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

23 August 2024

Incident Code

TI111

Location

قرية تبه رَش, the village of Tabeh Rash, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq
At 11 AM on Friday, August 23, 2024, two female journalists, Hero Baha al-Din and Golestan Tara, were killed and six civilians, including a social media professional and video editor named Rebin Bakr, were injured as a result of an alleged Turkish drone strike on a car carrying a group of media cadres for Sterk TV…

Summary

Published
27 December 2024
Strike Type
Airstrike (Drone Strike)
Infrastructure
Vehicle
Civilians reported killed
2
Civilians reported injured
6
Military actors reported killed
0–3
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident

Incident Date

19 August 2024

Incident Code

TS705

Location

قرية بينه, village of Bineh in the countryside of the town of Shirawa in the Afrin and Shahba cantons, Aleppo, Syria
At noon on Monday, August 19, 2024, four civilian men, identified as Abdo (Abu) Zakour, Haider Muhammad (40-54 years old), Youssef Al-Araj (27 years old), and Mustafa Rifaat Sheikho (28 years old) were injured in a double tap drone strike in the village of Bineh in Shirawa, in the Afrin and Shahba cantons in the northern countryside…

Summary

Published
19 August 2024
Strike Type
Airstrike (Drone Strike)
Civilians reported injured
4
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident

Incident Date

1 August 2024

Incident Code

TS704

Location

قرية الشركة, village of Al-Sharika, adjacent to the international road (M4), east of Ain Issa in Raqqa, Raqqa, Syria
On August 1st, 2024, two young civilian men were allegedly injured by Turkish snipers near the village of Al-Sharika adjacent to the international road M4 in the eastern countryside of Ain Issa, Raqqa region, Syria. A photo released by the ANF news outlet showed the victims lying on stretchers receiving treatment. Mohsen Haritim Al-Jawwa, a…

Summary

Published
1 August 2024
Strike Type
Ground operation
Civilians reported injured
2
Causes of Death / Injury
Small arms and light weapons
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident

Incident Date

31 July 2024

Incident Code

TS703

Location

قرية بينه, Binah village, Shirawa countryside, Afrin, Aleppo, Syria
Two civilian men, an elderly father and his 40-year-old son, were seriously injured in an artillery shelling allegedly perpetrated by the Turkish military forces in the village of Binah, in the Shirawa countryside, in Afrin, Syria, just before noon on the 31st of July, 2024. Hawar News reported that two civilians were injured due to…

Summary

Published
31 July 2024
Strike Type
Artillery
Civilians reported injured
2
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident

Incident Date

18 July 2024

Incident Code

TS702

Location

الشهباء, vicinity of Afrin Hospital in Afrin and Al-Shahba canton, north of Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria
On Thursday, July 18, 2024, a 38-year-old Kurdish man was injured in the vicinity of Afrin Hospital in Afrin, north of Aleppo, Syria, in an alleged drone strike reportedly conducted by the Turkish military. The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights reported that the strike hit the road linking Barkhdan camp and Afrin Hospital and injured…

Summary

Published
18 July 2024
Strike Type
Airstrike (Drone Strike)
Civilians reported injured
1
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident

Incident Date

18 July 2024

Incident Code

TI110

Location

قرية خاستو, the village of Khastu, south of Şiladzi, north of Dohuk Governorate, Dohuk, Iraq
Around 6:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 18th, 2024, Osman (Othman) Roshdi was killed and a civilian was seriously injured by a bombing attack reportedly carried out by the Turkish military in the Khastu village located in the south of Şiladziin in the north of Dohuk Governorate, southern Kurdistan, Iraq. Sources are conflicted as to whether…

Summary

Published
18 July 2024
Strike Type
Airstrike and/or Artillery
Civilians reported killed
0–1
Civilians reported injured
1
Military actors reported killed
0–1
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident