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

16 October 2019

Incident Code

TS348

Location

رفح, Rafha, Al Hassakah, Syria
"Many" civilians died and "more than 50" were wounded in alleged Turkish artillery strikes on Rafha village, local media said. According to @ HiwaDilan_71, "Groups of gangs affiliated with the occupying Turkish state bombed a village inhabited by Arab citizens in Girê Spî. Many civilians have died, including more than 50 people hospitalized, including women,…

Summary

Published
16 October 2019
Strike Type
Artillery
Civilians reported killed
5–10
Civilians reported injured
50
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident →

Incident Date

16 October 2019

Incident Code

TS350d

Location

راس العين, Ras Al Ain, Al Hassakah, Syria
The Kurdish Red Crescent reported that up to seven civilians, including two children,  were injured in an alleged Turkish forces attack on Ras Al Ayn, Hassakah in Syria on October 16th, 2019.  

Summary

Published
16 October 2019
Civilians reported injured
7
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 →

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
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Incident Date

15 October 2019

Incident Code

TS342

Location

الفارات, Al Farat, Aleppo, Syria
Multiple sources reported that 2 civilians were killed and 15 people were injured in an alleged Turkish shelling in the village of Al Farat, west of Manbij. In a Kurdish Red Crescent document shared with Airwars, 15 people have been identified as injured, among which 10 children (including a child whose name is mentioned twice…

Summary

Published
15 October 2019
Strike Type
Airstrike and/or Artillery
Civilians reported killed
2
Civilians reported injured
14–15
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Military Actor
Turkish Military
View Incident →

Incident Date

15 October 2019

Incident Code

TS343

Location

ابو سرة, Abu Surra, Raqqa, Syria
Two civilians died and another was wounded in an alleged Turkish attack on a car carrying civilians, multiple sources reported. @thefinalwar tweeted" "The Turkish state and its gangs attacked a vehicle belonging to civilians in the village of Abu Sirê to the west of Eyn Isa. Two civilians were martyred and one civilian was injured…

Summary

Published
15 October 2019
Strike Type
Counter-Terrorism Action (Ground)
Civilians reported killed
2
Civilians reported injured
1
Causes of Death / Injury
Unknown
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 […]