Casualty Recording ▸ Conflicts

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 Date ↓ Publication Date

Incident Date

12 March 2018

Incident Code

TS264

Location

ماراتا, villages of Marate and Tirinde, Afrin, Aleppo, Syria
According to a single source, an unidentified number of civilians were wounded followed an alleged Turkish shelling on villages of Marate and Tirinde, Afrin. IC Afrin Resistance indicates that Turkish warplanes bombed Afrin city, Afrin district and the villages of Maratê and Tirinde. There were a high number of injuries reported. No further details are currently available.  

Summary

Published
12 March 2018
Civilians reported injured
0–10
Military Actor
Turkish Military
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Incident Date

12 March 2018

Incident Code

TS265

Location

باسوطة, village of Basuta, Shirwa district, Afrin, Aleppo, Syria
According to local media, a 25-year-old civilian was wounded followed an alleged Turkish air and or artillery strike on the village of Basuta. Afrin Now and ANHA said the victim sustained shrapnel wound to the face. Sources reported that Turkish warplanes bombed the centre of Shirawa and the villages of Basutah, Karzayleh and Zerba. Additionally…

Summary

Published
12 March 2018
Civilians reported injured
1–4
Military Actor
Turkish Military
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Incident Date

12 March 2018

Incident Code

TS266

Location

جرزيلة, village of Girzele, Shirwa district, Afrin, Aleppo, Syria
In a similar reporting of TS265, a number of sources reported that a 45-year-old male wounded followed an alleged Turkish air or artillery strike on the village of Girzele. Afrin Now and ANHA said the victim suffered a leg wound. According to Sana, Turkish forces and their mercenaries shelled the area of Sharan and the villages of Basutah,…

Summary

Published
12 March 2018
Civilians reported injured
1–4
Military Actor
Turkish Military
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Incident Date

12 March 2018

Incident Code

TS267

Location

الزربة, Zerba, Aleppo, Syria
According to local media, a 21-year-old civilian was wounded followed an alleged Turkish air and or artillery strike on the village of Zerba. It was reported that his wounds were critical and that as many as four other civilians were wounded, including critical cases. Sources reported that Turkish warplanes bombed the centre of Shirawa and…

Summary

Published
12 March 2018
Civilians reported injured
1–4
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident →

Incident Date

12 March 2018

Incident Code

TS268

Location

شالتا, Xalta, Shirwra district, Afrin, Aleppo, Syria
According to a signal source, an adult man from Xalta who was killed followed an alleged Turkish shelling on Shirwra district, Afrin. Images hows the burial of the man. No further details are currently available.  

Summary

Published
12 March 2018
Civilians reported killed
1
Military Actor
Turkish Military
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Incident Date

10 March 2018

Incident Code

TS261

Location

عنابكي, A'nabki, Afrin, Aleppo, Syria
According to two local sources, two civilians were wounded followed an alleged Turkish shelling on the village Annabeki, part of Shara East of Afrin, Syria. Afrin Qalb Al-Hadath, identified the two males civilians who were injured in the incident, accusing the Turkish military of the shelling. Xeber24 also named the two victims. There are no other…

Summary

Published
10 March 2018
Civilians reported injured
2
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident →

Research and Investigations

View all →
17 May, 2023
Visualisation
Iraq

Reported civilian deaths from Turkish Military strikes in Iraq

Database tracks casualties in Iraq during Turkish strikes
6 Sep, 2022
Visualisation
Iraq, Syria

Turkish Military in Iraq and Syria Casualty Map

Turkey has conducted hundreds of unilateral air and artillery strikes in both Syria and Iraq – as well as a small number of actions as part of the US-led Coalition against so-called Islamic State. From July 2015 in Iraq, occasional unilateral Turkish airstrikes began targeting Kurdish militants in northern Kurdistan. Thirteen months later, the first […]
8 Feb, 2022
Investigations
Iraq

Who killed Ahmed and Youssef?

When two Iraqi holidaymakers were killed in the Kurdish region of the country, the finger of blame turned to Turkish strikes. But this investigation finds a roadside bomb was the more likely cause.
25 Feb, 2021
Research
Iraq, Türkiye

Renewed military campaign in northern Iraq against PKK sees deaths of 13 Turkish captives

A renewed campaign by Turkey in mid February against a Kurdish militant faction – which has seen Turkish troops pushing deeper than ever before into northern Iraq – also saw the deaths of thirteen Turkish civilian and military captives in a highly controversial attack, Airwars monitoring of the region shows. On February 10th, the Turkish […]
24 Dec, 2019
Update
Syria

More than 220 civilians likely killed in Turkish invasion of northern Syria

Eleven weeks on from the October 9th launch of a Turkish-led offensive against Kurds in northern Syria, known as ‘Operation Peace Spring’, fighting continues to rage with civilians still encountering significant violence. Since the beginning of the latest clashes, Airwars researchers have overall monitored between 244 and 312 reported civilian deaths resulting from air, artillery […]
18 Oct, 2019
Update
Syria, Türkiye

Civilians severely at risk from Turkish invasion of Northern Syria

Airwars monitors locally reported civilian harm from all Turkish air and artillery strikes in Iraq and Syria, as well as from Kurdish counterfire actions. Our database can be found here. More than 120 civilian deaths have been locally alleged in eight days of fighting in northern Syria to October 16th, following a Turkish-led offensive, ‘Operation […]