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

5 September 2023

Incident Code

TS627

Location

قرية الحويجة, Al-Hawija village, Raqqa, Syria
A male civilian was injured in a bombing suspected to have been carried out by the Turkish military during the night of September 5, 2023 in Al-Hawija village in Ain Issa district. A Hawar News correspondent named the injured civilian as 23 year old Khalil Ibrahim Al-Hamad who was taken to the National Hospital in…

Summary

Published
5 September 2023
Strike Type
Airstrike and/or Artillery
Civilians reported injured
1
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions, Small arms and light weapons
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident

Incident Date

1 September 2023

Incident Code

RS4802

Location

المحسنلي, Al-Mohsenli, countryside of Manbij, Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria
During the morning of Friday, September 1, 2023, an artillery shelling and/or airstrikes with contested responsibility allegedly carried out by the Russian military and/or Syrian regime forces and/or the Syrian Democratic forces and/or Turkish military on the village of al-Mohsenli in the countryside of Manbij, Aleppo, killed the entire family consisting of six civilians, including…

Summary

Published
1 September 2023
Strike Type
Airstrike and/or Artillery
Civilians reported killed
6
Civilians reported injured
6–8
Military actors reported killed
1–2
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Russian Military, Turkish Military, YPG
View Incident

Incident Date

25 August 2023

Incident Code

TS625

Location

قرية جورين, Jurin and Na'orat Jurin villages, Hama, Syria
On August 25th, 2023 at least two women were injured and a young woman and child later died due to injuries sustained in a Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) perpetrated assault on Jurin and Na’orat Jurin Villages in Northwest Hama. The woman, Taryaq Rustom and child, Maher Abbas, died four days after the attack after receiving…

Summary

Published
25 August 2023
Strike Type
Artillery, Ground operation
Civilians reported killed
2
Civilians reported injured
1–3
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions, Small arms and light weapons
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident

Incident Date

25 August 2023

Incident Code

TS626

Location

قرية البركة, Al Baraka village, Hama, Syria
On 25 August 2023, a man and wife and their child were reportedly injured by a ‘terrorist’ mortar missile in the village of Al-Baraka, located in the north-western Hama countryside. A Facebook post by a correspondent for Al Ghab valley in Hama reported that the injured child is 6 months old and that the family…

Summary

Published
25 August 2023
Strike Type
Artillery
Civilians reported injured
1–3
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident

Incident Date

24 August 2023

Incident Code

TI095

Location

قرية ميرغمير, village of Mergmir, Erbil, Iraq
On the 24th of August 2023, a drone strike is believed to have killed either four civilians or four PKK fighters, two of them in medical roles, in the village of Merg Mir in the Bradost region in Erbil Governorate. According to several news sources, including Roj News, Hawar News Agency and Kurdistan 24, the…

Summary

Published
24 August 2023
Strike Type
Airstrike (Drone Strike)
Infrastructure
Agriculture
Civilians reported killed
0–4
Military actors reported killed
0–4
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident

Incident Date

23 August 2023

Incident Code

TS624

Location

طريق علي فرو, Ali Faro Road, Al Hassakah, Syria
On the afternoon of August 23, 2023, a man was killed and at least one person, a female journalist, was injured in an alleged Turkish drone strike on the Qamishli-Amuda road in Northeast Syria. The man, Najm al-Din Faisal, worked for woman-run channel JIN TV, and was driving fellow channel employees. Dalila Akid, a journalist,…

Summary

Published
23 August 2023
Strike Type
Airstrike (Drone Strike)
Civilians reported killed
1
Civilians reported injured
1–2
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident