Update on PKK Violence (October 8-15, 2007)

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002608 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV TU IZ SUBJECT: Update on PKK Violence (October 8-15, 2007) REF: ANKARA 2521 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 military contacts/clashes with the PKK as well as casualties incurred. 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 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 8-15, 2007 reporting period, two GOT security officials were killed and three were injured in explosions. ¶3. (U) In the same period, the body of a PKK terrorist was found dead and seven PKKers were captured, including four who surrendered. ¶4. (U) The TGS website reported one clash between security forces and PKK terrorists in Turkey's southeastern region during the reporting period. Security forces discovered at least nine 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. During the week, security forces detected 14 PKK explosive devices in SE Turkey. Several were detonated in controlled explosions before they could cause damage/casualties. ¶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 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 PKK May 2007 20 KIA, 31 captured, 3 surrendered June 2007 34 KIA, 16 captured, 17 surrendered ANKARA 00002608 002 OF 003 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 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 ¶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 TOTAL 115 KIA, 205 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 ANKARA 00002608 003 OF 003 OCTOBER 8-15 1 KIA, 3 captured, 4 surrendered TOTAL 180 KIA, 145 Captured,67 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 TOTAL 26 KIA, 114 WIA * Includes 9 KIA and 100 WIA from May 22 Ankara bombing. WILSON