on August 22. One PKKer was
captured and five surrendered. According to official TGS website
figures, through the third week of August, the number of PKK
militants killed this year was 567, the number of those captured was
126, and the number of those who surrendered was 106.
4. (U) During the reporting period one citizen was found executed by
the PKK in Gurpinar, Van Province on August 21. Nine civilians were
injured, including one by a PKK IED, two during clashes and six in
the car explosion in Izmir. The total number of civilian casualties
for the year through the end of the third week of August, was 41
killed, with another 238 wounded. The PKK also reportedly kidnapped
five civilians in four separate incidents during the reporting
period.
WILSON