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

3 August 2020

Incident Code

TI045

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

Published
3 August 2020
Strike Type
Airstrike
Civilians reported killed
2
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident →

Incident Date

1 August 2020

Incident Code

TS443

Location

عين عيسى, Ain Issa, Raqqa, Syria
Local sources reported that three children were injured in alleged Turkish forces and/or Turkey-backed forces artillery strikes on Ain Issa on August 1st, 2020. One of them is in a critical condition. "The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored, this evening, artillery shelling carried out by the Turkish forces and the factions loyal to them,…

Summary

Published
1 August 2020
Strike Type
Artillery
Civilians reported injured
3
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident →

Incident Date

1 August 2020

Incident Code

TI044

Location

Bakira, Duhok, Iraq
Two civilians were killed in alleged Turkish airstrikes on a civilian vehicle near Bakira, Dohuk governorate, on August 1st, 2020, according to local sources. Hawar News wrote that "The Turkish occupation army planes bombed a civilian car this evening in the Bakira community in the Amedi district of the Dohuk governorate in southern Kurdistan. According to…

Summary

Published
1 August 2020
Strike Type
Airstrike
Civilians reported killed
2
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident →

Incident Date

29 July 2020

Incident Code

TI043

Location

جبل شاكيو, Mount Shekif, Erbil, Iraq
Five civilians were injured in alleged Turkish artillery strikes on Mount Shekif, Lolan area in Erbil governorate, on July 29th, 2020, according to local sources. One woman was reportedly severely wounded. ANF English wrote that "on Wednesday, morning the Turkish army fired shells at a group of people who went to Mount Shekif to collect…

Summary

Published
29 July 2020
Strike Type
Artillery
Civilians reported injured
5
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident →

Incident Date

27 July 2020

Incident Code

TS442a

Location

قرطوان, Qurtwiran, Aleppo, Syria
Five or six civilians from the same family including children were reported killed and more up to ten others injured in alleged Turkish forces or Turkey-backed forces mortars and artillery attack on the villages of Qurtwiran and Willanli in Manbej, Aleppo on July 27th, 2020, according to local sources. Some sources said that the six…

Summary

Published
27 July 2020
Strike Type
Artillery
Civilians reported killed
5–6
Civilians reported injured
6–10
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident →

Incident Date

26 July 2020

Incident Code

TI042

Location

the road between Barzanke and Ghilpish, Duhok, Iraq
Two men were killed in alleged Turkish airstrikes on two vehicles near Hasinpirka village, Duhok province, on July 26th, 2020. Sources are conflicted about whether the men were civilians or PKK militants. Kurdistan24 reported that "a Turkish airstrike in rural parts of the Kurdistan region’s Duhok province killed at least two civilians, a security source told Kurdistan…

Summary

Published
26 July 2020
Strike Type
Airstrike
Civilians reported killed
2
Military actors reported killed
2
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
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 […]