VZCZCXRO0423
RR RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHAK #1571/01 1711006
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 201006Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2661
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/HQ USEUCOM 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 SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001571 
 
SIPDIS 
QENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV TU IZ
SUBJECT: Update on PKK Violence (June 1-15, 2007) 
 
REF: ANKARA 1427 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) In the first half of June 2007, 17 security personnel died in 
PKK-related violence.  During the same period 37 security officials 
were wounded in action (WIA).  This reflects a significant increase 
so far in June: In the entire month of May, 15 security forces were 
KIA, 52 wQded.  A civilian was injured when he stepped on a land 
mine. 
 
¶3. (U) In the first half of June the body of a PKK terrorist was 
found in the field during counterinsurgency operations and 22 PKK 
terrorists were arrested, including six who surrendered.  On two 
occasions, June 11 and 14, the PKK intimidated groups of civilians. 
One incident involved forest workers in Bitlis and the second group 
was marble workers in Diyarbakir.  On both occasions the PKK robbed 
the workers but did not hurt them. 
 
¶4. (U) The PKK denied responsibility for a June 15 bomb blast that 
wounded seven people in Turkey's largest Kurdish city, Diyarbakir. 
The bomb, hidden in a bicycle seat, exploded near a bus stop often 
used by military personnel; one of those injured was a soldier. "The 
way the incident happened and the type of explosive used indicates 
who did it," Interior Minister Osman Gunes said, in an apparent 
reference to the PKK.  He said a detailed statement would be made 
after the police completed their investigation. 
 
¶5. (U) The TGS website reported 20 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. 
 
¶6. (U) Activity as reported by TGS website: 
 
CLASHES    NUMBER 
 
May 2007 (one month) 40 
June (first half)   20 
 
CASUALTIES 
 
Security Forces 
May 2007 (one month) 15 KIA, 52 WIA 
June (first half)  17 KIA, 37 WIA 
 
PKK 
May 2007 (one month) 1 KIA, 53 captured/arrested 
June (first half)  1 KIA, 22 captured/arrested 
 
CACHES RECOVERED 
 
May 2007 (one month) 113 
June (first half)  30 
 
¶7. (U) Following are statistics for 2007 to date: 
 
TURKISH SECURITY FORCES 
     KIA   WIA 
 
JANUARY    1   2 
FEBRUARY    1   0 
MARCH    5   4 
 
ANKARA 00001571  002 OF 002 
 
 
APRIL     18   16 
MAY     15   42 
JUNE (first half)  17   37 
 
TOTAL    57    111 
 
CIVILIANS 
     KIA   WIA 
 
JANUARY    0   0 
FEBRUARY    1   0 
MARCH    0   0 
APRIL     1   0 
MAY     11*   18* 
JUNE (first half)  0   8 
 
TOTAL    13    26 
 
* Includes 6 KIA and 100 WIA from May 22 Ankara bombing. 
 
PKK 
     KIA   Captured 
 
JANUARY    5   11 
FEBRUARY    0    8 
MARCH    9   18 
APRIL     2   47 
MAY     2*   53 
JUNE (first half)  1    22 
 
TOTAL    18    159 
 
* Includes PKK suicide bomber from May 22 attack in Ankara 
 
WILSON