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
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Incident Date Publication Date ↓

Incident Date

15 April 2020

Incident Code

TI034

Location

مخيم مخمور للاجئين, Makhmur Refugee Camp, Erbil, Iraq
Three women were killed alleged Turkish drone strikes on Makhmour refugee camp, Erbil province, on April 15th 2020, according to local sources. Four civilians were injured. Bewar Amin, head of Makhmour Camp's media department, told Rudaw English that "three civilian women were killed by the Turkish airstrike today near Makhmour camp. Two women were killed…

Summary

Published
15 April 2020
Strike Type
Airstrike (Drone Strike)
Civilians reported killed
3
Civilians reported injured
4
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident →

Incident Date

10 April 2020

Incident Code

TS432

Location

عقيبة, Aqiba, Aleppo, Syria
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported renewed rocket shelling by Turkish forces and the factions loyal to it on areas under the control of the Kurdish and regime forces in the northern countryside of Aleppo on April 10th, 2020. The intense shelling targeted the villages of Aqeeba, Soghankeh, Ziyara, Dergemal, Beina and other areas…

Summary

Published
10 April 2020
Strike Type
Artillery
Civilians reported injured
1
Military actors reported killed
1
Military Actor
Turkish Military
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Incident Date

9 April 2020

Incident Code

TS430

Location

كفرنايا, Kafr Naya, Aleppo, Syria
ANF reported that a civilian was injured in the village of Kafr Naya in Aleppo, Syria in alleged Turkish shelling on April 9th, 2020. The civilian is identified as Khaled Oso, aged 42. "The Turkish army and allied mercenaries have carried out an artillery attack on the villages of Sheikh Hilal and Kafr Naya in…

Summary

Published
9 April 2020
Strike Type
Artillery
Civilians reported injured
1
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident →

Incident Date

4 April 2020

Incident Code

TS429

Location

The road between Efdikê and Kopirlik, Raqqa, Syria
ANHA reported that Turkish forces targeted a civilian car on the road between Tal Abyad and the village of Avidko in Raqqa, Syria on April 4th, 2020 leading to the injury of a civilian. ANF later said three civilians were in the car and that they got injured. It was reported also that Turkey-backed militants…

Summary

Published
4 April 2020
Strike Type
Artillery
Civilians reported injured
1–3
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
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Incident Date

2 April 2020

Incident Code

TS427

Location

تل قبر الصغير و العبوش, Qabr Al Saqir and Al Abosh, Al Hassakah, Syria
Two civilians were reportedly killed and four others were injured in artillery strikes by allegedly Turkish forces and allied militants, on the villages of Qabr Al Saqir and Al Abosh in Tal Tamr district on April 2nd, 2020, according to local sources. According to Abna24, local sources told SANA, Syria's official news agency, that "Turkish…

Summary

Published
2 April 2020
Strike Type
Artillery
Civilians reported killed
2
Civilians reported injured
4
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident →

Incident Date

Incident Code

TS428

Location

أم الكيف, Um al Keif, Al Hassakah, Syria
One civilian was reported injured in alleged Turkish forces shelling on Um al Keif in Tal Tamr, Hasaka, Syria on April 2nd, 2020 according to ANF News. The source reported that Turkish forces have been heavily shelling Tal Tamr region, and that "the aggression led to injury of 27-year-old Khalid Mihemed Ibrahim in the village…

Summary

Published
2 April 2020
Strike Type
Artillery
Civilians reported injured
1
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 […]