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

14 January 2024

Incident Code

TS679

Location

قرية سنجق خليل, Sanjak Khalil village in the district of Amouda, Al Hassakah, Syria
On Sunday, January 14th, 2024, two workers of the Abdullah Derbas (Al-Khairat) mill in the village of Sanjak Khalil in the district of Amouda (Amoda) on the road to the city of Hassakah in northeastern Syria were injured in a drone strike allegedly perpetrated by the Turkish military. Orkes FM posted the images of the…

Summary

Published
14 January 2024
Strike Type
Airstrike (Drone Strike)
Infrastructure
Agriculture
Civilians reported injured
2
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident

Incident Date

10 January 2024

Incident Code

TS677

Location

قرية الكاوكلي, Kawekli (Al-Kauakli) village, Manbij countryside, Aleppo, Syria
On Wednesday, January 10th, 2024, a woman was reportedly injured by alleged Turkish artillery shelling on the village of Kawekli (Al-Kauakli), in the western countryside of Manbij in the province of Aleppo, Syria. Several sources said the woman was in her house when the strike occurred, but further details about her identity were not reported…

Summary

Published
10 January 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

10 January 2024

Incident Code

TS678

Location

قرية كربطلي, Karbatli village, south of Ad-Darbasiyah, Al Hassakah, Syria
On the morning of Sunday, 14th January 2024, an alleged aerial bombardment by a Turkish drone hit a residential house in the village of Karbatli, south of Ad-Darbasiyah in the Hassakah countryside, Syria. These attacks resulted in the injury of two small children and their mother. Facebook posts by ANHA news and Shiyar H Ahmad…

Summary

Published
10 January 2024
Strike Type
Airstrike (Drone Strike)
Infrastructure
Residential
Civilians reported injured
3
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident

Incident Date

1 January 2024

Incident Code

TS676

Location

نبل و الزهراء, Nubl and Al-Zahraa, Aleppo, Syria
On Monday, January 1st, 2024, three civilian members of one family, including a pregnant mother alongside her infant daughter and her father-in-law, were killed and up to 13 civilians were injured due to an artillery strike reportedly perpetrated by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, a militia faction part of the Al-Fath Al-Mubin grouping affiliated with the Turkish…

Summary

Published
1 January 2024
Strike Type
Artillery
Infrastructure
Residential
Civilians reported killed
3
Civilians reported injured
10–13
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident

Incident Date

28 December 2023

Incident Code

TI101

Location

قرية كاركي, Karki, Sinjar District, Nineveh, Iraq
Between 6 and 8 PM on Thursday, December 28th, 2023, at least five people were killed and two others injured after an alleged Turkish drone strike on the village of Karki in the Sinjar district of Mosul province. The civilian status of five of the men killed is contested within the sources. Those killed were…

Summary

Published
28 December 2023
Strike Type
Airstrike (Drone Strike)
Infrastructure
Water
Civilians reported killed
3–8
Civilians reported injured
2
Military actors reported killed
0–5
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident

Incident Date

28 December 2023

Incident Code

TS674

Location

مركز غسيل الكلى, Dialysis Centre, Al Hassakah, Syria
On December 28th, 2023, a 65 year-old kidney patient identified as Ahmed Abd al-Rahman Khadr reportedly died as he could not access treatment, following the reported destruction three days earlier of a dialysis center hit by alleged Turkish air or drone strikes in Qamishlo city. Rojava TV and Ibrahim Sheikho described Ahmed Abd al-Rahman Khadr…

Summary

Published
28 December 2023
Strike Type
Airstrike (Drone Strike)
Infrastructure
Healthcare
Civilians reported killed
1
Causes of Death / Injury
Denial of access to/destruction of objects indispensable to survival
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident