Cablegate: Update On Pkk Violence (November 8-15, 2007)

VZCZCXRO0147
RR RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHAK #2798/01 3231539
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 191539Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4403
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 002798

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV TU IZ
SUBJECT: Update on PKK Violence (November 8-15, 2007)

REF: ANKARA 2758 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 8-15, 2007 reporting period, four GOT
security officials were killed and two were injured in clashes with
the PKK.

3. (U) In the same period, three PKK terrorists were captured and
another ten surrendered.

4. (U) The TGS website reported two clashes between security forces
and PKK terrorists. However, since 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 15 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 eight PKK explosive devices in SE Turkey, detonating several
of them in controlled fashion before they could explode.

6. (U) The PKK kidnapped seven Turkish citizens, including two
village guards in Baskale, Van Province on November 11.

7. (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

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

ANKARA 00002798 002 OF 003

November 8-15 4 KIA, 2 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 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

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

8. (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 34 KIA, 21 WIA

November 1-7 2 KIA, 1 WIA

November 8-15 4 KIA, 2 WIA

TOTAL 138 KIA, 226 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

ANKARA 00002798 003 OF 003

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

TOTAL 266 KIA, 169 Captured, 81 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

TOTAL 26 KIA, 134 WIA

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

WILSON

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