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

17 October 2019

Incident Code

TS355

Location

رأس العين, Ras Al Ain, Al Hassakah, Syria
Two or three civilians were reportedly executed by Turkish-supported forces in Ras Al Ain. @RodiSad tweeted "Photos of killed civilians in RasAl-Ain, who were field-executed on the Hasakah road. The field execution was obvious and was carried out on October 17th by Turkish-backed Sultan Murat militias. One of the killed is a friend of mine.…

Summary

Published
17 October 2019
Strike Type
Counter-Terrorism Action (Ground)
Civilians reported killed
2–3
Causes of Death / Injury
Small arms and light weapons
Military Actor
Turkish Military
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Incident Date

17 October 2019

Incident Code

TS354

Location

غرب, Alia, Al Hassakah, Syria
NPA tweeted: "Five injured have arrived at the hospital in Tal Tamr, northwest of Hassakah, as a result of the Turkish warplanes bombing on the village of Aliya south of the city of Ras al-Ain/Sere Kaniyeh this morning [Oct 17th]." No further details are currently available.    

Summary

Published
17 October 2019
Civilians reported injured
5
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident →

Incident Date

17 October 2019

Incident Code

TS353

Location

كوباني, Qamishli, Al Hassakah, Syria
Three civilians including a child were wounded in alleged Turkish shelling of Qamishli, according to sources on the ground, while the Kurdish Red Crescent reported that five civilians were injured. Hawarnews reported: "Three Turkish civilians were wounded in the bombardment of the occupied Turkish state and gangs in the neighborhoods of Qamishlo. The invading Turkish…

Summary

Published
17 October 2019
Civilians reported injured
3–5
Military Actor
Turkish Military
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Incident Date

17 October 2019

Incident Code

TS351

Location

رأس العين, Ras Al Ain, Al Hassakah, Syria
A paramedic died in alleged Turkish shelling of Ras Al Ain, multiple sources said. ANAH reported: "Cizre Region Health Committee Co-Chair Doctor Menal Mihemed said that Hayîl Salih was martyred as a result of the bombardment of the Turkish state".

Summary

Published
17 October 2019
Strike Type
Airstrike and/or Artillery
Civilians reported killed
1
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
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Incident Date

16 October 2019

Incident Code

TS350

Location

مشرفة, Musharrafa, Al Hassakah, Syria
@NPA_English tweeted: "Two civilians were abducted, a third injured, by Turkish-backed armed militants, in village of Musharrafa, in the outskirts of Sere-Kaniye (Ras al-Ain), while they were returning to the city." Other sources also noted that three civilians were kidnapped "by armed mercenaries supported by Turkey" and that one was wounded.

Summary

Published
16 October 2019
Strike Type
Counter-Terrorism Action (Ground)
Civilians reported injured
1
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident →

Incident Date

16 October 2019

Incident Code

TS349

Location

Xanike ، بين ‎الدرباسية و عامودا‎, Xanike, between Dirbêsiyê and Amûde, Al Hassakah, Syria
@c1wan tweeted: "A civilian martyr was killed in the village of Xanike between Dirbêsiyê and Amûde as a result of the cannon shootings of the Turkish army." @dersm_arin also reported one civilian death.

Summary

Published
16 October 2019
Strike Type
Artillery
Civilians reported killed
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 […]