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

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 �00A; 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