TURKEY DESTROYS PKK'S ZALEH CAMP -- AGAIN

C O N F I D E N T I A L ADANA 0290


E.O. 12356: N/A
TAGS: PINS MOPS TU IZ
SUBJECT: TURKEY DESTROYS PKK'S ZALEH CAMP -- AGAIN


1. (U) THE TURKISH PRESS REPORTED ON MAY 19TH THAT
TURKISH F-16S AND F-4S HAD AGAIN BOMBED THE PKK'S ZALEH
CAMP IN NORTHERN IRAQ, AND BOASTED THAT THE CAMP WAS
"RAZED TO THE GROUND."


2. (C) THE TAF HAD PREVIOUSLY BOMBED ZALEH CAMP ON
JANUARY 29, AND AT THAT TIME CLAIMED THAT HUNDREDS OF PKK
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MILITANTS WERE KILLED. HOWEVER, THE PKK WAS WARNED OF THE
JANUARY RAID, ALLEGEDLY BECAUSE ADVANCE NOTIFICATION GIVEN
TO IRAQI KURDISH LEADER JALAL TALABANI WAS PASSED ON TO
THE PKK. AS A RESULT, DESPITE TURKISH CLAIMS OF HUNDREDS
OF CASUALTIES IN THE JANUARY RAID, CONSULATE RECEIVED
CREDIBLE REPORTS FROM THE AREA THAT PUT THE NUMBER OF
FATALITIES AT A FRACTION OF THAT, PERHAPS AS LOW AS 10.
AT ANY RATE, THE PKK QUICKLY RECLAIMED THE CAMP AND MOVED
BACK.


3. (C) THIS TIME, THERE WAS NO WARNING, AND THE TAF
CLAIMS OF HEAVY PKK CASUALTIES MAY BE MORE ACCURATE.
SECONDHAND REPORTS COMING OUT OF NORTHERN IRAQ INDICATE
THAT AS MANY AS 100-200 PKK MILITANTS MAY HAVE BEEN KILLED
IN THE RAID. INJURED MILITANTS WERE REPORTEDLY BROUGHT AS
FAR AS DAHUK HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT, INDICATING THAT
FACILTIES CLOSER TO THE CAMP SITE MAY HAVE BEEN
OVERLOADED.


4. (C) COMMENT: CONSULATE HAS BECOME EXTREMELY CYNICAL
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ABOUT OFFICIAL CASUALTY FIGURES RELEASED AFTER LARGE
OPERATIONS LIKE THE AIR STRIKE AGAINST ZALEH CAMP, OR THE
RECENT CROSS-BORDER OPERATION. IRRESPECTIVE OF THE TOTAL
CASUALTIES, HOWEVER, SUCH STRIKES MAY FORCE THE PKK TO
CHANGE ITS TACTICS, SCATTER ITS MILITANTS INTO SMALLER
OPERATING UNITS, AND STOP CONGREGATING IN LARGE CAMPS THAT
ARE EASILY RECOGNIZABLE AND HARD TO DEFEND FROM AIR
ATTACKS. END COMMENT.


WAAREN