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

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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

M4 غرب عين عيسى, M4, West of Ain Issa, Raqqa, Syria

Deaths and injuries among civilians were reported by local sources as a result of alleged Turkish forces and Turkey-backed militants shelling of Ain Issa, in Raqqa, Syria on August 17th, 2020. While most sources reported that two civilians were wounded, others reported deaths without a specific number. @dersi4m tweeted that 'theTurkish army and it’s jihadist…

Summary

Civilians reported killed

Civilians reported injured

Turkish Military

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Incident Date

Incident Code

Location

أرادن‎, Araden, Duhok, Iraq

Up to three people were killed and another person was injured in alleged Turkish airstrikes on a vehicle in the village of Ardana, Dohuk governorate, on August 14th, 2020. It remains unclear whether the victims were civilians. Rudaw reported: "The director of Bamerni district, Hamid Zubeir, told Rudaw Media Network that Turkish planes targeted a…

Summary

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

Bradost region, Erbil, Iraq

At least five civilians were killed in alleged Turkish drone strikes in the Bradost region, Erbil governorate, on August 11th, 2020, according to local sources. The civilians died alongside five Iraqi border guards and five Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) members. Armen Press reported that 15 people were killed in a Turkish drone strike in northern Iraq Iraqi,…

Summary

Airstrike (Drone Strike)

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

قامشلي, Electrical cables manufacturing facility, Qamishli, Al Hassakah, Syria

One civilian was allegedly injured by a Turkish drone strike on Qamishli. ANHA reported: "On Thursday evening, an explosion was heard at about 18:30 in the Swiss Canal neighborhood, east of Qamishlo, which was found to have been caused by a shell fired by a drone belonging to the Turkish occupation at a civilian electrical…

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

Efdikê, Raqqa, Syria

One civilian was allegedly injured by Turkish shelling on Afdko, west of Tal Abyad. ANHA wrote: "Our agency correspondent reported that, in the meantime, the Turkish occupation army and its mercenaries are bombing the village of Afdko, located to the west of Tel Abyad. Our correspondent explained that the shelling hit civilians and their homes,…

Summary

Civilians reported injured

Causes of Death / Injury

Heavy weapons and explosive munitions

Turkish Military

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Incident Date

Incident Code

Location

Nohadra, Duhok, Iraq

A single source reported that civilians died in alleged Turkish airstrikes on civilian vehicles in Nohadra, Duhok governorate, on August 3rd, 2020. Syria C Press wrote that "more civilians were killed on Monday in Nohadra (Duhok) in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq as a result of the ongoing Turkish military operation in northern Iraq after…

Summary

Civilians reported killed

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 […]