Turkish Military in Iraq & Syria

Turkish Military in Iraq & Syria

An internally displaced Kurdish family in northern Iraq, 2016 (Maranie R. Staab)

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Turkish Military
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Incident Code

TI011

Incident date

November 13, 2017

Location

سيدكان, Barmiza village, Sidkan, Erbil, Iraq

Geolocation

36.801389, 44.665 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One civilian was killed in alleged Turkish airstrikes on Barmiza village, Sidkan area, on November 13th, 2017, according to local sources.

A local Kurdish outlet, Yaqein Agency, reported the day of the incident that one civilian was killed by alleged Turkish airstrikes on Sidkan, north of Erbil.

In January 2019, Christian Peacemaker Teams Iraqi Kurdistan published an article on the victim of the airstrike, Himda’at Othman Darwish. CPTIK reported that Othman was “in his early twenties, the oldest son of Othman Darwish and Jawhar Abdullah and with a wife and infant son of his own” and that “he worked hard to support his family by trading between the two parts of Kurdistan.”

His relatives told CPTIK that Othman returning home to his family’s village of Barmiza, a forty minutes drive from the Turkish border, adding that the road he used was used regularly by villages to access their farm lands. His father stated that at the time of the airstrikes, there were other cars on the road and that it is unclear why his son’s car was targeted in the “daylight afternoon hours” of November 13th.

 

The incident occured in the afternoon.

The victims were named as:

Himda’at Othman
Adult male oldest son of Othman Darwish and Jawhar Abdullah killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Himda'at Othman Darwish, victim of alleged Turkish airstrikes on his car near Barzima village on November 13th, 2017, pictured with this son (via CPTIK).
  • The car of victim Himda'at Othman Darwish after alleged Turkish airstrikes near Barzima village on November 13th, 2017 (via CPTIK).

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Barmiza village, Sidkan (سيدكان), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.801389, 44.665. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Turkish Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Turkish Military
  • Turkish Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI005

Incident date

July 17, 2016

Location

الفاضلية, Fadhiliya, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.509167, 43.270278 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A local MP complained that a number of civilians had been killed and injured in fresh Turkish shelling of Fadhiliya village.

Salim Juma told NRN News that artillery strikes from a nearby Turkish base at Bashiqa “killed and injured a number of civilians, including women and children.” The MP called on the regional Kurdish government to intervene, saying that eight houses had been destroyed in two days of recent ‘indiscriminate’ shelling.

No additional reports are presently known.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Unknown

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Fadhiliya (الفاضلية), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.509167, 43.270278. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Unknown Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Unknown
  • Unknown position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Unknown

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI006

Incident date

October 3, 2016

Location

فايده, Fadhiliya, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.509167, 43.270278 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local and governmental sources said Turkish artillery had targeted Al Fadhiliyah village in Bashiqa, north of Mosul, resulting in the deaths of two civilian brothers and four injuries. The Coalition later made clear it did not view Turkish actions in Iraq as being a part of the international alliance’s effort to defeat ISIL.

According to Yaqein, “Artillery from Turkish troops stationed in Zlican Camp near Bashiqa, north of Mosul this morning struck Fadliyah village, killing two brothers and injured four people seriously…. The bombing also led to the destruction of eight houses for the citizens of the village.“

The Ankara parliament voted to extend Turkey’s military presence in northern Iraq – despite Iraq making clear it was not welcome. The Coalition’s chief spokesman later told Airwars in a pair of tweets: “I stated all of our coalition forces are in Iraq in coordination with, and with the permission of the government of Iraq. All other nations who wish to come to Iraq to fight terrorism should also have the permission of the government of Iraq.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Ahmad Hamza al-Fadil
Age unknown male killed
Muhammad Hamza al-Fadil
Age unknown male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Unknown

Sources (5) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Fadhiliya (فايده), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.509167, 43.270278. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Unknown Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Unknown
  • Unknown position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Unknown

Sources (5) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI019

Incident date

November 14, 2018

Location

عمادية, Amadiyah, Duhok, Iraq

Geolocation

37.092003, 43.486966 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least three civilian men were killed in alleged Turkish airstrikes targeting the Kurdish district of Amadiyah, Dohuk. No sources mentioned the number of wounded.

Several sources identified three victims by name. Ramadan Rikani, a local official of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) added that the victims were “sons of one village, two of them Peshmerga and the other of our party cadres, were in the village raising their livestock.”

The strikes reportedly targeted the Qadash complex of Amadiyah district the night between November 14 and 15.

Families of the three civilians allegedly found their bodies when they went out to work in beekeeping in the morning.

NRT reported that “It is worth mentioning that the Turkish warplanes bombed from time to time sites and areas in the north of Kurdistan region, especially around the area of Bradust and Amadiyah and the foothills of the Qandil mountains, which have targets belonging to the PKK.”

All know sources pointed to Turkey as the culprit.

The incident occured during the night.

The victims were named as:

Ramzan Ahmed
Age unknown male killed
Delvan Saleh
Age unknown male killed
Ismail Hassan
Age unknown male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (3 men)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (5) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • This image was published along with the reporting about the Turkish strikes thar killed three men in Amadiyah, Duhok. The source, however, does not specify whether if these are the victims on the picture. (via Rudaw)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Amadiyah (عمادية), for which the generic coordinates are: 37.092003, 43.486966. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Turkish Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Turkish Military
  • Turkish Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (3 men)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (5) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI003

Incident date

September 11, 2015

Location

قنديل, اقشين, الزاب, Qandil, Avashin and Zap, Kurdistan, Iraq

Geolocation

36.632443, 44.189773 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Turkish air forces bombed positions of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in northern Iraq, the army said in a statement.

