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

ابو راسين, Abu Rasin, Al Hassakah, Syria

Between one and two civilians, including a woman and a child, were killed and between 10 and 20 others, including two women and two children, were injured in alleged Turkish airstrikes on Zirgan on August 17, 2021. According to North Press Agency (NPA), at least one civilian was killed and between 10 and 20 others…

Summary

Civilians reported killed

Civilians reported injured

Causes of Death / Injury

Heavy weapons and explosive munitions

Turkish Military

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Incident Date

Incident Code

Location

باصل, Bosal, Duhok, Iraq

One civilian was seriously injured in an alleged Turkish artillery strike on Bosal village in Darkar sub-district, Dohuk Province on August 10 th 2021, according to one source. Christian Peacemakers Teams reported that Abdulrahman Yousif, 55, from the village of Bosal, was severely injured while picking figs in his orchard. The strike occurred at 15:50…

Summary

Civilians reported injured

Causes of Death / Injury

Heavy weapons and explosive munitions

Turkish Military

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Incident Date

5–6 August, 2021

Incident Code

Location

الباب, Al Bab, Aleppo, Syria

Between 17 and 27 civilians, including four children and three women, were injured in alleged Syrian Democratic Forces or regime strikes on Al Bab on August 5/6, 2021. Macro Media Center reported that "civilians were wounded and civilian homes were destroyed as a result of the targeting of SDF forces with rocket launchers, the city…

Summary

Airstrike and/or Artillery

Turkish Military, YPG

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Incident Date

Incident Code

Location

عين عيسى, Ain Issa, Raqqa, Syria

At least four civilians, including three children, were killed and two other civilians, including a woman and a child, were injured in alleged Turkish strikes on the town of Ain Issa on August 4, 2021. According to a statement from the Syrian Democratic Forces, "the occupation army bombed with tank shells at exactly three o’clock…

Summary

Civilians reported killed

Civilians reported injured

Causes of Death / Injury

Heavy weapons and explosive munitions

Turkish Military

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Incident Date

Incident Code

Location

سنكسر, Sinksar, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq

Two civilians, or members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), were killed in alleged Turkish airstrikes on the village of Sinksar, Sulaymaniyah governorate on July 30, 2021, according to local media reports. Mawazin News reported that the director of the Snaksar district in Sulaymaniyah, Nehru Abdullah, said in a press statement "During the past 24…

Summary

Civilians reported killed

Military actors reported killed

Causes of Death / Injury

Heavy weapons and explosive munitions

Turkish Military

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Incident Date

Incident Code

Location

نبل, Nubl, Aleppo, Syria

At least one civilian, a woman, was killed and one to three other civilians, including children, were injured in alleged Turkish artillery strikes on the town of Nubl on July 20, 2021. NPA Syria reported "A woman lost her life and a child was injured, on Tuesday, in the bombing of the Turkish-backed factions on…

Summary

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 […]