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

17 March 2024

Incident Code

TS689

Location

قرية بيلونية, outskirts of the town of Tal Rifaat, east of Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria
During the morning of Sunday, March 17, 2024, at approximately 10:30 am, an alleged Turkish drone strike killed one civilian man and injured another man on the outskirts of the town of Tal Rifaat while they were heading towards Biluniya Village located in Al-Shahba district north of Aleppo, Syria. Ali Abdul Rahman Muhammad, an 18-year-old…

Summary

Published
17 March 2024
Strike Type
Airstrike (Drone Strike)
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

8 March 2024

Incident Code

TS687

Location

قرية الشيخ عيسى, village of Sheikh Issa in Al-Shahba area, Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria
On Friday afternoon, March 8, 2024, two civilians, 40-year-old father Muhammad Talib Humaidan and his youngest son, 17-year-old Talib Muhammad Humaidan were seriously injured while they were working in a field as a consequence of an alleged Turkish artillery attack in the village of Sheikh Issa close to the city of Tal Rifaat in the…

Summary

Published
8 March 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

7 March 2024

Incident Code

TI104

Location

قرية ديوكي, Gara mountain, Shiladzi district, Duhok, Duhok, Iraq
On the evening of Thursday, March 7th, 2024, two civilian farmers were killed and one other was injured in an alleged airstrike by the Turkish forces on the village of Deuki near the Gara mountain located in the Shiladzi district, Duhok governorate in southern Kurdistan, Iraq. According to the sources, the director of Shiladzi district,…

Summary

Published
7 March 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

2 March 2024

Incident Code

TI103

Location

باطوفا, a village in Batoufa district within Amadiyah district in Duhok Governorate, Iraq, Duhok, Iraq
On Saturday, March 2, 2024, a farmer was injured due to an airstrike reportedly perpetrated by Turkish forces on villages in the Batoufa district within Amadiyah district in the Duhok governorate located in the south of the Kurdistan region, Iraq. According to sources, the incident happened in mountainous villages where a farmer was injured. No…

Summary

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

Incident Date

29 February 2024

Incident Code

TS686

Location

قرية صوغانكه, Village of Sogankeh, Sherawa district, Aleppo, Syria
During the afternoon of Thursday 29th February 2024, an artillery bombardment allegedly perpetrated by the Turkish military on the village of Sogankeh, Sherawa district, Syria, injured a female civilian. Local sources reported that a 19-year-old girl named Amina Hikmat Muhammad from Sogankeh village was seriously injured in the abdomen as a result of the shrapnel from…

Summary

Published
29 February 2024
Strike Type
Artillery
Civilians reported injured
1
Military actors reported killed
1
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident

Incident Date

28 February 2024

Incident Code

TS685

Location

قرية الطعانة, A chicken poultry farm in the village of Al-Taana in Shahba area, north of Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria
A man was killed and a child was injured in an artillery attack allegedly perpetrated by the Turkish military on a chicken (poultry) farm in the Al-Taana village located in the Shahba area, north of Aleppo, Syria, after midnight on Thursday, February 28th, 2024. Youssef Adnan al-Khader/al-Hayek/Mawas, a 30-year-old man resident of the village, lost…

Summary

Published
28 February 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