Airstrikes hit mountainous areas in northern Iraq, including Qandil, Avashin and Zap.

Turkish authorities said their strikes hit locations of the PKK rebels. However, Kurdish sources in northern Iraq reported via a single source that the attacks also caused civilian casualties.

There is currently no more information available on exact casualty numbers.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 3
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–3
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Unknown

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Qandil, Avashin and Zap (قنديل, اقشين, الزاب), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.632443, 44.189773. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Unknown Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Unknown
  • Unknown position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 3
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–3
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Unknown

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI004

Incident date

February 4, 2016

Location

قرية الفاضلية, Fadhiliya, Kurdistan, Iraq

Geolocation

36.509167, 43.270278 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Three civilians were reportedly killed in alleged Turkish airstrikes on Fadhiliya.

According to the Iraqi National News Agency, “the bombardment of Fadhiliya village at the foot of Mount Bachik, resulted in the deaths of three civilians and the wounding of two others.”

There is currently no other known source available.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Unknown

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Fadhiliya (قرية الفاضلية), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.509167, 43.270278. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Unknown Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Unknown
  • Unknown position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Unknown

Sources (1) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI020

Incident date

December 13, 2018

Location

مخمور, Makhmour refugee camp, Erbil, Iraq

Geolocation

35.761235, 43.604991 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Four women were killed in alleged Turkish airstrikes on the Rustam Jodi refugee camp in Makhmour, south of Erbil on December 13th 2018, according to local media reports.

Rustom Joudi, the governor of Rastam Jodi camp, said that the Turkish shelling, which took place at 21:00 on Thursday, killed four women, three of them from one family, and were shelled while they went to their campsites.

The Turkish Army Chief of Staff announced that its warplanes bombed the positions of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Sinjar and Mount Qora Gokh, in the district of Makhmour. The presidency added that “The Turkish army destroyed the shelters, caches, tunnels and warehouses of the Workers Party in an air operation on the organization’s sites in Sinjar and Mount Qara Gokh.”

According to Shaffaq News “Prior to the funeral ceremony, hundreds of people had gone to the UN headquarters to push them to take a serious and concrete stance on Turkish bombing.”

No other details are known at this time.

The incident occured at 21:00:00 local time.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • (4 women)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Funeral of the victims of an alleged Turkish airstrike on Makhmour, 22nd December 2018. (via Shafaaq)

Turkish Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Turkish Military
  • Turkish Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4
  • (4 women)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI021

Incident date

January 22, 2019

Location

رشاوة , Rashawa, Duhok, Iraq

Geolocation

36.865292, 42.991828 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Subdistrict level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Four men were killed in alleged Turkish airstrikes on the area of Deraluk, Dohuk province, on January 22nd or 23rd, 2020, according to local sources. Two men remain missing: it is unknown if they were also killed or arrested or kidnapped. It is unclear if the men were civilians or Peshmerga.

A local “security source” reported that four civilians were killed and others wounded in the evening of January 22nd, in the province of Kurdistan after Turkish airstrikes targeted Rashawa in the area of Deira Lock of Dohuk province.

According to Alayam, witnesses told the German news agency DPA that “four of them, north of Dohuk, were killed by the Turkish aircraft bombing this evening and that a fifth citizen is still missing.” The witnesses added that “the villagers were able to find two bodies and the search is underway for the other two bodies”. Relatives of the missing citizen reported that he was also located in the mountainous area targeted tonight.

Rudaw named two of the victims and said they were in the area to fish. There is also speculation that they were Peshmerga forces.

Fazel Hawramy initially tweeted that two civilians, both of them beekeepers, were killed but later updated the death toll to four.

Babylon FM published a similar report, naming four dead civilians, two of them beekeepers. However, in the picture, one of them is shown in a military uniform.

In May 2019, CPTIK published their report after interviews with family members of the killed and missing men. The report reads “the Turkish jets struck Matin Mountain and Zele and Hetut villages for more than one hour [on January 23rd, 2019]. The airstrike resulted in 6 civilian victims, four of the bodies were recovered, but the fate of the two others is still unknown.”

The brother of one of the victims, Haidar, told CPTIK: “My brother and four others were fishing in Zele village, where there were not any Turkish military bases around. My brother was working, fishing with others, but the Turkish aeroplanes bombed the area. Two of my brother’s friends were killed and their bodies were found in that spot; but the fate of my brother and one of his friends is still unknown and we do not know whether they were injured or killed, arrested or something else. Haider and his friends were innocent.”

Haidar and Redar are still missing, the bodies of two of their friends, both named Azad, were killed. According to CPTIK, all men were Peshmerga.

Two other men were killed in the village of Hetut. CPTIK: “Bakhtyar and Zyad had started beekeeping due to the financial crisis. They were in Hetut on the 23rd of January taking care of their bees. The Turkish jets bombed the village. It took two days for their bodies to be discovered.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Azad Shahin
Adult male killed
Wahid Baki
Adult male killed
Jegr Muhammad Tahr
Age unknown male killed
Azad Majd
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 4
  • (4 men)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–4

Sources (16) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (6) [ collapse]

  • Supoosed location of the incident
  • Pictures of the alleged victims
  • Picture supposedly taken at the funerals for the victims (via Rojnews)
  • Another picture supposedly taken at the funerals for the victims (via Rojnews)
  • Another picture supposedly taken at the funerals for the victims (via Rojnews)
  • Another picture supposedly taken at the funerals for the victims (via Rojnews)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the subdistrict of Rashawa (رشاوة ), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.865292, 42.991828. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Turkish Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Turkish Military
  • Turkish Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 4
  • (4 men)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–4

Sources (16) [ collapse]