Update on PKK Violence (June 16-22, 2007)

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001634 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV TU IZ SUBJECT: Update on PKK Violence (June 16-22, 2007) REF: ANKARA 1571 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 16 to 22, 2007, two security personnel died in PKK-related violence. During the same period ten security officials were wounded in action (WIA). So far in June, 18 were KIA and 47 WIA. While fewer casualties occurred this week than last, casualty figures for June already exceed those for May, when 15 security personnel were KIA. ¶3. (U) In the third week of June the body of a PKK terrorist was found and nine PKK terrorists were arrested. ¶4. (U) The TGS website reported 10 clashes between security forces and PKK terrorists in the region. Security forces unearthed dozens of 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) Activity as reported by TGS website: CLASHES NUMBER May 2007 (one month) 40 June 1-22 30 CASUALTIES Security Forces May 2007 (one month) 15 KIA, 52 WIA June 1-22 18 KIA, 47 WIA PKK May 2007 (one month) 1 KIA, 53 captured June 1-22 2 KIA, 31 captured CACHES RECOVERED May 2007 (one month) 113 June 1-22 38 ¶6. (U) Following are the casualty figures for 2007: TURKISH SECURITY FORCES KIA WIA JANUARY 1 2 FEBRUARY 1 0 MARCH 5 4 APRIL 18 16 MAY 15 42 JUNE 1-22 19 47 TOTAL 59 111 PKK KIA Captured ANKARA 00001634 002 OF 002 JANUARY 5 11 FEBRUARY 0 8 MARCH 9 18 APRIL 2 47 MAY 2* 53 JUNE 1-22 2 31 TOTAL 20 168 * 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 1-22 0 1 TOTAL 15 109 * Includes 8 KIA and 100 WIA from May 22 Ankara bombing. WILSON