Turkish Military in Iraq & Syria

Turkey fought numerous military actors after intervening militarily in the Syrian Civil War in 2015, primarily against Kurdish forces but also at times the Islamic State. In northern Iraq, Turkey’s military campaign against Kurdish militant groups has expanded in recent years.

Airwars has documented hundreds of allegations of civilian harm by Turkish strikes against Kurdish-affiliated forces in Iraq and Syria since 2015.

Airwars estimate of civilian deaths

1,009 – 1,493

Locally reported civilian deaths from declared or likely Turkish Military actions in Iraq and Syria for which the reporting was assessed by Airwars as Fair, or have been Confirmed by the Turkish Military. These originate from 980 separate alleged incidents.

215 – 242
children likely killed
150 – 170
women likely killed
2,439
likely injured
2,230
named victims

Turkish Military estimate of civilian deaths

0

Confirmed civilian deaths, from Turkish Military actions in Iraq and Syria, originating from 0 separate incidents of civilian harm.

civilians confirmed injured
Alleged deaths
1,752 – 2,484
Locally reported civilian deaths from Turkish Military actions in Iraq and Syria.
980 seperate alleged incidents
Confirmed or Fair
1,009 – 1,493
Civilian deaths for which the reporting was assessed by Airwars as Fair, or have been Confirmed by Turkish Military
731 seperate alleged incidents
Weak
116 – 134
Civilian deaths for which the reporting was assessed by Airwars as Weak.
164 seperate alleged incidents
Contested
326 – 556
Civilian deaths for which the reporting is assessed by Airwars as Contested.
82 seperate alleged incidents
Discounted
301
Civilian deaths were Discounted by Airwars after assessment.
2 seperate alleged incidents
969 incidents
Order results by:
Incident DatePublication Date

Incident Date

2 December 2024

Incident Code

TS744

Location

دوار الباشا، حي البعث, Pasha roundabout, Al-Baath neighborhood, Hama city, Hama, Syria
On Monday, December 2, 2024, an artillery shelling with contested responsibility allegedly perpetrated by the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham militias affiliated with the Turkish military and/or Syrian regime forces struck residential neighborhoods in Hama city, Syria, including the al-Baath neighborhood and Pasha roundabout, resulting in the deaths of at least six to eight civilians, among them…

Summary

Published
11 September 2025
Strike Type
Artillery
Civilians reported killed
6–8
Civilians reported injured
3
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident

Incident Date

30 November 2024

Incident Code

TS742

Location

قرية بينة وحربل, Villages of Bina and Harbal in the Afrin and al-Shahba cantons, Aleppo, Syria
On 30 November 2024, a twenty six-year-old man named Joan Muhammad Ali and a child named Shilan Masoud Khalil were injured by an airstrike allegedly by the Turkish military in the villages of Bina and Harbal in the Afrin and al-Shahba cantons in Syria. While initial reports by the local news source Hawarnews and ANF…

Summary

Published
11 September 2025
Strike Type
Artillery
Infrastructure
Residential
Civilians reported injured
2
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident

Incident Date

30 November 2024

Incident Code

TS743

Location

قرية "كوندي مزن, the village of Kondi Mazen, Afrin countryside, Aleppo, Syria
On Saturday, 30 November 2024, an artillery shelling struck the village of Kondi Mazen in the Afrin countryside, Syria, resulting in the injury of a female child. Sources reporting the attack indicated it had been allegedly carried out by Turkish forces. The strike was mentioned in several online articles published by local news outlets. Hawar…

Summary

Published
11 September 2025
Strike Type
Artillery
Infrastructure
Vehicle (Car)
Civilians reported injured
1
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident

Incident Date

29 November 2024

Incident Code

TS741

Location

بحي الحمدانية, university housing in the al-Hamdaniya neighborhood in Aleppo city, Aleppo, Syria
On Friday, November 29, 2024, four university students were killed and two others injured in a missile attack with contested responsibility allegedly perpetrated by the Syrian regime forces and/or Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham factions affiliated with the Turkish military which struck university housing affiliated with the University of Aleppo in the al-Hamdaniya neighborhood of Aleppo city,…

Summary

Published
11 September 2025
Strike Type
Artillery
Infrastructure
Education (University / College), Residential
Civilians reported killed
4
Civilians reported injured
2
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident

Incident Date

27 November 2024

Incident Code

TS740

Location

قرىة التوخار, Thokar village, Manbij Countryside of Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria
On the evening of November 27, 2024,  a 17-year-old boy, Mustafa Barakat Hassan, was injured during an alleged Turkish artillery shelling on the Thokar village in the Manbij countryside east of Aleppo, Syria. The Aleppo government, ANF news, ROJ news, and the media centre of the Manbij Military Council, as well as other social media…

Summary

Published
11 September 2025
Strike Type
Artillery
Civilians reported injured
1
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident

Incident Date

24 November 2024

Incident Code

TS738

Location

قرية حليصة, Halisa village in the northern countryside of Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria
On Sunday, November 24th, 2024, a civilian was killed and three children were injured by artillery shelling that allegedly originated from the Turkish military in the village of Halisa in the northern countryside of Aleppo, Syria. One of the children was then reported to have died in the hospital as a result of the injuries…

Summary

Published
11 September 2025
Strike Type
Artillery
Infrastructure
Residential (House)
Civilians reported killed
2
Civilians reported injured
2
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident