Cablegate: Update On Pkk Violence (June 23-30, 2007)

VZCZCXRO2449
RR RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHAK #1708/01 1841440
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 031440Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2832
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 001708

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV TU IZ
SUBJECT: Update on PKK Violence (June 23-30, 2007)

REF: ANKARA 1634 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 June 23 to 30, 2007, five security personnel, including
a village guard, died in clashes with the PKK or in IED explosions.
During the same period four security officials, including one
village guard, were wounded in action (WIA). So far in June, 23
were KIA and 51 WIA. Casualty figures for June exceed those from
May, when 15 security personnel were KIA and 42 WIA.

3. (U) From June 23 to 30, 15 PKK terrorists were killed in action
and nine arrested, including seven who surrendered to security
officials.

4. (U) The TGS website reported around ten clashes between security
forces and PKK terrorists in the region. Security forces unearthed
at least a dozen 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.

5. (U) On June 23, the PKK attacked a Jandarma Station in Ovacik,
Tunceli with a tanker truck. The PKK suicide bomber and the tanker
driver, who was actually a civilian kidnapped by the bomber died in
the incident.

6. (U) On June 25 the PKK derailed a cargo train in Gaziantep.

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

CLASHES NUMBER

May 2007 40

June 2007 40

CASUALTIES

Security Forces

May 2007 15 KIA, 52 WIA

June 2007 23 KIA, 51 WIA

PKK

May 2007 20 KIA, 31 captured, 3 surrendered

June 2007 34 KIA, 16 captured, 17 surrendered

CACHES RECOVERED

May 2007 113

June 2007 50

8. (U) Following are the casualty figures for the 2007. Note: We
are currently updating these statistics.

TURKISH SECURITY FORCES
KIA WIA

JANUARY 1 2

ANKARA 00001708 002 OF 002

FEBRUARY 1 0

MARCH 5 4

APRIL 18 16

MAY 15 42

JUNE 24 51

TOTAL 64 125

PKK
KIA Captured Surrendered

JANUARY -- 5 3

FEBRUARY -- 14 --

MARCH 16 15 7

APRIL 16 8 4

MAY 20* 31 3

JUNE 34 16 17

TOTAL 86 89 34

* 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 13* 108*

JUNE 1 1

TOTAL 16 109

* Includes 8 KIA and 100 WIA from May 22 Ankara bombing.

WILSON

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