Cablegate: Update On Pkk Violence (October 24-31, 2007)

VZCZCXRO1355
RR RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHAK #2739/01 3121128
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 081128Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4311
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 04 ANKARA 002739

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV TU IZ
SUBJECT: Update on PKK Violence (October 24-31, 2007)

REF: ANKARA 2677 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 October 24-31, 2007 reporting period, four GOT
security officials were killed, including one in a mine blast. One
security official was injured in an explosion.

3. (U) 45 PKK terrorists were killed during the same period. Seven
PKKers were captured.

4. (U) The TGS website reported 13 clashes between security forces
and PKK terrorists. However, subsequent to an October 21 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 17 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) Security forces reportedly detected at least 11 PKK explosive
devices in SE Turkey during the reporting period, 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 1-7, 9

October 8-15, 1

October 16-23, 1

October 24-31, 13

October 2007 (entire month), 24

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 1-7, 2007 15 KIA, 10 WIA

October 8-15, 2007 2 KIA, 3 WIA

ANKARA 00002739 002 OF 004

October 16-23, 2007 13 KIA, 17 WIA

October 24-31, 2007 4 KIA, 1 WIA

October 2007 (entire month) 34 KIA, 21 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 2007 38 KIA, 24 captured, 7 surrendered

September 2007 40 KIA, 15 captured, 9 surrendered

October 1-7, 2007 4 KIA, 4 captured, 0 surrendered

October 8-15, 2007 1 KIA, 3 captured, 4 surrendered

October 16-23, 2007 35 KIA, 4 captured, 0 surrendered

October 24-31, 2007 45 KIA, 7 captured, 0 surrendered

October 2007 (entire month) 85 KIA, 18 captured, 4 surrendered

CACHES RECOVERED (NUMBER)

May 2007, 113

June 2007, 50

July 2007, 28

August 2007, 40

September 2007, 119

October 1-7, 2007, 24

October 8-15, 2007, 9

October 16-23, 2007, 1

October 24-31, 2007, 17

October 2007 (entire month), 51

7. (U) Following are the casualty figures for the 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 1-7, 2007 15 KIA, 10 WIA

October 8-15, 2007 2 KIA, 3 WIA

ANKARA 00002739 003 OF 004

October 16-23, 2007 13 KIA, 17 WIA

October 24-31, 2007 4 KIA, 1 WIA

October 2007 (entire month) 34 KIA, 21 WIA

TOTAL 132 KIA, 223 WIA

PKK (KIA, Captured or surrendered)

JANUARY 0 KIA, 5 captured, 3 surrendered

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 1-7 4 KIA, 4 Captured, 0 surrendered

OCTOBER 8-15 1 KIA, 3 captured, 4 surrendered

OCTOBER 16-23 35 KIA, 4 captured, 0 surrendered

OCTOBER 24-31 45 KIA, 7 captured 0 surrendered

OCTOBER 2007 (entire month)
85 KIA, 18 captured, 4 surrendered

TOTAL 260 KIA, 156 Captured, 71 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 1-7 0 KIA, 0 WIA

OCTOBER 8-15 0 KIA, 0 WIA

OCTOBER 16-23 0 KIA, 18 WIA

OCTOBER 24-31 0 KIA, 1 WIA

OCTOBER 2007 (entire month) 0 KIA, 19 WIA

TOTAL 26 KIA, 133 WIA

ANKARA 00002739 004 OF 004

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

WILSON

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