The Civilian Harm Watchdog

Casualty Recording ▸ Conflicts

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.

Image: An internally displaced Kurdish family in northern Iraq, 2016 (Maranie R. Staab)

Turkish Military in Iraq & Syria

Overview Incident Map Incidents Research & Investigations

▴ An internally displaced Kurdish family in northern Iraq, 2016 (Maranie R. Staab)

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

Start Date

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End Date

Strike Type

Causes of Death / Injury

Strike Status

Civilian Harm Status

Belligerent Assessment

Casualty

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969 incidents

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Incident Date

Incident Code

Location

تل زيوان, Tal Zewan, Al Hassakah, Syria

At least one civilian grazing sheep was injured in alleged Turkish shelling on Tel Zewan on August 8, 2022. Hawar News reported that Turkish forces shelled the village of Tel Zewan with artillery at around 13:00, injuring one civilian who was tending to his sheep. Hawar added that on the same day, Turkish forces bombed…

Summary

Civilians reported injured

Causes of Death / Injury

Heavy weapons and explosive munitions

Turkish Military

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Incident Date

Incident Code

Location

الصناعة, Al-Sina'a neighborhood in Qamishli, Al Hassakah, Syria

Up to four civilians, including two children, were killed and at least two others were injured in an alleged Turkish drone strike on a car in the Al Sina'a neighborhood of Qamishli on August 6, 2022. Hawar News reported that a car exploded in Al-Sinaa neighborhood in Qamishli after being stuck by a Turkish drone…

Summary

Airstrike (Drone Strike)

Civilians reported killed

Civilians reported injured

Military actors reported killed

Causes of Death / Injury

Heavy weapons and explosive munitions

Turkish Military

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Incident Date

Incident Code

Location

تل رفعت, Tel Rifaat, Aleppo, Syria

Seven to nine people, including up to seven children, were "seriously" injured by an alleged Turrkish drone strike in Tel Rifaat city centre, in the Aleppo countryside on August 4th 2022. Hawar News also reported that this attack "resulted in injuries" but did not state how many. ANHA reported that the names of the nine…

Summary

Airstrike and/or Artillery

Civilians reported injured

Causes of Death / Injury

Heavy weapons and explosive munitions

Turkish Military

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Incident Date

Incident Code

Location

السلماسه, Al Salmsaa, Al Hassakah, Syria

Two civilians were injured, one young man and a girl, in alleged Turkish shelling in the village of Al-Salamsa, in the countryside of Tal Tamr, in Al-Hassakah, Syria on July 30th 2022. The injured were named by ANHA as Majda Khader al-Bibi, aged 16, and her brother, Hatem Khader al-Bibi, aged 24. They were reportedly…

Summary

Airstrike and/or Artillery

Civilians reported injured

Causes of Death / Injury

Heavy weapons and explosive munitions

Turkish Military

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Incident Date

Incident Code

Location

لم الخير, Umm Al Khair, Al Hassakah, Syria

At least seven and up to ten civilians, including women and children, were reported injured in an alleged Turkish bombardment targeting Umm Al Khair village, in the countryside of Tal Tamr, in Al-Hassakah, Syria, on July 30th 2022. According to ANHA, the names and ages of those injured are as followed: "Laila Omar Saleh, 4…

Summary

Airstrike and/or Artillery

Civilians reported injured

Causes of Death / Injury

Heavy weapons and explosive munitions

Turkish Military

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Incident Date

Incident Code

Location

قرية شيخ عيسى, Sheikh Issa village, Tal Rifaat, Aleppo, Syria

One civilian was killed and three to five civilians were injured as a result of an alleged Turkish attack on Sheikh Issa village, in Tal Rifaat, Aleppo, Syria on July 26th 2022. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that three women and a man were injured, whilst ANHA Arabic reported that six women were…

Summary

Airstrike and/or Artillery

Civilians reported killed

Civilians reported injured

Causes of Death / Injury

Heavy weapons and explosive munitions

Turkish Military

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Research and Investigations

View allSee all for Turkish Military in Iraq & Syria →

Reported civilian deaths from Turkish Military strikes in Iraq

Database tracks casualties in Iraq during Turkish strikes

Turkish Military in Iraq and Syria Casualty Map

Turkey has conducted hundreds of unilateral air and artillery strikes in both Syria and Iraq – as well as a small number of actions as part of the US-led Coalition against so-called Islamic State. From July 2015 in Iraq, occasional unilateral Turkish airstrikes began targeting Kurdish militants in northern Kurdistan. Thirteen months later, the first […]

Who killed Ahmed and Youssef?

When two Iraqi holidaymakers were killed in the Kurdish region of the country, the finger of blame turned to Turkish strikes. But this investigation finds a roadside bomb was the more likely cause.

Renewed military campaign in northern Iraq against PKK sees deaths of 13 Turkish captives

A renewed campaign by Turkey in mid February against a Kurdish militant faction – which has seen Turkish troops pushing deeper than ever before into northern Iraq – also saw the deaths of thirteen Turkish civilian and military captives in a highly controversial attack, Airwars monitoring of the region shows. On February 10th, the Turkish […]

More than 220 civilians likely killed in Turkish invasion of northern Syria

Eleven weeks on from the October 9th launch of a Turkish-led offensive against Kurds in northern Syria, known as ‘Operation Peace Spring’, fighting continues to rage with civilians still encountering significant violence. Since the beginning of the latest clashes, Airwars researchers have overall monitored between 244 and 312 reported civilian deaths resulting from air, artillery […]

Syria, Türkiye

Civilians severely at risk from Turkish invasion of Northern Syria

Airwars monitors locally reported civilian harm from all Turkish air and artillery strikes in Iraq and Syria, as well as from Kurdish counterfire actions. Our database can be found here. More than 120 civilian deaths have been locally alleged in eight days of fighting in northern Syria to October 16th, following a Turkish-led offensive, ‘Operation […]