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

3 November 2019

Incident Code

TS381

Location

رأس العين, Ras Al Ayn, Al Hassakah, Syria
One civilian was reported killed in an alleged Turkish forces and/or Turkey-backed militants' attack in Zirqan district, Hasaka, Syria on November 3rd, 2019. ANHA reported that Seyîd Hewaş, who was a security guard in the tomb of Sheikh Hisên in the village of Lazqe in Zirgan district was killed.  

Summary

Published
3 November 2019
Civilians reported killed
1
Military Actor
Turkish Military
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Incident Date

3 November 2019

Incident Code

TS380

Location

الطريق بين رشيدية و القاسمية, Road between Al Rashidiya and Al Qasimiya village, Al Hassakah, Syria
One member of Doctors Without Borders was killed and three other civilians including two aged 17 wounded in an alleged Turkish mortar strike on a convoy about four kilometers north of Tal Temr, local sources reported. Hawar news said: "The invading Turkish state wounded two doctors by firing cannons at Til Temir's convoy of Doctors…

Summary

Published
3 November 2019
Strike Type
Artillery
Civilians reported killed
1
Civilians reported injured
3
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
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Incident Date

2 November 2019

Incident Code

TS379

Location

عين الهوى, Aniq Al Hawa, Al Hassakah, Syria
Four civilians were reportedly executed, allegedly by Turkey-backed militants in Aniq Al Hawa village in Ras Al Ayn, Syria, on November 2nd, 2019 according to local sources. The sources reported that Turkey-backed militants disguised in Syrian regime forces clothing executed the four civilians.

Summary

Published
2 November 2019
Strike Type
Counter-Terrorism Action (Ground)
Civilians reported killed
4
Causes of Death / Injury
Small arms and light weapons
Military Actor
Turkish Military
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Incident Date

1 November 2019

Incident Code

TS378b

Location

السباتية, Al Sibatya, Al Hassakah, Syria
According to the Kurdish Red Crescent, three civilians were killed and one other injured in an alleged Turkish attack on Tal Tamr in Hasaka governorate in Syria on November 1st, 2019. The civilians killed were all males and identified as Abdulazeez Salih al Hesh, Mahmoud Ahmad Muhammad and Muhammad Ali Khuwam. Ali Ezizi, was also…

Summary

Published
1 November 2019
Strike Type
Airstrike and/or Artillery
Civilians reported killed
3
Civilians reported injured
1–2
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
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Incident Date

31 October 2019

Incident Code

TS378A

Location

تل تمر, Tal Tamr, Al Hassakah, Syria
According to the Kurdish Red Crescent, four civilians including a woman were reported injured in an alleged Turkish attack on Tal Tamr in Hassakah governorate in Syria on October 31st, 2019. No additional information about this event is presently known.

Summary

Published
31 October 2019
Strike Type
Airstrike and/or Artillery
Civilians reported injured
4
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
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Incident Date

31 October 2019

Incident Code

TS377

Location

تالوارد, Tal Ward, Al Hassakah, Syria
Three civilians were killed and five others injured in an alleged attack by Turkey-backed militants on Tal Ward in Zirgan town - Ras Al Ain in Hasaka governorate, on October 31st, 2019, according to local sources. @Raman_Hassi reported that Ibrahim Mohammed Khalaf (60) and his wife Tofaha Ali Saleh (55) were both killed in the…

Summary

Published
31 October 2019
Strike Type
Artillery
Civilians reported killed
3
Civilians reported injured
5
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 […]