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

28 April 2024

Incident Code

TI107

Location

قجبال برادوست, Mount Bradost, Erbil, Iraq
On Sunday, April 28th, 2024, two civilian men, Ahmed Haidari and Rasoul Yunus, were killed and one civilian was reportedly injured in an airstrike allegedly perpetrated by Turkish aircraft in the Bradost mountains located in the east of the Erbil Governorate, Iraq. According to the American CPT organization quoted by the Kurdistan Revolution in Arabic Facebook…

Summary

Published
28 April 2024
Strike Type
Airstrike
Infrastructure
Agriculture
Civilians reported killed
2
Civilians reported injured
1
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident

Incident Date

25 April 2024

Incident Code

TS691

Location

قرية عون الدادات, the village of Aoun Al-Dadat in the countryside of Manbij, Aleppo, Syria
Louijain Othman Dashu, an 11-year-old girl, was injured during the evening of April 25th, 2024 due to an alleged Turkish bombing in Aoun Al-Dadat village in the countryside of Manbij province, Syria. At the time of the report, the child was declared stable. According to Hawar News, artillery shrapnel injured Louijain Othman Dashu in her…

Summary

Published
25 April 2024
Strike Type
Artillery
Infrastructure
Residential
Civilians reported injured
1
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident

Incident Date

18 April 2024

Incident Code

TI106

Location

قضاء سيدكان, village of Sheikh Rashha, Sidkan District, Erbil, Iraq
On April 14th, 2024, at 6:30 Thursday evening a man, father of three kids, was killed by a drone strike on a vehicle reportedly perpetrated by Turkish forces in the Sidkan District in Erbil Governorate. It is contested whether the man killed was a civilian or a member of the Peshmerga. The victim was Sorour Qader,…

Summary

Published
18 April 2024
Strike Type
Airstrike (Drone Strike)
Civilians reported killed
0–1
Military actors reported killed
0–1
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident

Incident Date

14 April 2024

Incident Code

TI105

Location

قرية "گەلالە, house of Muhammad Saeed, Galala village, Shuriya valley, Maute district in Sulaymaniyah Governorate, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq
On Sunday, April 14th, 2024, a young Kurdish man named Muhammad Saeed Muhammad was reported dead as a result of an alleged drone strike by the Turkish military on his house located in the village of Galala in the Mawt (Maute) district of the Sulaymaniyah Governorate in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. At 3:07 pm,…

Summary

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

Incident Date

24 March 2024

Incident Code

TS690

Location

قرية بيلونية, Agricultural lands near Biluniya and Ain Daqna villages in the Al-Shahba area, Aleppo, Syria
During the evening of Sunday, March 24th, 2024, the villages of Beluniya and Ain Daqna in the Al-Shahba area, north of Aleppo, Syria, were hit by an intense alleged Turkish bombardment with the use of rocket launchers and heavy artillery, resulting in the death of a 36-year-old displaced civilian from Maabatli district, Afrin, Rashid Abdo Hamo…

Summary

Published
24 March 2024
Strike Type
Artillery
Infrastructure
Agriculture
Civilians reported killed
1
Civilians reported injured
1
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident

Incident Date

19 March 2024

Incident Code

RS4894

Location

زردنا, Zardana, Idlib, Idlib, Syria
Injuries amongst civilians, including a minor injury of a woman, were reported as a result of an alleged artillery bombardment with the contested responsibility allegedly perpetrated by the Syrian regime forces and/or Russian military and/or Iranian military and/or Turkish military in the city of Zardana in the northern Idlib countryside, Syria, at dawn of Tuesday,…

Summary

Published
19 March 2024
Strike Type
Artillery
Infrastructure
Residential
Civilians reported injured
1–2
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Russian Military, Turkish Military, Iranian Military
View Incident