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

VZCZCXRO2045
RR RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHAK #2875 3371238
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 031238Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4516
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 ANKARA 002875

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

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

REF: ANKARA 2853 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. TGS does not account for police casualties and
Ministry of Interior casualty data is not made public. As a result,
actual numbers for total Turkish law enforcement casualties may be
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 Turkish security force
casualties and are often otherwise unreliable.

2. (U) During the November 24-31, 2007 reporting period, no GOT
security official was killed or injured in clashes. The total
number of security force casualties for the year through November
2007 was 138 killed and 216 injured.

3. (U) During the same period, one PKK terrorist was killed and two
were captured. Through the end of November 2007, the number of PKK
militants killed this year was 267, the number of those captured was
177, and the number of those who surrendered was 77.

4. (U) The TGS website reported two clashes between security forces
and PKK terrorists during the week of November 24-31. Since an
October 21 PKK ambush that resulted in the deaths of 12 soldiers,
the Turkish military has been continuing non-stop operations in the
region.

5. (U) During the reporting period, security forces discovered five
PKK shelters/caves/caches, and detected/disarmed three improvised
explosive devices in SE Turkey.

6. (U) Seven Turkish citizens, including two village guards, who
were kidnapped by the PKK on November 11, were released and returned
to their homes in Baskale, Van Province on November 30. Civilian
casualties for the year remain 26 killed and 134 wounded.

WILSON

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