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.

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

19 March 2021

Incident Code

TS467

Location

الحيدريات, Al Hadaryat, Raqqa, Syria
A 12 year old child was among three civilians killed, with up to four others injured, in what was described as a Turkish rocket or artillery strike on the village of Al-Hadaryat. According to NPA, Turkish strikes had begun in retaliation for the firing of two missiles into Turkey's Kilis province by alleged Syrian regime…

Summary

Published
19 March 2021
Strike Type
Artillery
Civilians reported killed
3
Civilians reported injured
2–4
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident →

Incident Date

14 March 2021

Incident Code

TS466

Location

الزنفل, Al Zanfil, Aleppo, Syria
A child was reported killed and others injured, also including children, in alleged Turkish or pro-Turkey militants shelling on Zankil village, east of Manbej, Aleppo on March 14th. The child victim was identified as Yamen Ali Ayntabi. It was reported that the shelling took place in the morning. North Press Agency said that the Turkish…

Summary

Published
14 March 2021
Strike Type
Artillery
Infrastructure
Education
Civilians reported killed
1
Civilians reported injured
2
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident →

Incident Date

10 February 2021

Incident Code

TS465

Location

الدشيشة, Al Darisha, Al Hassakah, Syria
A number of civilians including a 6-year-old child were reported injured in Turkish or pro-Turkey forces shelling on residential areas in Tal Tamr in Hasakah, Syria on February 10th, 2021. @baze_kurd said the child was seriously injured. The child was identified by local sources as Yazan Mohammad Ali, while one source had a different variation…

Summary

Published
10 February 2021
Strike Type
Artillery
Civilians reported injured
2
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident →

Incident Date

10–14 February, 2021

Incident Code

TI056

Location

جبل غارا, Mount Gara, Duhok, Iraq
Thirteen Turkish nationals being held captive by the PKK in a location close to village Siyane in the Gare/Gara region in northern Iraq were killed - either during an alleged Turkish airstrike, or executed by the PKK, according to conflicting Kurdish and Turkish sources. There was however broad agreement that some of those killed were…

Summary

Published
14 February 2021
Strike Type
Airstrike and/or Artillery, Counter-Terrorism Action (Ground)
Civilians reported killed
7–13
Military actors reported killed
3
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions, Small arms and light weapons
Military Actor
YPG, Turkish Military
View Incident →

Incident Date

2 February 2021

Incident Code

TI055

Location

شێنێ, Shene, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq
A woman was injured in alleged Turkish airstrikes on the village of Shene in Halsho sub-district, Sulaymaniyah governorate, on February 2nd, 2021, according to local sources. NRT English reported that "a 40-year-old civilian woman was wounded when Turkish warplanes bombed the outskirts of the village of Shene in the Raparin administration’s Halsho sub-district late on Tuesday…

Summary

Published
2 February 2021
Strike Type
Airstrike
Civilians reported injured
1
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident →

Incident Date

23 January 2021

Incident Code

TS464

Location

تل رفعت, Tal Rifa'at, Aleppo, Syria
Up to five civilians including a mother and her two children were reported killed, and eleven others injured as a result of a alleged Turkish shelling, or pro-Turkey militants on Tal Rifat town in Aleppo's northern countryside, Syria on January 23rd, 2021. The shelling also reportedly caused material damage to the locals houses, the private…

Summary

Published
23 January 2021
Strike Type
Artillery
Civilians reported killed
4
Civilians reported injured
7–11
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident →

Research and Investigations

View all →
17 May, 2023
Visualisation
Iraq

Reported civilian deaths from Turkish Military strikes in Iraq

Database tracks casualties in Iraq during Turkish strikes
6 Sep, 2022
Visualisation
Iraq, Syria

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 […]
8 Feb, 2022
Investigations
Iraq

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.
25 Feb, 2021
Research
Iraq, Türkiye

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 […]
24 Dec, 2019
Update
Syria

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 […]
18 Oct, 2019
Update
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 […]